When Dodge first announced the Hellcat Challenger, the number’s alone piqued everyone’s interest. 707 horsepower, from the factory? Starting at a $58,000 price point, there is nothing else that really compares to this car. And while there are many reasons to appreciate the Hellcat’s engineering and performance, I think it makes a good case for being one of the most important cars of our time.
Car companies are really aiming towards making fun also be efficient. With more stringent emissions and fuel economy regulations looming over car design, it becomes difficult to make a case for old school power. Even companies like Ferrari are leaving the big displacement, naturally aspirated format, in favor of making power with turbos in the new 488. And although car enthusiasts are getting plenty of excellent cars because of this (read: Fiesta ST), there comes a bit of a sad realization that this might be the end of an era.
Then comes along the Hellcat, Dodge’s very blatant middle finger to efficiency. Give it 707 horsepower, 650 lb.-ft of torque, and make sure it can roast tires on demand. The car has been heralded as a performance bargain, and as a car that most certainly puts a smile on your face. But in all of this, I have heard many sentiments that this is a swan song for factory hot rodding, and that it’s unlikely that we’ll see this formula again for a while.
Sadly, this is likely the case. However Dodge is making a commitment to this segment with the Hellcat package, at least in the short term. They haven’t set a cap on production, the Hellcats are not limited edition cars. Additionally they seem to be cramming that engine into every engine bay that can accommodate it. Starting with the Challenger, then the Charger, and now a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (which I’m extremely excited for). Across the board there are rumors that this engine package will continue to find its way into every Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep product as time goes on. Whether or not they are all reasonable, I can certainly see Chrysler producing a few more Hellcat branded cars.
They clearly recognize the demand for this sort of car, and seem to be committed to the concept as a whole. As time goes on more variants of the Hellcat are cropping up. This seems to indicate that, even if this is a swan song, Chrysler isn’t letting the format go without a proper sendoff. This is the Hellcat Era.
As such, I believe that the Hellcat is one of the most important cars being produced today. It’s true there might be better cars in the segment, or more technologically impactful cars out there. But when it comes down to heritage it has, the precedence it sets today and the legacy it will leave? This is likely to be one of the most significant cars of this time period. Dodge brought horsepower to the market at a reasonable price point. This is the sort of icon that ends up being immortalized in history.
What do you think? Is the Hellcat an icon of our time, or an overhyped muscle car? Let us know in the comments!
