The Three Stages of Hellcat

"Josh Welton" (watchtheprettylight) 06/01/2016 at 18:35 • Filed to: hellcat, brown dog welding, charger, challenger, srt, mopar, josh welton, dodge, horsepower, road trip

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“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” - Arthur Schopenhauer

Prologue

Back in 2011, chatter regarding Dodge’s supposed development of a blown V8 picked up steam. What had long been whispered in Detroit backchannels now looked like a lock for production in the near future. Rumors pointed to a supercharged version of SRT’s upcoming 6.4L motor; a hyperbolic addition to the uninitiated, but necessary hardware to throw down in the escalating War on Tires. Chevy and Ford already had boosted V8s in their arsenal, each making north of 550hp. Dodge was about to join the fray in three, two, one. One. One….

Stage One: Ridicule

Ok, so it wasn’t gonna happen in 2012. Or 2013. Huh. While the ‘12 Zl1 !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and the ’13 GT500 hit !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the Dodge SRT8 was lugging around town with a naturally aspirated 392 cubic inch motor and an aging body, inside and out. The 470hp 392 (6.4L) was a bad ass motor in it’s own right, but lined up against the 580hp Camaro or 662hp (gasp!) Mustang…the Challenger was pedestrian. Fat. Old. Slow. The bowtie and blue oval crowd laughed in its general direction.

Then came The Year of our Lord 2014.

By ‘14 it was common knowledge that, along with a complete refresh inside and out, the “Hellcat” drivetrain was a go in both the Charger and Challenger. Finally. And it wasn’t just a 6.4 with a blower thrown on top, but a fully weaponized 6.2L engine, crafted and forged from top to bottom for maximum effort. Dodge wanted to cement it’s status as Chrysler’s performance brand, and the Hellcat twins fit the bill. When Dodge/SRT CEO Tim Kuniskis officially announced the Hellcat powered Challenger (and shortly thereafter Charger) in May, he confirmed suspicions that it would make “600 plus” horsepower. If you’re gonnabe late to the party, you best be dressed to the nines with a bottle of single malt scotch in hand.

Mopar fans rejoiced. At last a machine prepped to go head to head with the best their rival tribes had to offer. Blogs speculated at the numbers. Six hundred “Plus” means like 601, 615, something like that, yeah? Enter Chrysler design sage by day/ rock star by night Ralph Gilles , who while talking to Hot Rod Magazine dropped the infamous “we have.....we may have a situation where our flagship car isn’t our most powerful car.” The Viper was rated at 640. The Hellcat is going to have more than 640hp???

Stage Two: Violent Opposition

Detractors scoffed. They compared hypothetical Hellcat stats to real world GT500 specs. The lighter (3,900lbs) and affordable ($55k) GT500 had 662hp. Even if the Hellcat put down the same, it would weigh close to 500lbs more. No way it keeps up. Then “sources” put the Hellcat price tag in the $70-80k range. That’s a lot of dough for a Dodge. And nobody talked about top speed. The GT500, with its combination of weight and horsepower, still had to find a track in Italy (the Nardò Ring) that was lengthy enough for it to hit 200mph. The ZL1 tops out at 184. The fat ‘Cat’s potential peak velocity wasn’t even in the collective consciousness.

Then, real numbers started trickling in. Real, absurd numbers. On June 11th, I was flipping through a local car club (Motown Muscle) forum’s threads on my phone. A long time member, moneypit, posted from Milan Dragway: “Hellcat was Dragstrip testing Off the trailer first pass 11.01 second 10.94 third 10.93 4th 10.91”

TENS? A look at the quickest production cars in history will show a handful of nameplates in that high 10 second range. Lamborghinis, Porsches, McLarens, Ferraris. Dodge? Both the aforementioned GT500 and ZL1 were almost a full second slower. Haters, of course, wanted more proof. The test car had to be a freak. A lack of trap speed fueled the skepticism. Must have been on slicks.

