Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody
When the new 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon raced down the drag strip to open the 2017 New York Auto Show, Dodge unleashed the ultimate street-to-strip car. Now, the brand is following up on its performance car mantra, introducing the new 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, answering enthusiasts who have been clamoring for a factory-production Hellcat with even more grip.
"The new Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody completes our strongest Dodge muscle car lineup in history," said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars - Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT - FCA North America. "Our brand, engineering and design teams poured a ton of effort into making the new SRT Demon the world's fastest quarter-mile production car, so now we're leveraging that know-how, and some of those vital elements and transferring them to the new Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody for improved performance on the street and a bolder, more aggressive new look."
With a starting U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $71,495 (including gas guzzler tax, excluding destination $1,095), the new Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody model features the same fender flares first shown on the SRT Demon. These wider fender flares add 3.5 inches to the SRT Hellcat's overall width, covering the new 20 x 11-inch "Devil's Rim" split-five spoke aluminum wheels, which ride on new, wider 305/35ZR20 Pirelli P-Zero tires with a new tread pattern. A new electric power steering (EPS) system with SRT Drive Modes adds new selectable steering tuning for the first time on a Hellcat model.
In addition to its wider, more menacing stance, this new Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody delivers improved lap times, lateral grip, acceleration and braking, compared with the already ferocious performance numbers of the Hellcat:
Road course lap time on a 1.7-mile track lowered by approximately 2 seconds per lap, approximately 13 car lengths after one lap
¼ mile elapsed time (ET) improved by approximately .3 sec (10.9 ET in Widebody vs. 11.2 ET in standard Hellcat)
Lateral skid pad grip increased by .04 g (.97 g in Widebody vs. .93 g in standard Hellcat)
0-60 mph acceleration improved by .1 second (3.4 in Widebody vs. 3.5 in standard Hellcat)
Top speed of 195 mph
Proven Supercharged Hellcat Performance
The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody is powered by the 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V-8 with 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. torque and can be paired to either the Tremec six-speed manual or TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission.
The proven Hellcat HEMI engine features additional cooling measures including a low-temperature circuit with two air/coolant heat exchangers integrated into the supercharger housing. This setup is designed to keep air temperatures below 140 degrees Fahrenheit, under extreme ambient conditions, while enabling air flow of up to 30,000 liters per minute.
So effective is this feature that engine power will not be de-rated due to cooling demands after 20 minutes of hard driving on a road course at an ambient temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Before the new SRT Demon V-8 engine was introduced, the supercharged Hellcat HEMI V-8 was the most powerful passenger-car engine ever produced by FCA US, which made the Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat models the most powerful and fastest coupe and sedan ever. The new engine was also named to Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 2015.
https://www.netcarshow.com/dodge/2018-challenger_srt_hellcat_widebody/