| Year Make Model | 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat 2dr Coupe (6.2L 8cyl S/C 6M) |
| Base MSRP | $60,990, including destination |
| Estimated MSRP | $62,985 |
| Assembly location | Brampton, Ontario, Canada |
| Configuration | Longitudinal, front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Engine type | Supercharged, port-injected V8, gasoline |
| Displacement (cc/cu-in) | 6,166/376 |
| Block/head material | Iron/aluminum |
| Valvetrain | Overhead valve |
| Compression ratio (x:1) | 9.5 |
| Redline, indicated (rpm) | 5,700 |
| Fuel cutoff/rev limiter (rpm) | 6,000 |
| Horsepower (hp @ rpm) | 707 @ 6,000 |
| Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) | 650 @ 4,000 |
| Fuel type | Premium unleaded (recommended) |
| Transmission type | Six-speed manual |
| Transmission ratios (x:1) | I=2.26; II=1.58; III=1.19; IV=1.00; V=0.77; VI=0.63 |
| Final-drive ratio (x:1) | 3.70 |
| Suspension, front | Independent double-wishbones, coil springs, driver-adjustable three-mode variable dampers, stabilizer bar |
| Suspension, rear | Independent double-wishbone, coil springs, driver-adjustable three-mode variable dampers, stabilizer bar |
| Steering ratio (x:1) | 14.4 |
| Tire make and model | Pirelli P Zero Nero |
| Tire type | All-season, performance |
| Tire size | 275/40ZR20 |
| Wheel size | 20-by-9.5 inches front and rear |
| Wheel material | Forged aluminum |
| Brakes, front | 15.4-inch two-piece ventilated and slotted steel discs with six-piston fixed monoblock aluminum calipers |
| Brakes, rear | 13.8-inch one-piece ventilated slotted steel discs with four-piston fixed calipers |
| Acceleration, 0-30 mph (sec.) | 2.4 |
| 0-45 mph (sec.) | 3.4 |
| 0-60 mph (sec.) | 4.8 |
| 0-60 mph, mfr. claim (sec.) | 4 |
| 0-75 mph (sec.) | 6.1 |
| 1/4-mile, mfr. claim (sec. @ mph) | 11.2 |
| 1/4-mile (sec. @ mph) | 12.5 @ 118.8 |
| 0-60 with 1 foot of rollout (sec.) | 4.5 |
| 0-30 mph, trac ON (sec.) | 2.8 |
| 0-45 mph, trac ON (sec.) | 3.8 |
| 0-60 mph, trac ON (sec.) | 5.2 |
| 0-75 mph, trac ON (sec.) | 6.5 |
| 1/4-mile, trac ON (sec. @ mph) | 12.8 @ 118.4 |
| 0-60, trac ON with 1 foot of rollout (sec.) | 4.8 |
| Braking, 30-0 mph (ft.) | 28 |
| 60-0 mph (ft.) | 109 |
| Slalom, 6 x 100 ft. (mph) | 69.9 |
| Slalom, 6 x 100 ft. (mph) ESC ON | 69.0 |
| Skid pad, 200-ft. diameter (lateral g) | 0.92 |
| Skid pad, 200-ft. diameter (lateral g) ESC ON | 0.90 |
| Sound level @ idle (dB) | 52.7 |
| @ Full throttle (dB) | 85.7 |
| @ 70 mph cruise (dB) | 66.2 |
| Engine speed @ 70 mph (rpm) | 1,900 |
| Acceleration comments | "Traction-limited acceleration" has never been demonstrated as well as in this car. With traction control disabled and only 275-width rear tires (same as fronts) on untreated asphalt, it's virtually impossible to press the pedal all the way to the floor in 1st gear without time-gobbling (and now-notorious) wheelspin. Naturally, the best run was using the programmable Launch Control feature, which could maintain stuttering staccato wheelspin without either spinning the tires or bogging down. I easily programmed 3,250 and 3,500 rpm as the launch rpm because the tires began to heat up and I found some pavement with slightly better grip. In the end, I was pretty surprised I needed to go to 4th gear to complete the quarter-mile and I expected higher trap speeds at the end -- given the horsepower. Also, I was pleased I could come within 0.1 second of matching the Launch Control runs; however, I had many more aborted attempts than I care to divulge. Also, the manual shifter requires excessively long throws between gears and it was reluctant to be shifted quickly from 1st to 2nd gear with all the load going through it (plus the engine/transmission shifting on their mounts). |
| Braking comments | No matter what suspension mode (Track, Sport, Street), nosedive was minimal and the resulting stopping distances were essentially identical across four simulated panic stops from 60 mph. Pedal is medium-firm, remained so throughout the test, and there was virtually no fading measured or in the feel/odor of the brakes. Very good results that show SRT didn't simply build an engine. |
| Handling comments | Perhaps the most welcome surprise of the track experience was the handling exercises. Excellent seats hold the driver in place, the electronic stability control (ESC) Track mode is extremely lenient with tires sliding sideways and throttle-induced wheelspin, but how SRT got the front end to turn in so crisply and confidently is amazing. The road feel through the steering wheel itself is a little lacking, but its accuracy is remarkable. Eventually, I found the limit of the front tires' grip and they started to "push" slightly. However, I also found I could rotate the car and slide the rear tires to compensate for the understeer at the front. These tires offer progressive breakaway characteristics that allow a skilled driver to probe and fine-tune his technique without the threat of something unexpected or disastrous. It's a rare thing that ESC allows a drift through the exit timers, but this one, in Track mode, does. It's also worth noting that we achieved nearly the same results with the ESC in default, On mode -- albeit less entertaining and with obvious (but short-lived) brake and throttle intervention. Don't get me wrong. Despite the numbers that would indicate otherwise and elicit comparisons, this is no sports car, but an extremely well-sorted (rather heavy) muscle car that has more talent and tricks than going fast in a straight line. This is a complete package that deserves huge praise for how well it does a number of seemingly implausible feats. |
| Test date | 8/12/2014 |
| Elevation (ft.) | 1,121 |
| Temperature (°F) | 83 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 38.7 |
| Barometric pressure (in. Hg) | 28.74 |
| Wind (mph, direction) | 2.75, head on |
| Odometer (mi.) | 2,169 |
| Fuel used for test | 91 octane gasoline |
| As-tested tire pressures, f/r (psi) | 32/32 |
| Fuel economy, mfr. est. (mpg) | 20 mpg highway |
| Edmunds observed (mpg) | 13.2 |
| Fuel tank capacity (U.S. gal.) | 18.5 |
| Curb weight, mfr. claim (lbs.) | 4,439 |
| Curb weight, as tested (lbs.) | 4,454 |
| Weight distribution, as tested, f/r (%) | 57.2/42.8 |
| Length (in.) | 197.5 |
| Width (in.) | 75.7 |
| Height (in.) | 55.7 |
| Wheelbase (in.) | 116.1 |
| Track, front (in.) | 64.0 |
| Track, rear (in.) | 63.7 |
| Turning circle (ft.) | 38.5 |
| Legroom, front (in.) | 42.0 |
| Legroom, rear (in.) | 33.1 |
| Headroom, front (in.) | 39.3 |
| Headroom, rear (in.) | 37.1 |
| Shoulder room, front (in.) | 58.5 |
| Shoulder room, rear (in.) | 53.9 |
| Seating capacity | 4 |
| Step-in height, measured (in.) | 33.2 |
| Trunk volume (cu-ft) | 16.2 |
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