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It turns out that particular test car was a manual. The tried and true Tremec 6060 which was found in the Vipers…but still slower than the automatic. The 8HP90 TorqueFlite is 8 angry speeds of fury, set to kill. It’s not possible to overstate the jump in drivability and durability between this gearbox and its predecessors, the garbage NAG1 and even worse 545RFE.

That “600+” turned to “700+” plus in a hurry. A friend I worked with, his dad was in engine development at Chrysler. He tossed around horsepower figures in the 7-850 range. Any time you’re testing a new engine, you’re pitting efficiency, reliability, power, and emissions. 850 was a stretch. But we did the math based on weight + ¼ mile times, a conservative driveline loss, and guessed the motor was in the 700 to 750 range. Ended up being pretty much right on.

The Challenger was first to go official with stats. 707hp. Officially. SEVEN ZERO SEVEN. One thing to fanboy theorize, another to read it in a press release. It ran 10.8 @ 126 on drag radials. Top speed of 199mph. All while weighing in at a staggering 4,449 pounds. 3 mode suspension, 6 piston Brembos, 15.4” two piece rotors. Then the price….starting under $60k!

I’m going to mention the weight again, this time for the Charger. It’s relevant because, at 4,575lbs it literally weighs as much as !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . And yet it outperforms its slightly smaller twin in nearly every category. For whatever reason, SRT likes to quote the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ’s quarter mile time on drag radials and the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ’s time on street tires. Equally equipped, the larger Charger wins both with either set of rubber. How? Well, that brings us to the top speed of the Charger...

204 mph. A 4 door sedan, weighing in at almost 4,600 pounds, did 204 miles per hour. I actually messaged Mr. Gilles. Was this number real, or did it pop out of some complex equation? Not only was it !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but it did 206.9 in one direction and 202 going back. Right down the road in Ohio at the Transportation Research Center. The trick? One more number for you, and I promise it’s the last. Drag Coefficient. With its longer wheelbase and sleeker front fascia, the Charger has a c d , of .355, almost identical to the GT500. The aero is more important than curb weight when going flat out, and with more power the Charger comes out on top.

Stage Three: Accepted as Being Self-Evident.

The dust has settled and the Hellcat stands as one of the few instances in automotive history where the gaudy speculation and subsequent expectation of a thing paled when compared to the tangible substance it preceded.

When insanity becomes reality, when a bat shit crazy idea sheds the confine of mere conception and forces its way into existence, it can become familiar. And when a thing becomes familiar, we tend to take that thing for granted.

The ’13 GT500 set the table, not just because of it’s performance, but because it did it in an accessible manner. Easy to drive, affordable, with bonker power numbers. The Hellcat followed suit with a bit of one-upsmanship. Now we just expect gobs of horsepower, a smooth ride, decent gas mileage and the ability to dominate at the track. While eating cake.

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Epilogue

I wasn’t planning on writing a Hellcat story. What hasn’t been already said?

It’s one of the things that has been said, and repeated in several stories, that bothers me. In the short time it’s existed, the Hellcat has gone full circle with both the public and media. From disbelief, to astonishment, to acceptance, to boredom. There was a story recently on Jalopnik about how “high horsepower cars suck.” It didn’t focus specifically on the Challenger, but you know what car was featured in the cover graphic. I can absolutely get down with the “slow car fast” paradigm, but have you ever experienced a major brake failure? Blown head gaskets? Seized wheel bearings? I have, and not on anything with more than 100hp. The thing with the majority of “slow cars” is that they’re dangerous and/or unreliable at their limits. Tires, brakes, drivetrain, suspension...not built for punishment.

