Hellcat post mortem review

[Klaus]

I recently sold my challenger hellcat and thought I would share my impressions for anyone that is thinking of one of these. Unstructured thoughts in no particular order:

· It is pretty easy to make power with the 6.2 (up to a certain level - more on that). Pulley/injectors/intake will put you 740 on pump and well over 800 on E or meth. The IHI supercharger is a hell of a stock unit.

· But you will need it because they are pigs. You will feel like you are driving a pick up.

· The 8A is awesome. Hell of a transmission and is perfectly suited for this platform.

· The driving experience is not that great. They are numb and feel totally disconnected from the road. If you want feed back or want to be connected to the road you may be disappointed.

· Aftermarket is not that great. For instance there are a million supercharger options for Mustang while there are only two for HC and they are arguably worse than stock.

· While getting to 800 whp is pretty easy I do not think these are that great for mega power. You can make >1200 whp standing on your head with a trinity or coyote but you will not see many HCs at this level. There was a max effort 426 stroker with a 4.5 whipple in the shop that did my Shelby and I think it made ~1000. A good number for sure but it did not blow me away.

· If you are looking for a daily or need kids they are great. The trunk is friggin huge. I did a $300 costco grocery run and fit it all in the trunk no problem. Back seats are surprisingly large.

· Ride and experience is very comfy. These are labeled as muscle cars but are just as much a classic GT. The challenger is a poor mans version of the S63 IMO and arguably better.

· Despite reputation of Dodge quality being trash they are well built. Solid, materials, build, fit, finish are all 100%.

· Enthusiast community is totally different than Ford/GM. For instance most popular “first mod” section on Hellcat.org was mudflaps. These cars attract guys that have no experience with building cars and want stock 707 hp and that is it. I am sure this is not totally representative but all the guys I met in the street with HCs were basic AF.

· Also there are a ton of guys that cannot afford these that get them. Be very careful if you are buying a used one. Many of these are beat to shit and used condition is all over the map.

My HC did not really do much for me. It sat undriven for 6 weeks before I sold it and do not miss it. YMMV.

 

[john11gt]

Kind of what I expected to be honest.

the last part is why I got rid of my coyote, it just didn’t do much for me. The new cars are fast and make a lot of power but they don’t get me excited.

 

[gimmie11s]

Good stuff thanks for sharing


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[beau t]

(klaus- unsure what i screwed up so it didn't show as a quote)While getting to 800 whp is pretty easy I do not think these are that great for mega power. You can make >1200 whp standing on your head with a trinity or coyote but you will not see many HCs at this level

I think you have a built Trinity also if not disregard this, to get to the 800 or higher mark with both was there a big price difference for 1 vs the other?
Thanks and good lucky with your new build, did the one in NC pan out?

 

[ON D BIT]

I recently sold my challenger hellcat and thought I would share my impressions for anyone that is thinking of one of these. Unstructured thoughts in no particular order:

· It is pretty easy to make power with the 6.2 (up to a certain level - more on that). Pulley/injectors/intake will put you 740 on pump and well over 800 on E or meth. The IHI supercharger is a hell of a stock unit.

· But you will need it because they are pigs. You will feel like you are driving a pick up.

· The 8A is awesome. Hell of a transmission and is perfectly suited for this platform.

· The driving experience is not that great. They are numb and feel totally disconnected from the road. If you want feed back or want to be connected to the road you may be disappointed.

· Aftermarket is not that great. For instance there are a million supercharger options for Mustang while there are only two for HC and they are arguably worse than stock.

· While getting to 800 whp is pretty easy I do not think these are that great for mega power. You can make >1200 whp standing on your head with a trinity or coyote but you will not see many HCs at this level. There was a max effort 426 stroker with a 4.5 whipple in the shop that did my Shelby and I think it made ~1000. A good number for sure but it did not blow me away.

· If you are looking for a daily or need kids they are great. The trunk is friggin huge. I did a $300 costco grocery run and fit it all in the trunk no problem. Back seats are surprisingly large.

· Ride and experience is very comfy. These are labeled as muscle cars but are just as much a classic GT. The challenger is a poor mans version of the S63 IMO and arguably better.

· Despite reputation of Dodge quality being trash they are well built. Solid, materials, build, fit, finish are all 100%.

· Enthusiast community is totally different than Ford/GM. For instance most popular “first mod” section on Hellcat.org was mudflaps. These cars attract guys that have no experience with building cars and want stock 707 hp and that is it. I am sure this is not totally representative but all the guys I met in the street with HCs were basic AF.

· Also there are a ton of guys that cannot afford these that get them. Be very careful if you are buying a used one. Many of these are beat to shit and used condition is all over the map.

My HC did not really do much for me. It sat undriven for 6 weeks before I sold it and do not miss it. YMMV.

So you’re saying when your old one comes up for sale, pass on it?

 

[oldstv]

Great review, thank you for taking the time to do that.

 

[svtfocus2cobra]

I rail on Chrysler quality pretty often lately, but learned something about Chrysler vehicles that is absolutely retarded and pissed me off when I heard it after we had an issue with a Jeep, and also a Durango in the past that I remembered after learning about it.

