So we know that the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat has a starting price of $61,053with the manual transmission and $62,636 for the new 8-speed automatic transmission – including the annoying destination and Gas Guzzler fees. The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat will come with the same suspension, the same brakes, the same supercharged 6.2L Hellcat Hemi V8 and many of the same performance oriented styling cues inside and out as the Challenger…but the 707 horsepower Charger offers obvious advantages in spaciousness. Also, the Charger SRT Hellcat only comes with the 8-speed automatic transmission and with all of this in mind, we come to our Question of the Week.
How much do you think that the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat will cost?
Keep in mind that the smaller Challenger SRT Hellcat with the 8-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission starts at $62,363 (official MSRP per Frederick Scat Pack) and it seems to make sense that the Hellcat Charger pricing will start somewhere north of the Hellcat Challenger – but how far north?
I am hoping to see the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat starting somewhere around $64,000 with destination and gas taxes factored in…and I want to know if you think that the 707hp Charger will cost more or less than my estimate?
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
