View Full Version : 707 hp Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat
Roguish Lawyer
07-02-2014, 19:26
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/01/2015-dodge-challenger-srt-hellcat-707-horsepower-official-video/
I like the body of the Challenger but I didn't like the handling. I would have probably bought one if they came in a convertible.
Streck-Fu
07-03-2014, 05:23
I love the idea of the Challenger but not the execution. They are very big cars and the views from any window not the front windscreen sucks. Huge blind spots.
Trapper John
07-03-2014, 06:26
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/01/2015-dodge-challenger-srt-hellcat-707-horsepower-official-video/
I'm feelin the need for speed! :lifter
As the owner of a 2008 SRT8, I love it. It's road trip worthy and does what it was designed to. The car is heavy, but that has the benefit of it riding smoothly. Mine was rated 425 crank HP and it's the fastest thing I've ever owned. As cars have gotten more HP, they've gotten heavier. Corvettes are one of the few that maintain a trim light weight with HP numbers that are impressive.
Mine is far from the fastest. How ever much money you want to spend is how fast you can go.
I have fewer blind spots in it vs. Mustangs or Camaros. Compared to my truck, it does still have some nasty ones.
I'm stupid for saying it, but if I could afford it, I will. It's a money pit, but could be my money pit. I'm exercising caution and telling myself "you have 4 years until 20, just wait". :D
Streck-Fu
07-03-2014, 08:27
About 20 years ago, I almost bought a rough but together 70 Challenger with the 383.....should have done it....But was getting ready for a deployment at the time and didn't think I had the time to secure storage..... :(
Woulda, coulda, shoulda.....
As the owner of a 2008 SRT8, I love it...
I have fewer blind spots in it vs. Mustangs or Camaros.
:D
The Challenger is one of my preferred rental cars and I have driven many. However, my ZL1 convertible has less blind spots than any American muscle car coupe, with the top up (or down:p) as it does not have a B pillar.
I think we need to see it at the track (road) as the Challenger is not competitive on twisty road courses, think Nürburgring. On the drag strip, with the right tires (front and back) this car should be great.
Movie clips. They don't use current engine noises for these.
I grew up on muscle cars, in chronological order '68 Olds 442, '70 340 Duster, '65 'Vette, '67 Olds 442, '66 427 SS Impala, '83 T/A (I put a BB in it), '14 ZL1 (I still have the 'Vette, '67 442, T/A, and DD the ZL1). I have built '62 Ranchero w a 289 3x2, Pinto with 289 tunnel ram, '67 GT 'Stang with a 427, '70 Super Cobra Jet Torino, '67 BB Camaro, and a '69 427 Camaro SS. I still own the vette, '67 442, T/A, and ZL1.
The '14 ZL1 smokes all of them in performance, straight and twisty roads, fuel consumption, and sound.
The newer Camaros may look a little meaner but the lines of the older ones take the cake IMHO.
And you can have an older hot rod that corners like a champ; you just have to have a high performance bank account. :D
Agreed, I wish that GM had stuck closer to the look of the original Camaro.
The newer Camaros may look a little meaner but the lines of the older ones take the cake IMHO.
And you can have an older hot rod that corners like a champ; you just have to have a high performance bank account. :D
I like the lines of the ZL1 convertible (what I have) over the coupe, especially from the doors back. With the rake of the windshield, splitter, rear diffuser and spoiler, and hood the new ZL1s handle tremendously better than the "ships" of the '60s.
You could buy a new Z/28 or ZL1 and put a '69 body on it, if you have $100K and you do the work.:D It cost me about $5K to put the 500 hp big block in my T/A, and I did all of the work. I pulled the BB and put in a small block for my daughter to drive as it was bat shit crazy fast with the BB.
I think we need to see it at the track (road) as the Challenger is not competitive on twisty road courses, think Nürburgring. On the drag strip, with the right tires (front and back) this car should be great.
Me being a Challenger fan, I still see there are benefits and shortcomings to each cars offerings. The ZL1 (much like the CTS-V) has a great suspension system that cannot be matched. I wish these cars (mine as a Challenger SRT8, Camaros, even the newer Mustangs) could be lighter. That is why the Corvettes stand in a class their own as a 2 door, 2 seat coupe. They don't need the biggest engines to walk all over these higher rated HP cars (only mustang that competes is the GT500) because their power to weight ratio.
I grew up around the classics that you mention and quite a few Corvettes. While mine is not the fastest by a long shot for a NA motor, it's daily drivable, comfortable on long trips and fills the gap on my need for stupidity when needed.
Besides, I'm scaling my experience level in HP numbers. I will eventually retire from the service and have a bit of extra money to rebuild or buy something I don't have to drive everyday and be able to keep it as pristine as possible. My current car is taken care of, but it shows the scars of daily driving in Fayetteville to Bragg and road trips.
I think there is a renewed call for the HP wars since the CAFE standards are about to take root. Gotta get the beasts on the street before production standards are forced to change at the policy level.
I travel to Tampa frequently and would love to see what you have built and maintain. I love all cars and don't let any persons perception of what you drive dictate the reality of who they are. I know dickhead Prius owners. People just suck. :D
Me being a Challenger fan, I still see there are benefits and shortcomings to each cars offerings. The ZL1 (much like the CTS-V) has a great suspension system that cannot be matched....
I travel to Tampa frequently and would love to see what you have built and maintain. I love all cars and don't let any persons perception of what you drive dictate the reality of who they are. I know dickhead Prius owners. People just suck. :D
The cars I have with me are the T/A and ZL1, the vette and 442 are in my brother's body shop. The 442 is getting a frame off restoration.
Sir, do you mean for the chase scenes, they used different engine noises? If so, why not use the actual engine sound?
