The Dodge Charger Hellcat Is Officially The Fastest Sedan Ever Built
The company announced, last month, their intention to shoehorn their 707hp 6.2 liter supercharged Hemi Hellcat V8 into the sedan. While few doubted the capabilities of the engine, many questioned whether the Charger platform could unleash the motor's full potential.
This week, the naysayers were silenced when the company revealed the car's astonishing performance numbers.
Brace yourself.
Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the Hellcat-powered Charger can make the dash from 0-60 mph in a scant 3.7 seconds and to 100mph in less than 13. It can blitz the quarter mile run in 11 seconds on road tires.
Top speed is 204 mph.
For the 2015 model year, engineers at Dodge gave the already handsome Charger a facelift to align the sedan's styling with the company's new Euro-inspired design theme. The front end is now dominated by a large black mesh grill and striking LED headlights.
The new cockpit will feature a digital gauge cluster and an 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment display. Running the display will be Chrysler Group's U-Connect Access System, one of the best of its kind in the industry.
The 2015 Charger will also feature improved interior design and material quality. The upgraded interior includes alcantara headliners and swathes of Nappa leather, materials that have not traditionally been associated with the Dodge brand.
To harness all of this newfound horsepower, Dodge will employ an advanced adjustable suspension attached to 20-inch forged aluminum wheels. Stopping power for the new Charger is provided by massive 15.4 inch Brembo two-piece rotors with six-piston calipers.
When it hits the market early next year, the Hemi Hellcat powered-model will occupy the top slot in the Charger sedan family. Official prices have yet to be announced for the maxed-out edition, but it's expected to be a true bargain at around $63,000, according to Motor Trend.
As the ultimate four-door muscle car, the Hellcat Charger isn't satisfying any particular market need, but it is a statement car for a brand that's been working hard to claw its way back to mainstream relevance.
"This is a car that doesn't have a business case for it," joked Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis to Motor Trend. "No customer has ever asked us to build [this car]. But sometimes you need to disregard the data."
To wrap things up, here's the view of the Hellcat Charger that its competitors will probably see most often.
