Last Man Standing?
Just about. Oh, sure, you can still get a Cadillac V-Series four-door with 550 HP and a window sticker around six-figures, but for an American-made “King of the Hill” hyper-performance four-door sedan, Dodge has pretty much run everybody else out of town.
And that’s a shame, don’tcha’ think? Now Ford makes a pretty serious Mustang GT 500…Chevy makes some quite entertaining Camaros…and then there’s their new Corvette C-8…and of course Dodge can put you into a 700+ HP Challenger…all of which are world-class performers…but those are two-doors with limited room in the back. So for carrying five people in comfort with nuclear explosive acceleration and good road manners, Dodge is the last guy standing on this side of the Atlantic.
So just how serious is Dodge’s Charger Hellcat Widebody?
It’ll do a quarter mile in less than 11 seconds, and top out…if you had the room…just four MPH short of 200. Yes…196 MPH.
So sure…a 6.2 liter supercharged engine putting out 707 HP is serious, but listen to what you get with all that power:
An adjustable competition suspension, launch-control for those quarter-mile runs and an after-run chiller, 6-piston Brembo front brakes, anti-spin rear axle and electronic stability control, 20” carbon-black alloys and 305/35ZR20 performance tires. In short, your Hellcat Widebody will not only GO, it’ll stop and handle, too.
And then here’s the other thing…price. With destination fees, Dodge can put this in your driveway for just over $70,000. Even with an attractive carbon-suede interior package and some comfort, connectivity and sound options…plus a $2,100 gas guzzler tax, our test Charger Hellcat Widebody was “only” in the high $70’s. Sure, 70K is a chunk of change, but for this kind of performance, it’s a screaming bargain.
Apparently, others agree with me. As I type this, there’s a used Charger Hellcat Widebody advertised on EBAY for around 30 thousand over sticker.
And one more thing…if $70K just stretches the ol’ budget a mite too much….very few people will ever pass you if you’re “only” driving in Dodge’s Charger R/T Scat Pack with its 485 HP V-8 priced in the $40’s.
Oh….and one more “plus” to the Widebody Hellcat? You’ll have a lot of opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. Sharp ears and eyes seem to either hear you comin’, or just spot that Hellcat insignia on your flanks and shout things like “Light it up!!
You’ll have to get used to hearing folks literally cheer when you do!
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