Fuses are there to protect electronics, right? Well not in Chryslers. The computer modules are the fuses. Just had a nightmare Cherokee that came back right after we finally got rid of it after a huge cylinder head/camshaft repair. No check engine light but it was clearly misfiring which makes no sense for one. After a couple days of testing and inspecting we find a coil in the process of self destruction, literally bulging, splitting open, and cracking. Well that self destruction back-fed into the engine fuse box/TIPM(totally integrated power module) and destroyed the TIPM with not a single fuse being blown in the process. Our tech was laughing in disbelief but my boss informed me that Chryslers use the modules to complete the circuits so there is nothing in between the modules to protect them from back-feeding. This reminded me of a Durango we had a while back that ended up having the alternator catch fire and melt down while we were just idling it, and that meltdown backfed and destroyed the PCM. later saw that the issue was part of an actual recall for the alternators. This isn't just certain FCA vehicles built like this though, it is all of them!

 

[xblitzkriegx]

It looks like points two and four are at odds with seven and eight.

The Challenger was never meant to be a true performance car. It was a more upscale car with pony car options. Even though it was related to the Barracuda, the only items I'm aware of that were interchangeable were the door panels and seats. Maybe a few other small things. It rode on a 111" wheelbase vs the Cuda, with a 108" wheelbase.

That thought process carried over with the current Challenger, but the weight penalty is due to the LX platform's age unfortunately.

 

[03cobra#694]

Good review.

 

[CobraBob]

Very interesting reading. Nice to hear an impartial review from someone who has owned one. Most of what you said was expected.

 

[HEMIHUNTER]

Ever take it to the strip?
From what I’ve read about them they
are the best ‘point and shoot’ cars ever made.
1. Heat the tires
2. Press the ‘track button?’
3. Grab steering wheel {10+2}Wait for the green light and mash the gas.
That about it?


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[Klaus]

Ever take it to the strip?
From what I’ve read about them they
are the best ‘point and shoot’ cars ever made.
1. Heat the tires
2. Press the ‘track button?’
3. Grab steering wheel {10+2}Wait for the green light and mash the gas.
That about it?


Sent from my iPhone using svtperformance.com

I would agree with that. A chimp could run mid tens with the set up that I had. That said they are kind of boring because they are so big and numb. This car never gave me any adrenaline.

But: This is THE choice if you want something you can DD but also go on weekend trips with wife and a kid but also run mid tens without drama.

 

[1 Alibi 2]

I would agree with that. A chimp could run mid tens with the set up that I had. That said they are kind of boring because they are so big and numb. This car never gave me any adrenaline.

But: This is THE choice if you want something you can DD but also go on weekend trips with wife and a kid but also run mid tens without drama.

.
It had a paddle shifter, correct ?
Would it be a fair statement that a person who enjoys a 6 speed, won't see much enjoyment in the new
performance cars from the Big 3 ??

 

[Klaus]

.
It had a paddle shifter, correct ?
Would it be a fair statement that a person who enjoys a 6 speed, won't see much enjoyment in the new
performance cars from the Big 3 ??

It had paddles although I never used them. The auto shifts faster than I can. I feel like these are just for show.

I would agree with your statement. I am going through this right now looking at vettes. The c7zs are bad ass for sure but too clinical. A fast turboprop can be way more fun than an F15.

 

[Klaus]

I think you have a built Trinity also if not disregard this, to get to the 800 or higher mark with both was there a big price difference for 1 vs the other?
Thanks and good lucky with your new build, did the one in NC pan out?

I do have a built trinity. These are easy to get to 750 or so. The factory rods are shit so you need to replace these if you want to go beyond that. You mind as well do pistons at this point but if you have an AL block you will have to sleeve.

That is a good point on HC in that internals are forged and you do not have to dig into the guts until you start getting to serious power.

The trinity is capable of more power IMO but it will cost you. If you want to get >800 you are talking a whole build and given the nature of the design it can get out of hand quick. For instance 4x trinity cams will be ~$1500 vs. $500 for 1x pushrod. Switching over to terminator timing gear will cost $2500 which is something you will not even have to deal with on anything but a 5.4/5.8. But once you build a trinity you can throw as much boost at it as you want and the sky is the limit. Manual shifting will be the limiting factor at this point.

If you are a WWII buff a good analogy may be that the trinity is a tiger tank and 6.2 apache is a sherman.

A boosted 10A coyote with twins or gen 5 whipple on E is choice # 1, 2 and 3 if you want to rule the streets on a budget.

 

[beau t]

Well that self destruction back-fed into the engine fuse box/TIPM(totally integrated power module) and destroyed the TIPM with not a single fuse being blown in the process

So basically they put a 100$, 200$, 300$, and up computer in line to save a 50 cent fuse that makes perfect sense lol. Is this because they give constant power to everything and brake the ground or am i completely wrong on the way they do the power circuits?

 

[HEMIHUNTER]

I would agree with that. A chimp could run mid tens with the set up that I had. That said they are kind of boring because they are so big and numb. This car never gave me any adrenaline.

But: This is THE choice if you want something you can DD but also go on weekend trips with wife and a kid but also run mid tens without drama.

10/4
Hindsite being 20/20 would you get the Charger if you were going HC?



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[GNBRETT]

Excellent review. Always wondered about many things u mentioned. Thanx.

 

[Sirhc7897]

100% agree with this review.

When I was daily driving my hellcat it was so perfect for that task (I’ve got 2 small children) that I bought a redeye without even test driving it when the time came to replace it. Spot on about it being a phenomenal GT car.

Now that I’ve picked up a crew cab truck for DD duties and the redeye is a weekend fun toy I don’t love it nearly as much.

Also spot on about the aftermarket and the average owners you run into. Coming from the well polished aftermarket world of Ford (had a 11 GT500) to the borderline dysfunctional mopar aftermarket world was a bit of a shock to the system.


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[1Kona_Venom]

Thanks for taking the time to compose a good read.
After my '17 Rubicon, no more Chrysler products for me.