Stay Crazy, Dodge. Stay Crazy.

"DCCARGEEK" (dccargeek)
05/20/2014 at 13:26 • Filed to: None

"The Challenger is just to big, too heavy," I said to Tom in a Twitter back and forth. And for all that I can find wrong with this car, I still love it.

It's bold, big, and badass. A rolling American cliche that says "watch me melt tires for no god damn reason at all you Prius-driving treehuggers."

Got kids? Shove all 3 of them in the back and tear into the Wal-Mart parking lot like an American badass.

Accelerator? Ha! You mean the Freedom Pedal? Push it, hard and Stars and Stripes blow from the exhaust while the Supercharger screams like a bald eagle plummeting toward a peaceful fish in the stream.

Prey, meet predator.

We are at a crossroads for SRT and Dodge and what the future looks like is uncertain. Will it be more Dart and less Challenger? (Pray not) Can a brand continue to play the retro design card and win? Is the answer for Dodge to just make everything ridiculously fast and track-friendly (pray yes).

Either way, I wish the engineers and designers at SRT, Dodge and all throughout FCA the best of luck as they execute their Italian marching orders. Hopefully they'll continue to build crazy pieces of machinery such as the 600hp one you see pictured above (which I clearly photoshopped.)

DISCUSSION (17)

Brian Silvestro > DCCARGEEK
05/20/2014 at 13:31

I went and found your conversation on Twitter just so I could favorite it.

How heavy is this car exactly?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Brian Silvestro
05/20/2014 at 13:45

It weighs about the same as 4500 Declarations of Independence.

DCCARGEEK > Brian Silvestro
05/20/2014 at 13:47

Really depends on trim. I don't think Dodge released weight specs for the HellCat car which with the supercharger, bigger brakes and bigger wheels it'll likely tip the scales close to 4,300-4,400lbs?

A Mustang GT for example (and a much smaller car might I add) weighs 3,600 while a Challenger is a bit over 4,000 (4,120 in SRT trim).

I owned a 5.0 Mustang and spent some time in an SRT Challenger. When you are in Sport Coupe/Sled territory weight can make or brake (pun intended) a good car. I like the Challenger for it's balance between practical at hauling people and stuff (if you need your coupe to do that) and for it's design, but I didn't like its handling over say a track pack GT.

Brian Silvestro > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/20/2014 at 13:47

That's a lot of freedom. Sold!

Brian Silvestro > DCCARGEEK
05/20/2014 at 13:48

Damn, that's a lot. I knew there was a reason I prefered the Mustang.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Brian Silvestro
05/20/2014 at 13:51

I've driven both, I'll always take the Mustang over the Challenger, But if it's my only car I'd take a Charger over both. I freaking love Chargers.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > DCCARGEEK
05/20/2014 at 13:55

I knew it was just a tad over 4000, 4500 just sounds better.

Brian Silvestro > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/20/2014 at 13:55

The new one looks BADASS

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Brian Silvestro
05/20/2014 at 13:57

I'm still not in love with the new front end. It just seemed like a flattened Dart.

Brian Silvestro > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/20/2014 at 14:03

Well I like it!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Brian Silvestro
05/20/2014 at 14:16

and that's okay. I think it will grow on me.

Takuro Spirit > Brian Silvestro
05/20/2014 at 14:16

I don't even care. I still want one over the Stang and Maro.

Brian Silvestro > Takuro Spirit
05/20/2014 at 14:18

MAKE IT HAPPEN

Brian Silvestro > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
05/20/2014 at 14:18

Once you see one in person you'll probably have a different view.

Takuro Spirit > Brian Silvestro
05/20/2014 at 14:19

I probably will, someday. It's on my short bucket list of cars to own. But I need to be closer to work for it to... work. I have a 60 mile daily commute and I can't be putting in gas twice a week.

Patrick Jensen > DCCARGEEK
05/20/2014 at 21:01

I can and do shove 3 kids in the back of my SRT 392, and thanks to it's "Toss the body in the back" Mobster-sized trunk, I can bring all their gear as well. Plus it's shockingly comfortable for long highway trips. I love the car, and I'm not sure I consider it to be a direct competitor to the Mustang/Camaro even though that is how it's traditionally viewed.

DCCARGEEK > Patrick Jensen
05/20/2014 at 21:06

I agree. Visually people do lop it into the pony car / muscle car category. But I think it's a much bigger, more practical car. Having said that, that practicality is a double edge sword as it does take away from the car's performance. But if Dodge made it smaller and more of a direct competitor to the Mustang, people like you would have to go elsewhere.

Or, buy a Charger SRT.