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I’ve read a few articles that wax poetic about the 6.4L powered Scat Pack Challenger and its “usable power” on the street and track, as compared to a Hellcat. I’m not gonna argue with the Scat Pack love (I !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but I just can’t get down with this now vogue notion that you can have too much horsepower. In the last month I’ve had the chance to drive a Hellcat Challenger on the track at Bondurant, and a Hellcat Charger for two weeks and a couple thousand miles around town here in Detroit and on a road trip to Wisconsin. Both cars give you the option to drive with “only” 500hp. Guess how many times I exercised that ability? ZERO.

Well once, on accident. IT WAS HORRIBLE.

What’s not to love about throwing 2.5 tons of metal into a corner, melting brakes the size of a large pizza while stopping, then accelerating out of it quicker than a M3? Breaking the tires loose at 60mph anytime anywhere with the twitch of your foot? About doing burnouts a city block long? (At literally every stop light and on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ). Crossing Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on U.S. Highway 2, there was no need to wait for a passing lane to swap positions with tractor trailers. The Challenger was fun on the track, but the eight speed Charger was Christmas morning as a nine year old finding Nintendo with Duck Hunt under the tree every time I hit that red ignition button. It’s purpose in life is tearing up streets. I’ve never driven a car that does John Force tire fires on command the way the 4 door kitty does. You feel invincible, like Iron Man fighting a bunch of pheasants. Roasting the tires is fun . It is a use. Tires are expensive? Yeah, so is your Friday night bar bill, and where does that get you? In a grim and serious world, the Hellcat is the Joker to your 9 to 5’s Batman.

“...some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like (a Camry). They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch (tires) burn.”

Here’s to the escalation of ridiculousness, to the War on Tires, and to never getting so jaded you can’t see a good time when it blows out your eardrums with 707 horsepower.

Decay buys too many beaters > Josh Welton 06/01/2016 at 18:50

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All the stars, fantastic write up.

John > Josh Welton 06/01/2016 at 18:51

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Well said Josh! The Hellcat is, simply put, fun. Doesn’t mean it’s the best fun or your cup of tea fun, but if the damn thing can’t light up your smile just as fast as it can light up its tires, you must have a wet blanket for a soul.

Recently completed a 500 mile road-trip to the VMP Modern Hemi Shootout with my dad’s and it just eats up highway miles. And if for some reason you get bored with your drive, you’re just one throttle stab away from waking yourself up with triple digit speed and a delicious Detroit soundtrack. And possibly flashing lights from behind.

Josh Welton > Decay buys too many beaters 06/01/2016 at 18:54

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Thank you!

Josh Welton > John 06/01/2016 at 18:55

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Haha, yes! Funny, the Hellcat is the first car Dodge has loaned me that I haven’t gotten pulled over in.

RallyWrench > Josh Welton 06/01/2016 at 19:04

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Loved reading this. While I do advocate for the joys of driving slow cars fast, if I could have a Hellcat Charger as my kid-ferrying family car daily, I would do so right now . The opportunity to do this kind of thing won’t exist forever, the gearhead dads of the world need to seize the carp.

Josh Welton > RallyWrench 06/01/2016 at 19:12

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I like slow car fast too...I pushed a rental sonic through Blue Ridge and Tail of the Dragon! It's great that it doesn't have to be one or the other :)

Birddog > Josh Welton 06/01/2016 at 19:32

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Some nice words for a couple of cars that probably know every Rodney Dangerfield line verbatim.

The one thing I love about the Hellcat kids is that they are so perfectly understated compared to the Mustang and Camaro.

The people that preach the “slow car fast” line, in my experience, typically have never owned a truly fast vehicle. (Keep in mind that the definition of fast has changed a lot over the last 20 years too.)

It’s a lot like how the people that say “you don’t see it from the inside” are usually compensating for buying an ugly car.

random001 > Josh Welton 06/02/2016 at 06:47

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That really is one of the best reads I've read in a while. Bravo, sir, and thank you.

Josh Welton > random001 06/02/2016 at 08:05

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Thanks for checking it out!

