I first got a taste of the Hellcat almost 10 years ago, when my dear friend Joel Feder got to review a preproduction model. Then, and now, there really isn’t anything like it. I had a chance to drive this 2017 Charger SRT Hellcat a couple weeks ago before it was sold and these modern-day muscle cars are not for me, but I sure had a great time.
There is a car group in my hometown called “Toxic Mopar” that shows up to many car-related events, and our local Cars and Coffee. Because I see them frequently, I have had the chance to learn about several different Dodge Charger and Challenger variants and have grown to appreciate them. These large, loud, and fast cars are really not for me, but I respect and admire them greatly. There is a niche target market who purchases these vehicles and I am glad to see them as a part of the car community. While other American car manufacturers have retired their large family sedans, Dodge has continued to produce these classic vehicles. Although executive sedans are still available from European manufactures, they don’t quite compare to the American muscle car experience.
Several months ago I rented a Dodge Charger base model and a rental car, which was surprisingly good. I normally don’t care about cheap materials, but the interior just felt like it was built only for durability, and it felt so WIDE out on the road. However, it was also surprisingly fast even with its 300 hp engine and got good gas mileage. While unremarkable, I could understand why someone might want to buy one given the many configurations available.
A friend of mine bought the 2017 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat last summer and while I was at a friend’s wedding (clearly paying a lot of attention), I took it out for “a spin” and was BLOWN away by how incredible the Hellcat was, especially in comparison to the base model I had already experienced. The materials were much better than the base model and the fuel economy was better than expected for a car with over 700 hp.
I heard that this friend was thinking about selling his Hellcat so I jumped at the chance to review it. It was loud. It was wide. It was SO fun despite the cold/damp weather that prevented my from really going fast. This might be the climax of Dodge’s muscle cars because they announced the transition into electric drive trains for the SRT brand. If this is something you’re interested in, it might be worth investing in one now.
Overall, despite not being in the target market, I’m glad I had the chance to drive the Charger Hellcat and hear the sound of that American, supercharged V8.
