Hellcat gets Widebody treatment
Dodge expands the high-performance Charger lineup for 2020 by adding a Widebody exterior to America’s only fourdoor muscle car.
The Charger SRT Hellcat with the best-in-class supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 engine is now a Widebody, with new integrated fender flares adding 3.5 inches of body width, with room for new 20-inch wheels with wider, stickier tires. The trim is also available for the Scat Pack.
Charger is offered in seven models with a range of engines (3.6-liter V-6 to 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V-8): SXT, $29,895 (AWD adds $3,700); GT, $31,895; R/T, $36,395; Scat Pack, $39,995 (Widebody, $45,995); and SRT Hellcat Widebody, $71,745. Prices include $2,100 gas guzzler tax.
For 2020, a wide array of newly designed wheels/wheel finishes, new and updated packages and equipment groups, fresh premium interior materials, three new exterior colors and new badges offer customers more options than ever. This review features the aggressive Hellcat Widebody.
The new Widebody package includes exclusive performance front fascia with “mail slot” grille (most direct route for cool air to the radiator), sculpted performance hood with three heat extractors, SRT Widebody spoiler, six-piston Brembo performance front brakes and four-piston Brembo rear brakes, Widebody competition suspension with Bilstein three-mode adaptive damping, 20-by11-inch wheels (“Warp Speed” deep dish design with low-gloss granite finish on my Charger SRT) and a flat-bottom steering wheel.
New side sills connect the front and rear fascias to strengthen the integrated design. The new rear spoiler creates aerodynamic balance with the new front-end design. Distinctive new two-piece SRT Hellcat fender badges in Satin Chrome leave no doubt what you are looking at.
My tester had threeseason Pirelli performance tires (improve ontrack performance) for $895.
With the 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 producing up to 707horsepower and 650 footpounds of torque, running up to 196 mph, the Charger SRT Hellcat is the fastest, most-powerful mass-produced sedan in the world.
The new SRT-tuned three-mode adaptive damping competition suspension, along with wider tires, provides more grip for improved performance on the street, strip, or road course, making it the best-handling production Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat ever. Hellcat comes with two keys, a black one that limits the horsepower to “only” 500, or a red one, which allows the full 707 horsepower to come alive.
An efficient TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission is standard, optimizing fuel economy and enabling maximum performance with ultra-fast shifting and rev-matching.
Two-piece 15.4-inch Brembro brake rotors improve stopping power, heat management and longevity. New electric power steering offers better feel and can be calibrated via SRT Performance Pages for optimum steering effort for various driving conditions.
The Performance Pages app provides tools for the driver to become familiar with the vehicle’s performance, with access to real-time information such as timers, G-force, gauges and engine performance. Data can be loaded onto a USB stick or SD card and shared via Performance Pages Plus onto the web.
Standard SRT Drive Modes are pre-configured for Sport, Track and Default, controlling shift speeds, steering, paddle shifter, traction and suspension. SRT Hellcat Widebody also has controls aimed more toward the exhilarating drive: Launch Control to manage tire slip on takeoff for consistent straight-line acceleration; Launch Assist to mitigate drivelinedamaging wheel hop at launch by modifying engine torque to regain full grip; and Line Lock to allow for a “burnout” by engaging the front brakes and leaving the rear brakes free.
SRT Hellcat Widebody also features Torque Reserve to balance engine rpm and torque and generate a reserve of torque upon acceleration from a standstill and Race Cooldown to keep cooling the supercharger air cooler after the engine is shut off using the intercooler pump and radiator fan.
The HEMI V-8 has a standard electronically controlled active exhaust system, delivering the signature Dodge muscle-car sound — roar, if you will.