My night with the Hellcat

"cletus44 aka Clayton Seams" (cletus44)
05/12/2015 at 09:33 • Filed to: None

I’m in love and her name is supercharger. She whines a lot but I don’t mind. I had just one night with this darling Hellcat Charger to shoot this video and this the result can be seen above.

I was on location at 10 PM in the middle of an empty industrial park waiting for the car to arrive. And out of the blackness, two searing white headlights emerged, their prescence being heralded by a low, powerful rumble. At idle, this thing sounds like Satan gritting his teeth. You can hear each giant cylinder hit home like a boxer pounding his fist on the table.

A red key was handed to me. THE red key. Gave the car a rev in neutral and was honestly shocked by how loud it was. I have no idea how this thing passes drive by noise regulations but it sounds straight out of 1968.

After doing our static shots of the car, we did what anyone else would do. We set up three separate cameras and two strategically placed studio quality mics to record the Hellcat as it lays a patch through the intersection when the light turns green. Don’t mind us, officer! Nothing to see here! That’s my fuzzy mop in the far right of the pic.

My next task was to record the acceleration from inside the car. Now I usually handhold the camera in these driving shots but the Hellcat represents an issue here. The first launch sent me flying into the seatback and the shot was hilarious garbage.

I moved the seat as far forward as it would go and wedged myself and the camera securely. The light turns green and the host nails it.

Noise, violence, the whole car slides sideways as the supercharger screams and the traction control light flickers helplessly. The auto transmission shifts with the ferocity of a rear-end collision. BAM, BAM! Endless momentum going faster and faster after each shift. The acceleration is unyielding. After just a few seconds we’re doing highly illegal speeds and we slow down. And that’s what a street launch in a Hellcat feels like.

I didn’t get to drive it and I didn’t really want to. Being a passenger in that crazy thing was enough excitement for me. I hope you guys enjoyed the video and if you want, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

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DISCUSSION (8)

Jonathan Harper > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
05/12/2015 at 09:44

I didn’t get to drive it and I didn’t really want to.

Suuuuuuure. Just keep telling yourself that.

I don’t even like muscle cars but I still want to experience it.

Vicente Esteve > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
05/12/2015 at 09:58

Want Need

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Vicente Esteve
05/12/2015 at 10:02

Would you rather have the Charger or the Challenger?

thebigbossyboss > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
05/12/2015 at 10:32

I am scared to drive to be honest. It’s so awesome I would put it into a tree 11/10 times.

Jonathan Harper > thebigbossyboss
05/12/2015 at 12:22

Driving normally a high horsepower car is easy, but it’s more like idling than driving.

Vicente Esteve > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
05/12/2015 at 16:35

Good question, and it’s an almost impossible one to say.

First off, automatic Challenger is out of the question.

The manual is much cooler in the sense of 707 HP in a stick!

Then again the sedan is a lot stealthier and faster as well as the auto matches its personality better.

I think I would go for Charger.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Vicente Esteve
05/13/2015 at 09:09

Me too. The manual is attractive and I like the retro touches on the Challenger but it’s a really old platform and it feels like it. The Charger somehow seems more modern to me and the visibility is miles better.

Vicente Esteve > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
05/13/2015 at 09:13

I don’t know if I would like it black since maintaining a black car is major work.