Calling Booky

[tvspower]

Booky.....I heard and now see you bought a new HellCat.. Would you mend telling us how you compare the Cat to the Shelby? I know they are different beasts but would like your opinion. things like size inside and finish....handling and control...do you have the A8? if not how is the manual and shifting? Also what about just driving around and the size of the beast? This. Bruce

 

[Booky]

Booky.....I heard and now see you bought a new HellCat.. Would you mend telling us how you compare the Cat to the Shelby? I know they are different beasts but would like your opinion. things like size inside and finish....handling and control...do you have the A8? if not how is the manual and shifting? Also what about just driving around and the size of the beast? This. Bruce

Disclaimer: If anyone hates hearing the word Hellcat, or cannot stand reading about another brand as this is a Mustang forum, I understand that so please skip over this post.
It is Not my intention to ruffle any feathers, and I really hope this thread does not get out of hand or end up in Smackdown.

My Challenger Hellcat is a 2016 with the A8 (automatic 8 speed).

Since I am 6'-5" and 295 lbs., I fit a lot better in the Hellcat than I did in the GT500. There is noticeable headroom and body room. I would imagine a normal size person (160-180 lbs) would feel kind of small in the Hellcat.

So far, I love everything about my new car.
The ride is nice and smooth, and very comfortable.
This would be a great car to take on longer trips.

The exhaust sound is Great from the factory, but I wanted a little more so I removed the mid-mufflers, and now it really sounds Awesome.

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The electronics in this car are unbelievable.
You can switch modes to drive in Sport, Track or Custom.
Each Mode adjusts traction, suspension, shift points, etc.
You can find endless information on the performance pages:

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The A8 automatic is very impressive. It shifts fast and hard and keeps the car right in the powerband.
It makes a very distinctive smacking sound as it shifts hard.
When It first happened, I backed out thinking something broke. :nono:

When I can, I go out and practice on empty farm roads.
I still have a lot of learning, but the best I have done so far is 12.2 in the quarter mile according to the on board electronics. That is with 305 555r drag radials on the rear and in Sport Mode.

The car feels faster than my GT500 did, and is extremely easy to drive, just a point and shoot. The most difficult thing is trying to get the most traction from a dig, and not spin the tires.
From a roll, with the drag radials, this car is a force to reckon with.

Just my observations and opinions.

 

[tvspower]

Thank you very much.. I am also impressed with the cat. The sound you got and the look goes hand in hand with the performance. My friend Chuck bought a GT350 in triple black . In performance mode the exhaust is so awesome and very loud in a good way. He wants to change rear gears to give it better bottom end. The revving is very race car. Now his uncle got a cat in red with the A8 and also sounds good( still has mid pipes) but nothing like yours now. His cat is going in for pulley change and headers.. He claims it will be around 800whp.. Side by side they both look awesome but the gt350 takes the looks award. BUT PERFORMANCE wise the cat seems to pull away very easily with no let up.. Now I am beginning to understand what TVSVERT is saying about his auto in his Shelby.... It would be great if an auto Shelby and the cat A8 ran off to see the outcome... GREG?...Do you think if your Shelby was an auto it would run away from your cat?

 

[Booky]

Do you think if your Shelby was an auto it would run away from your cat?

That is a difficult question to answer, but I do not feel my 2012 TVS GT500, with just an auto, would beat the Hellcat.

I imagine there is a lot more to it than just dropping an auto in the GT500. I am no mechanic or engineer, but I would think you would also have to work with the gearing ratios along with revising the engine tune to get the best performance. :shrug:

Everything on the Hellcat was engineered to work together for the ultimate performance by a company that spent a lot of time and money on it.

I could be completely wrong, but that is just my opinion.

 

[tvspower]

Thank you Booky... A real impression of both rides... It will be very interesting in the next month when we here in Ottawa get all our rides out.. The cat will be ready to prove its worth... We mustang guys had a power ball lottery and I came in at 4th place to run Leo's cat.. I'm in the middle with conservative 650whp. Will keep in touch..... Bruce... PS. BE SAfE

 

[Booky]

Bruce, definitely keep us up to date with the results.

From what I am seeing over on the Hellcat forum, more and more Hellcats are getting a pulley and tune and seeing some pretty good results.

I cannot wait to see the next release of the GT500. Maybe a 800 hp twin turbo V8? :beer:

 

[BlksvtCobra01]

Damn that Hellcat sounds sick with the mid mufflers deleted looks sharp.

 

[fullboogie]

Damn fine car that I would hope everyone here can appreciate. Congratulations and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

[ShelbyGT5HUN]

Very nice ride Booky... I can relate to not fitting in cars. IIRC, didn't you have a red and white striped GT500?

 

[tvspower]

Booky.. I"ve just finished watching a hour of youtube vids on the cat. Huge gains with pulley, tune and headers. Also some race vids.. NOW not that I don't have confidence in my Sheilby. but, me racing a cat with the A8 would be a big problem... If I shifted like Matt at BPS I would have a chance and may win, but not with my shifting skills or lack of>>>> It seems like they are soooooo smooth and sharp/quick shifts unlike me. Wow, like Leo said after his upgrades and now I believe him.... Stock cat would be close for me I hope...We will see....

 

[Booky]

Very nice ride Booky... I can relate to not fitting in cars. IIRC, didn't you have a red and white striped GT500?

Yes I did:

 

[Booky]

Booky.. I"ve just finished watching a hour of youtube vids on the cat. Huge gains with pulley, tune and headers. Also some race vids.. NOW not that I don't have confidence in my Sheilby. but, me racing a cat with the A8 would be a big problem... If I shifted like Matt at BPS I would have a chance and may win, but not with my shifting skills or lack of>>>> It seems like they are soooooo smooth and sharp/quick shifts unlike me. Wow, like Leo said after his upgrades and now I believe him.... Stock cat would be close for me I hope...We will see....

It will still be fun no matter what the outcome.:rockon:

 

[Snoopy49]

Booky,
Have read anything about halfshaft failures on the Hell Cats?

 

[Booky]

Booky,
Have read anything about halfshaft failures on the Hell Cats?

I have Not come across threads on halfshaft failures.

I have been kind of watching for this due to owning a 2003 Cobra and knowing this could be a problem with the IRS.


There are threads, however, on driveshaft failures, Only at the track.

The Hellcats come with a two piece OEM driveshaft. I was very surprised that the OEM Hellcat driveshaft was not a one piece CF driveshaft, similar to the 2013-2014 GT500's.

It is definitely recommended to change to a one piece aluminum or CF driveshaft if you are going to run drag radials or slicks at the track.

Since my Hellcat is street only, I am fine with the OEM driveshaft, for now.;-)

 

[tvspower]

Booky... I sent your vids of different exhaust sounds to Leo.... He wants to know if you just replaced the mid-mufflers with a straight pipe?? He has not been under his cat yet..... thxs His goes in for upgrades in May... UPDATE Just found a vid on this very subject, yea they used a straight pipe... What a differences......

 

[Booky]

Booky... I sent your vids of different exhaust sounds to Leo.... He wants to know if you just replaced the mid-mufflers with a straight pipe?? He has not been under his cat yet..... thxs His goes in for upgrades in May... UPDATE Just found a vid on this very subject, yea they used a straight pipe... What a differences......

Yes, they replaced mine with 3" straight pipe.

 

[ShelbyGT5HUN]

Yes I did:

YES! That's the car I remember. A beauty.

 

[Booky]

YES! That's the car I remember. A beauty.

Thank you, I appreciate it.