Many people dwell on the sting or dwell every day as if it was our final, typically, not on goal. Through the previous week or so, I had such an epiphany of dwelling on the sting whereas driving the brand new Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye, a car that isn’t for the faint of coronary heart however for many who are prepared to stay engaged within the driving expertise or who wish to dwell on the ragged fringe of life.
There’s nothing incorrect with dwelling on the sting, contemplating you do it with some consideration for others. The brand new Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye is a car that makes you concentrate on life, not that you’ll lose your life driving a 797-horsepower 4-door monster, it’s simply the truth that if you wish to preserve dwelling on this earth, you’re going to wish to take note of your right-foot placement. Don’t get me incorrect, the Charger Hellcat Redeye isn’t inherently harmful, it simply deserves your undivided consideration when you might have a lot energy at your beckon.
In my numerous experiences with the numerous Hellcats from Dodge, I’ve all the time managed to have giggle-inducing enjoyable. This week has been no completely different with the large Dodge Charger powered by a 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine. The additional energy over the “regular” Hellcat’s 717 horsepower is felt all through the RPM vary. The truth is, with the cooler Florida climate, the rear 305-patched 20-inch tires virtually really feel as if they’re gliding on sheets of ice. Once they heat up, traction is barely improved barely and you continue to must thoughts your proper foot over the relatively tender gasoline pedal.
There’s no getting round the truth that the Dodge Charger platform is sort of aged at this level, and it exhibits within the switchgear and kind issue of the beefy bodywork and inside house. There’s numerous tools carried over for over a decade now. Nonetheless, that basically doesn’t matter when Dodge retains including energy to the Charger, now almost 800 ponies all shoved by way of a confirmed HP90 8-speed automated transmission earlier than it spins the rear wheels.
General, there’s a looming uneasy feeling about the best way the Charger Hellcat Redeye wallows about and makes an attempt to place down only a fraction of that 797 horsepower to the bottom. Essentially, the Charger Hellcat Redeye is sloppy, in the best way that you simply anticipate an American muscle automotive to be. Even the torque converter will slip whereas in a gear to induce undesirable wheel spin while you’re not even attempting. Don’t even depend on stability and traction management to save lots of the day as a result of it’s going to nonetheless permit the rear wheels to spin for a second or two, simply sufficient to place your coronary heart charge nicely into the three-digits. Nonetheless, The Charger Hellcat Redeye is downright enjoyable, and THAT is what issues right here. Those that search a Hellcat aren’t all that involved about steadiness, curb weight, gas consumption (12 mpg metropolis/21 mpg freeway) and even observe time on a twisty circuit. They need these bragging rights, that American muscle automotive really feel, and the flexibility to drive such a car day by day to work and to drop off the children in school. Mainly, it’s American-fun for the entire household, and Dodge has managed to maintain that spirit alive within the confides of an aged platform that someway stays trendy with refined updates within the user-friendly 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, SRT efficiency pages with a novel supercharger intercooler cooling system management, recent new colours and cabin trim, and thru larger-than-life horsepower numbers.
In what Stellantis (formally FCA) has managed to do with the Dodge Charger’s platform and its sharing Challenger is solely wonderful. Fanatics across the nation clamor to the Hellcat as if it was the newest unique to hit the market – and it’s in some methods as a result of how a lot sensible horsepower you will get with out spending six figures.
By now, a lot of what the Hellcat is fabricated from is well-known all through the fanatic neighborhood. Those that are excited about a Hellcat don’t essentially want me to inform them to watch out driving such a car with a lot energy, they want me to inform them to GO GET IT, and luxuriate in your makes an attempt to hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, or attain 200 MPH on an permitted and closed observe, as a result of that’s what you are able to do all for a worth of $87,165 when it’s almost loaded like my F8 Inexperienced beastly take a look at car. Get it now whereas we are able to, as a result of this, in reality, could also be the previous couple of years we see a lot energy produced by a hearth respiration American muscle automotive come out of the manufacturing facility.