EDIT: So in doing some Googling, I have learned that the Mustang in the Bullitt chase is dubbed with the engine and transmission sounds of a Ford GT40 driven at full tilt.
You answered your own question and this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjqhmhObCMo&feature=kp) may explain it too.
Dean Jarvis
07-13-2014, 07:48
Interesting as I was just watching the classic muscle car chase scene from Bullitt: LINK (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lbs_nYW3-o) They did a homage to the Bullitt chase in some show, but IMO the modern cars' engines do not come close to sounding like the originals: LINK (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFbi6A_ZDOc)
If I had the money, my house would consist of a garage with a house attached in terms of all the cars I'd love to have :) Someday I hope to build a Studebaker hot rod.
Well for one thing the girl needs to learn how to double clutch and if you noticed the new Charger doesn't come with 5 hub caps:D
Today Dodge announced that the Hellcat will have a starting MSRP of $59,995. Not much for a 10.80 ET new car, IMO well worth the money.
Today Dodge announced that the Hellcat will have a starting MSRP of $59,995. Not much for a 10.80 ET new car, IMO well worth the money.
That's a lot better than I was expecting. I saw a few articles a couple months ago that were speculating a 75k base price.
The Reaper
07-17-2014, 11:06
Today Dodge announced that the Hellcat will have a starting MSRP of $59,995. Not much for a 10.80 ET new car, IMO well worth the money.
Hopefully, that will put some pressure on the pricing of the high-end Mustangs and Camaros.
TR
Streck-Fu
12-23-2014, 08:43
First official parts car on eBay.....
I give you the COPO!!:lifter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkqlo0MozMM
I was offered a silly cheap deal on a Orange Hemi Challenger in LA a few months back for a working holiday.
Would have been rude not to accept the generous offer. :)
Our two young boys both gave it a double thumbs up.
Great looks, great power.
Build quality was good, fit and finish on some small bits was a bit underwhelming….but not bad.
I was hoping for a pistol grip shifter though. :(
Straight line performance was excellent.
And turning/stopping made me feel like I was back in 1970.
It certainly is a modern day muscle car. I wouldn't buy one, but I certainly enjoyed the MOPAR experience.
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I had a chance to drive a 2014 Corvette on the same trip.
That car is without a doubt the best sports car to come out of America in over 50 years(327/375 fuellie Split Window Stingray in 1963).
Bang for the buck I don't think anything comes close to the new 'Vette.
Long live Chevy and the Corvette……I only wish I had the chance to drive a new Camaro SS….that would probably be me.
Badger52
12-24-2014, 14:25
A '69 Nova SS I recently restored produces 500 hp, and can smoke a set of Mickey Thompson ET Street tires if the pedal is pushed down far enough.Since this thread has been resurrected, you surely have a pic of this?
:D
Badger52
12-24-2014, 19:12
Love the first pic, thanks. That would've been a Wednesday night cruisin' "sleeper" on Van Nuys Blvd. (which is where they should've staged 'American Graffitti')
Happened to see this story this morning...pretty cool. Full story and pictures at the link, sweet looking ride!
http://www.today.com/news/america-loves-you-jay-leno-surprises-wounded-veteran-new-car-1D80301922
Leno, 64, said that when he meets many soldiers, most are barely out of their teens and he finds they're often worlds apart. But Leno said he and Leberge were quickly able to find common ground in their love of cars, and Leno had just the thing for Leberge: a ride in a 2015 Dodge SRT Hellcat.
When Leno asked Leberge if he wanted to take it for a spin and was met with a resounding "hell yeah!"
"It's too cool!" Leberge said, opening it up on the country roads near his base in Fort Campbell, Ky.
The two took a break from their joyride to grab lunch at Knockum Hill Bar B Que, where Leno got to sit down and hear Leberge's story.
"Where I'm sitting now, I don't know exactly how well I'll recover," Leberge said.
Leno asked if he ever gets discouraged, and while Leberge said he does find himself down every now and then, family and friends help him make it through.
When they arrived back to base, Leberge gave an instant review of the Hellcat, "That was awesome ... I wouldn't mind having one of these."
"It's yours," Leno said handing Leberge the keys. "America loves you. Thank you buddy. Have a lot of fun. Don't get any tickets."
"I can't promise that," Leberge said with a smile.
...Long live Chevy and the Corvette……I only wish I had the chance to drive a new Camaro SS….that would probably be me.
Drive a ZL1. It is a completely different car than the SS Camaro due to high performance drive line, tires, and handling package.
I didn't like the Vette because it was cramped inside and the doors were hard on my bad knees getting in and out.
Drive a ZL1. It is a completely different car than the SS Camaro due to high performance drive line, tires, and handling package.
I didn't like the Vette because it was cramped inside and the doors were hard on my bad knees getting in and out.
Cheers,
I'm back up a few times in 2015 and hope to get another spin in a Camaro, Corvette too hopefully. It's really easy to import US cars down to NZ...especially if they are low volume/special...and we can even keep them on the other side of the road in "left hook" configuration.
The ZL1 would actually be easier to import than a standard SS.
I was really impressed with the build quality, design, fit/finish, and high quality materials used in the 'Vette.
And the Camaro was pretty good too.....better than the Challenger I reckon.
From an outside the US perspective, I reckon it's the first reasonable volume American made car to put the fear of god into the high end Euro sports car companies. They are no longer laughing at a gaudy "plastic fantastic". The performance/refinement gap has collapsed, leaving the Vette the clear nag/buck winner.
While the ingress/egress wasn't the easiest, I reckon it might be a bit easier than the last couple of generations of Corvettes.
There's also a challenger in the form of the Nissan GTR, but it doesn't really appeal to me.
What could be cool, would be a high performance Camaro model that eliminates every last ounce of unnecessary weight.