LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CALIFORNIA — When evaluating increasingly rare automotive flaws, it’s deceptively easy to be lured into conditionals. Usually, it follows the template of “if Automaker implemented B instead of A, the car in question would instantly be better off.” This was the rallying cry around the Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcat when we got our first taste a few years ago. With 707 hp and 650 lb-ft on tap, the stock 275-width rears weren’t up to the task of putting the power down or keeping things composed when you swung that 4,500-pound bulk around. To quell the unintended burnouts—and help keep hedges free of Challenger bumpers—the Challenger SRT Hellcat received a widebody variant for 2018 that added a much-needed tire upgrade. Bursting from the new hyper-aggressive fender flares are a set of four 305/35ZR20 Pirelli P-Zeros. These fancy new Italian shoes are wrapped around a set of new five-spoke “coffin” … [Read more...] about One Week With: 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody
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Video: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 exorcises Dodge Challenger SRT Demon on Richmond dragstrip
Last time we caught up with the Challenger SRT Demon, this monstrous muscle car was beating the pants off its younger sibling Hellcat on the drag strip. However, a recent video reveals that now the Demon and its 6.2-liter supercharged V8 may have met their match. At Virginia’s Richmond Dragway, Dodge’s 840-horsepower bad boy went toe-to-toe with the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 in a duel for the ages. With a 0-60 mph time of 2.3 seconds and a 9.65-second quarter mile, everything on the stat sheet points to the Demon running away with this one. Nevertheless, the 755-horsepower supercharged ZR1 is no slouch, and in this matchup proved that with the right driver has what it takes to compete on the straightaway. After watching this clip, there’s no other way to put it – the Corvette dominated that race. Even after the Demon gets a quicker jump off the line, the ZR1’s lightweight aerodynamic design and skillful wheelman steer this robust sports car to a … [Read more...] about Video: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 exorcises Dodge Challenger SRT Demon on Richmond dragstrip
Dodge To Auction Final Viper And Challenger SRT Demon
Dodge is teaming up with Barrett-Jackson to auction off the final Viper and Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. Set to be sold at the Barrett-Jackson Northeast auction in Connecticut this June, the models will be sold as a pair in what the company is calling “the ultimate last chance.” As FCA North America’s head of passenger car brands, Steve Beahm, explained “An avid collector could search a lifetime to try to put two vehicles of this pedigree together and never find it, it’s that elusive.” The final Challenger SRT Demon has a Viper Red exterior and a custom Demon car cover. The model also has a single seat, a VIN instrument panel badge and the Demon Authentication package which includes build sheets and a Certicard. The winning bidder also receives a Demon Crate which includes front-runner drag wheels, a performance powertrain control module, a set of Demon-branded tools and a replacement switch module with a high-octane button. Of course, the main … [Read more...] about Dodge To Auction Final Viper And Challenger SRT Demon
Quick Take: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT 392
NATIONAL CITY, California — Mom and dad really wanted a Hellcat, but got a 2018 Dodge Durango SRT 392 SUV instead. Not a bad concession if you ask us. The little brats should be grateful for the compromise and the sporty SUV is nearly as fun for its passengers as it is to drive. Well, it’s definitely more fun to drive, but there’s plenty of room for grown ups, though we recommend keeping only the kids or a pet way back in the third row. Conveniently, the third row’s headrests can be folded via the 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen, which makes it a lot easier to see out of the back if nobody is back there. Under the hood, the six-seater packs a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 engine that offers 475-hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. It sounds heavenly—in a Hellcat sort of way—and is mated to a smooth eight-speed automatic transmission. And it lets the 5,510-pound truck sprint you and the gang from 0-60 mph in a wicked 4.4 seconds. Think of how fast you can get them out of … [Read more...] about Quick Take: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT 392
Demon Jr.: Challenger Hellcat Widebody’s bigger tires pay big track dividends
By Jeff Yip Updated 10:13 am, Monday, April 16, 2018 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-8', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 8', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); Photo: Dodge Image 1of/8 CaptionClose Image 1 of 8 In testing on a 1.7-mile track, Dodge says that the up-tired Widebody Hellcat had lap times about two seconds quicker than the standard Hellcat, or about 13 car lengths after one lap. In testing on a 1.7-mile track, Dodge says that the up-tired Widebody Hellcat had lap times about two seconds quicker than the standard … [Read more...] about Demon Jr.: Challenger Hellcat Widebody’s bigger tires pay big track dividends