As we were handed the red key to a 2020 Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody, it hit us that anyone (with enough cash) can walk into a dealership and drive away in a car with more than 700 horsepower. No special license required. No driver training. Over 700 horsepower. Let that sink in. This tribute to '60s counterculture seems even less comprehensible during a period when environmental concerns are at the forefront. In order to meet strict environmental regulations, automakers are urged to fit their cars with smaller turbocharger engines, stop/start systems, and electric motors. Dodge didn't get the memo.
The now-ubiquitous Hellcat models were released back in 2015 and their reputation as tire-shredding monsters has only grown stronger since. To help tame the Charger Hellcat, while also making it more aggressive, a Widebody model has replaced the base Hellcat, allowing for larger tires to fit within those puffed out fenders. With the wider rubber, the Hellcat can put down its massive power with a bit more confidence but don't worry, it still rips a smokey burnout with ease. Dodge has also introduced a Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition to commemorate the 1969 Charger Daytona completing the first 200 mph lap in Nascar. We were lucky enough to test one of the Daytona Edition cars (number 000 out of 501) for a week to see if this specialized model can live up to the hype.
The seventh-generation Dodge Charger has been around for close to a decade and the profile of the Charger has become a well-known one on America's roads, partially due to their use as police interceptors. To mix things up for 2020, Dodge decided to widen the Charger SRT Hellcat with a Demon-inspired widebody kit that sees the fenders being stretched out further than an eighteen-year-old metalcore fan's earlobes, accompanied by a number of suspension improvements in the form of Bilstein dampers with three-mode adaptive damping, as well as wider wheels and tires. This combination of upgrades helps the 2020 Charger Hellcat corner better than ever before and goes a long way to keep the aging seventh-gen platform relevant. A Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition is also new for 2020, adding unique colors, badging, interior trim, and a small horsepower bump.
See trim levels and configurations:
Trim | Engine | Transmission | Drivetrain | Price (MSRP) |
---|---|---|---|---|
SRT Hellcat |
6.2L Supercharged V8 Gas
|
8-Speed Automatic
|
Rear-Wheel Drive
|
$69,995 |
The go-to rule for making big and bulky muscle cars handle better is to lower, widen and stiffen, and that's exactly what Dodge has done with the 2020 widebody car. Unlike muscle cars of old, that couldn't go around corners, the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, with its new widebody modification and matching underpinnings, can be managed around bends at speed. Dodge has fitted wider Pirelli 305/35ZR20 tires for added grip and cornering speed, as well as an upgraded two-piece front brake rotor system from Brembo, and a three-mode adaptive suspension setup from Bilstein. This translates to a car that can pull .96 g on a skid pan and drop over two seconds per lap on a two-mile track compared to the older car, according to Dodge. This all sounds great but in reality, you will still need to practice restraint on the throttle, or else the wider rear tires will still be turned into white smoke as you spin off the track.
A revised power steering system and thicker sway bars also do their bit to drop lap times and broaden smiles. The steering offers enough connection to the road without feeling numb and in its track setting, tightens up with greatly enhanced steering effort. On the road, where the Hellcat will spend most of its days, it feels relaxed and well mannered, especially when driving in the most relaxed suspension setting. The Hellcat proves to be an excellent highway cruiser or laid-back crawler around town, though it is firmer and slightly bouncier on the highway than the average family sedan. The larger alloys do invite some harshness into the cabin at lower speeds, but it's nothing worth complaining about.
The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, alongside the Challenger Hellcat, has played a pivotal part in the reimagining of the great American muscle car for a new era of car enthusiasts. And with an affordable-ish asking price, it breaks many stereotypes that you need a fancy luxury car in order to stand out. The Charger Hellcat, now that it's riding on wider wheels and an improved suspension setup, is no longer a complete death trap thanks to its additional grip. The interior is spacious and comfortable, and despite not having the most cutting edge design or materials, it offers most of the amenities you'd look for in a modern performance sedan. Out on the road, the Charger Hellcat is capable of behaving itself, so you can sometimes forget that you're at the helm of a 707-hp drag racer in disguise. We like the Charger Hellcat so much because of how it makes us feel; it's unashamedly raucous and in your face, and it doesn't care if you think some fancy European car can handle better. This is American freedom incarnate and if you want a car that can be a supercar slayer and a family runabout, the Charger Hellcat is tough to beat.
Competitor | Horsepower | MPG | Price (MSRP) |
---|---|---|---|
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat | 797 hp | 12/21 mpg | $77,345 |
Dodge Charger | 370 hp | 16/25 mpg | $32,645 |
BMW M5 Sedan | 600 hp | 15/21 mpg | $107,900 |
Scat Pack cars grew out of the care-free days of the 60s, where gas was cheap, and girls across the country were still swooning over Sinatra, and any car donning the badge had to be able to complete the quarter-mile in 14 seconds or less. These days, Scat Pack cars can do it in the 12-second range, and represent some of the best deals on the market. The 2020 Charger Scat Pack offers 485 hp from its 6.4-liter V8 engine, which it sends to the rear wheels via an eight-speed auto transmission. The suspension, braking, and tire setup might not be as beefy as what you'd find in the Hellcat, but you still get eye-watering straight-line acceleration, competent handling, and a comfortable daily cruiser with all the modern amenities you could ask for. The asking price? Only $39,995. It might not have the sound of the pace of the Hellcat, but if you're after a V8 burble and a widebody kit, the Scat Pack could be a more viable option.
The BMW M5 has set the benchmark for performance sedan cars since the days when Chernobyl was still a thriving town, and has been doing so for over thirty years. The sixth-generation M5 makes use of a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine producing 600 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, which, channeled through a sporty all-wheel-drive system, enables it to sprint to sixty in the low three-second range and return 15/21/17 mpg city/highway/combined. The power difference is clear on paper, but out on the road, the M5 feels almost as fast, but delivers its power in a more linear and reserved fashion - typically German, then. On the road, the BMW feels peerless in the way it balances comfort and driver engagement, and the interior is one of the best-designed and well-built spaces we've come across in this class. It goes without saying that the features list on the M5 is far superior, as is the infotainment and standard safety equipment list. The Charger Hellcat might be more powerful, but it won't be faster than the M5 out in the real world, and it can't match its refinement, but does that really matter when it's over $30,000 cheaper?
The most popular competitors of 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat: