You guys ever heard about this thing? The Hellcat, it's called. From Dodge. I think we've written about it once or twice.
Damon drove this 707 horsepower land-beast (or as I prefer to call it, "America: The Car") on the road and the track when it launched in late July. I have it for a week, and my goal is to determine if it's actually livable and daily-drivable, or if it's just a toy that should be used very sparingly and very, very carefully.
It doesn't help that it's been rainy in Austin lately, but that looks to be over. This thing is, uh, less than ideal when the roads are wet.
Things I like: Like all Challengers, it looks badass; acceleration is absolutely out of this world, as you might expect; interior's pretty nice; SRT suite of apps help you manage all that power effectively by fine tuning the gearbox, suspension, traction control and even total output; insane value.
Things I don't like: So far it's actually kind of tough to drive since it's so overpowered; you as the driver are always, ALWAYS holding it back; it's still a Challenger so it's only just okay in the handling department thanks to its massive size; it's a bitch to park.
My car has the eight-speed paddle shift automatic and stickers in at about $65,000, which is stupid cheap for all the power you get. Expect a full numbered review and some sexy photos next week.
In the meantime, leave me some questions and I'll get to them as I can.