Words Christian Parodi / Photos Dodge Media

It’s a beast about to be unleashed. Literally. It’s like until now it was all just a dark and damp place, where everything you can see doesn’t go beyond an inch from your nose. Suddenly it wakes up – I mean it really comes to life – and everything is pervaded by a deafening roar, an infernal chant that seems to come from ancestral memories of an era in which engines had the sole objective of making every moment spent driving glorious. It is the most extreme and politically incorrect declination of the Dodge Charger, one of the most loved muscle cars in the whole world, now ever closer to the status of mythological creature with the SRT Hellcat Redeye treatment. It is clear from the name itself that it is serious and how much Americans like to play on references with a dark world, now more and more comparable to that of pure internal combustion, where others turn their gaze to downsizing and efficiency, here you need a full 100 octane just for your home-work commute.

The look remains faithful to the contemporary Charger that we all know and which unfortunately hasn’t caught on like the Ford Mustang, at least as far as old Europe is concerned. But in the USA, the bigger, the better, which is why no one turns up their noses in front of its 6.2-liter V8 Hemi, here brought to the an exaggerated maximum power of 807 horses. It is a goal that gives it the primacy as the most powerful muscle car ever, but also a warning to all those who intend to put one in their garage: this beast can bite and hurt for real, if only you make the mistake of underestimating it and think you are in control even for a moment.

Indeed, despite the leaps it has made in terms of driving dynamics and driver assistance, the Charger SRT Hellcat still doesn’t seem to know the word forgiveness. I know it is possible to drive it smooth and gently pushing the throttle, thus taking advantage of the practicality after all offered by a four-door and five-seater body with a large trunk at the rear, useful if you decide to test it over long distances as you would with any less engaging sedan. However, when you remember the incredible reserve of power at your disposal, the creature comes to life instantly and assuming you don’t bring the tires to the end of their life at the first driveway goodbye, you soon realize that such power must be respected without ifs and buts.

This Charger has everything it takes to be considered a contemporary icon and is completed by 20″ light alloy wheels with Brembo brakes and 400 mm front and 350 mm rear ventilated discs, limited slip differential on the traction axle – the rear one obviously – and an 8-speed automatic gearbox that enhances that never too neurotic driving style, which has always been synonymous with muscle cars. The V8 screams, emits a roar that seems wanting to break your eardrums, mixed with the hiss of the supercharger and with some aerodynamic hiss that launches towards the 6,500 rpm red line. What shocks even more clearly is the absurd maximum torque: 959 Nm at 4,500 rpm, a whip in the back that presses you to the seat almost as if wanting to ask “You told me your cousin’s electric car accelerates like crazy?”. Come on, we know you thought so, at least until now.

0-100 kph in 3.2 seconds, 400 meters can be reached in 10 and a half seconds and top speed is 326 per hour. Remarkable figures which, however, do not do justice to the frightening reaction you get once you find yourself behind the wheel, trying to keep the front straight while the rear wheels sign the asphalt with two not perfectly straight lines. The passenger compartment enjoys the typical XL size, with huge seats but which do not think only about comfort, also offering an excellent containing aspect, thanks to the side profiles that tighten the body well when cornering at a fast pace. There is an infotainment system in step with the times, good visibility on all sides (a plus over the Challenger) and a driving position suitable for any type of driver. The fact remains that if you drive the Hellcat by drawing on the reserve of wickedness placed under the engine hood, you won’t be able to do anything but hold on to the steering wheel and try to learn to tame the rear, a situation that after much practice and a lot of courage is not even impossible. But be careful to believe that you have learned everything, the Hellcat is always ready to severely punish the fools.

The part where certain dreams are usually broken comes to the price tag, but as we well know this unwritten rule does not apply to most American cars. The Charger SRT Hellcat is no excpetion and if in the USA you can take it home with just $78,000 dollars (about €65,000), in Europe you have to shell out around €88,000, a figure certainly not within everyone’s reach, but incredibly cheap if you think this is the most powerful sedan in the world, as well as the most powerful muscle car of mass production ever made. A car capable of combining the practicality of a sedan with the power of a supercar, all in a performance package that in the right hands knows no limits other than those imposed by common sense and the size of the road in which to awaken the demon that was lurking in the shadows, breathing heavily under a bonnet that with its ribs and air intakes does not hide its warlike nature.

DODGE CHARGER SRT HELLCAT REDEYE

Engine V8 cylinder Supercharged, 6.166 cc Power 807 hp @ 6.300 rpm Torque 959 Nm @ 4.500 rpm

Traction Rear-Wheel-Drive Transmission 8-Speed Automatic Gearbox Weight 2.150 kg

0-100 kph 3,2 sec Top Speed 326 kph Price €88,000 ca. (Europe) / $65,000 (USA)