JR1 > Josh Welton 06/02/2016 at 09:05

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We live in great times

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > Josh Welton 06/02/2016 at 13:27

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Awesome stuff man, as is the usual from you. Fun U.P story, I have a cabin in Bessemer and as I was pulling out of a parking lot in the middle of winter, I saw a Grand Cherokee, 300C, Charger and Challenger fly by on 2. We caught up with them and sure enough, we had found 2 hellcats winter testing. In retrospect, I wonder if the GC was a Trackhawk.

Josh Welton > V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches 06/02/2016 at 15:22

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Very cool!

Kmccauley > Josh Welton 06/02/2016 at 16:03

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Great read Josh! I really like the buildup and backstory behind The Numbers . It was properly dramatic, especially for someone who wasn’t following along with he behind-the-scenes stuff at the time.

I’m not sure if I fell into the typical backlash group, but I was not immediately onboard when the numbers were announced. “You have to respect the numbers,” people told me. Did I? The GT500, as you mentioned, was announced something like 2 years earlier, and had 662 hp. One would think that after the Shelby was announced, engineers at GM and Chrysler were asked can we beat this? , and did some calculations to see whether they could. Dodge then built a car that beat Ford’s number by forty-five. (That’s 6.7% of 662.)

My frustration with the Hellcat was the reception: it was a media jizzfest that happened for a full year afterward. The constant idol-worshipping of the numbers 7-0-7 made me fear that writers were overlooking more important and more impactful auto industry stories that don’t have a big, glossy, impossible-to-believe number that can be attached to headlines. What were the consequences of this? Why should a carmaker do the unsexy but expensive work of developing a brilliant chassis when you can get ten times more exposure putting out a big engine with a large number? Will the overexposure of these big, dumb numbers beget more cars with big, dumb numbers?

I can’t fault Dodge for anything really, and they’ve created an image around a car that is, honestly, fucking badass. High horsepower cars aren’t boring (unless they are Bentley Continental GTs, but that’s a different rant), and a car that can put up these numbers and make it look so easy is universally cool. I’ve driven a few Hellcats, in both guises, and it’s fun, pulse-quickening, and exposes you to forces of physics that you can only get in the rarest of cars. I like all the V8 Challengers, and this is the Ultimate One.

I can’t pinpoint exactly when the switch flipped for me, but I suspect I became lost in my own smug, self-satisfied irony, and my mock obsession with the number 707 became a real obsession. I worship the Hellcat, and nearly all things that are divisible by 7. I try to spread the good word (numerals?) whenever I can. Swing on by this summer. WE’RE HAVING A PRELLI COOK-OFF ON JULY 7! (7/07)

Josh Welton > Kmccauley 06/02/2016 at 20:07

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I love this reply. I get it. I think the fact that it was so over the top...even in the click bait generation...the fact that it wasn’t just a marketing gimmick, but like you said the fucking numbers, absurd.

As far as the platform, I look at it from the perspective of someone who worked at Chrysler during the “merger”, the shopping to Magna, to Cerberus. I remember how many foreign investors we had to spit shine the plant for as they shopped the brand. (To be clear, that has no connection to anything I do now, I was a millwright in the 3.7 engine plant. I left right before the bankruptcy.) And now Fiat with a boss that would clearly sell off any part of the company if he felt he could. There’s of a core group of designers and engineers that have been there the entire time, who have performed minor miracles by taking a hand-me down two decade old Mercedes platform and making it last; they’d never admit it, but they’ve made Cookie Dough ice cream out of pig shit. There was an entire vehicle cycle where Mercedes just didn’t allow for any Chrysler R&D. If not for Gilles hitting a home run with the LX car’s styling, the brand would have been an afterthought long ago. Chassis design is expensive.

But at the same time, look at the Viper. Brilliantly designed platform plus all the ridiculous numbers. The pounds of downforce, the track records. I know it’s not a volume vehicle, but it still pushes the industry, yeah? Talk about building a mythology...the car to nuts for the street! Man, I’d drive that car across country AGAIN in a heartbeat! Way more comfortable than that shitty Dart rental I got stuck with on a work trip recently.

I don’t think the powers that be asked SRT’s engineers if they could beat Ford, I think the engineers (and Kuniskis, who is an enthusiast like Trostle/Gilles) took it upon themselves. And are those numbers easy? Look how long it took them to bring a supercharged motor to the public. There was the apache 6.4 that never came out, for whatever reason. Ford has an ecoboost V8 that still isn’t out...because of efficiency, reliability, cost, maybe it destroys driveline components?? No idea, but 707 in an approachable car is anything but easy. A ten second 2004 mph 4 door sedan isn’t easy.

People talk about a cars cornering...I can count on one hand the corners I take in my daily commute. Straight freeways and stoplights? Everywhere.

I have absolutely no issue with big dumb cars or big dumb numbers. They put a smile on my face. I didn’t buy the Scat Pack Shaker because it was the best car, I bought it because it’s a cartoon character and the burnouts are fun and the 6 speed is clunky and harsh and the shaker scoop shakes and makes me laugh. I don’t race anyone, I don’t track it. I just drive the hell out of it every day. And, honestly, I wouldn’t have bought a Challenger before ‘15. The interior and exterior styling took a huge leap forward.

I think there’s a place for big dumb cars, and I don’t think any other manufacturer has really tried to copy the formula anyways. You’ve still had the Boss 302, the Z/28, the ACR, the GT-R, etc, etc. I do think that through the next design cycle you’ll see lighter cars across the board as the automotive industry is relatively healthy and is pushing the lightweight material world to new horizons.

I didn’t drive either Hellcat (other than in a very supervised environment) until this year. Even after all the hype it still took me by surprise. I took my wife for a drive in the Charger around Detroit, and she kind of egged me on; I punched it, and we went sideways at 50. 5 minutes later she said “I wish I could have filmed your face for the last 5 minutes.”

But admittedly, I haven’t driven a bunch of newer cars. Dodge has afforded me some really unique opportunities, and I’ve tried to take advantage of them. Hopefully in the future I’ll be able to compare/contrast in an educated manner, the writing is in my back pocket if my health forces and early exit from welding.

I think R&T nailed it with the Chevette thing: There really aren’t a lot of bad cars today. I suppose it’s all relative. I do get frustrated because I think everything is AMAZING or TERRIBLE and current automotive media has become a parody of itself. Then you look the monster in the eyes and realize you’re standing in front of a mirror. What am I even talking about now? The drugs are kicking in!

We need to turn a Charger into a Delorean and make it so that at on 7/07 we hit 70.7MPH and travel to the year 707 and and become Gods of the Byzantine Empire before time leaping to 7070 and committing harikaribecause the earth has long ago exploded and Mars is just 7.07 million Elon Musk clones!

But not before getting matching “707" tattoos.

Kmccauley > Josh Welton 06/03/2016 at 10:53

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We are TOTALLY getting matching 707 tattoos! Thanks for the insight and your unique perspective. There is a place for big, dumb cars, and you’re right to point out that there is no shortage of precision performance cars either, so my concern that straight-line-numbers cars will leave no room for more nuanced performance cars is probably unfounded. Automakers can make so many specialized variations of performance platforms nowadays that there’s something for everyone.

FIAT-CHRYSLER: 707 FLAVORS

jordang1028 > Josh Welton 02/04/2017 at 04:16

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“I didn’t buy the Scat Pack Shaker because it was the best car, I bought it because it’s a cartoon character and the burnouts are fun and the 6 speed is clunky and harsh and the shaker scoop shakes and makes me laugh. I don’t race anyone, I don’t track it. I just drive the hell out of it every day.”

This, and the fact that I got a great deal, is why I just bought a 17 Mustang GT. The car is just a hoot to commute in, imperfect as it is. It’s a compromise in many aspects, but is totally committed to being a blast every day!