Sales of the Dodge Challenger have consistently lagged behind that of the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, but the two top-selling pony cars might have to keep a closer eye on the Challenger in the future, because Dodge has priced their new 707 horsepower Hellcat out at an enticing $59,995.
While not inexpensive by any means, the Hellcat is by far and away the cheapest way into the 700 horsepower club. Its base price under cuts the $75,000 Camaro Z/28 by $15K, but is on par with a nicely optioned C7 Corvette. The Camaro ZL1 meanwhile, which is the more fair comparison to the Hellcat than the track-focused Z/28, starts at $58,000.
While there’s no doubt the Challenger’s 707 horsepower 6.2-liter V8 and 199 mph top speed will be tempting for consumers, we doubt Chevrolet is dwelling on it. The Z/28 is for the track day enthusiast, while the Hellcat is more of a get in and go dragster. It might also be more powerful and just as affordable as the Corvette, but the cars likely won’t be cross-shopped very often. We would be surprised if it didn’t help the Challenger catch up in the sales race a bit, though.
Comments
Like you said, the Hellcat really isn’t relevant to the Z28 or a Vette … not even sure why they even need be referenced in the title or blog post. The Z28 is a street legal track vehicle tuned for overall performance rather than HP numbers, and the Vette is in a different segment.
The Hellcat is a shot across the bow of the ZL1 and the GT500, and a serious one at that. It ouHPs the Zl1 by 127HP and the GT500 by 45HP, at similar spec level and price point.
I’m no fan of Dodge, but I am a fan of gear heads usurping bean counters. In the case of the Hellcat, it’s like the two got together to conspire to build and sell the best power to ratio value on the market.
It brings me back to the original GTO days.
We can criticize all we want, but if GM built this we’d all be hailing it.
This is the old Formula that Chrysler used in the late 60’s. You have a poorer or older car vs. the others just add more HP at a cheaper price. That is all the Roadrunner was. They were cheaper than most other models back then and were not really up to date Chassis wise but they would dump a 440 or 426 in it and make it relevant to the competitors in at least one way.
Ford and Chevy are looking to do the complete package and make a car that goes, stops and turns in world class numbers but still be under 6 figures.
The truth be said the Hellcat is fast but there is no way this car can put all the power to the ground at launch. It will do as well as it does not due only to traction aides and engine management. Imagine if it had a proper suspension and platform to where it could use more power. The fact is this car could match the same numbers with only 600 HP and less electronic aide assist.
HP is great but today the whole car is the package. The days of one dimensional cars is long over. Today people have much greater expectations for the most part. Yes a number of people will buy this car but over all the others will remain better complete cars.
The truth is this car has more in common with the ZL1 than the Z/28.
I would be happy with the engine but as the car I would feel let down even if it were a GM. This car needs replaced with a new platform as it is the oldest in the field and is showing its age. To be honest some of this car was based on a old Benz when it was new. This is nearly as bad as how GM kept the second gen F body around too long.
They will garner headlines for a while but the other two will overshadow it very soon. Less mass is the best friend performance cars can have. Less weight can make a 4 cylinder Lotus turn into a super car. The same can happen to a Camaro with a V8 with only 3500 pounds and 16 inch ceramic brakes along with a lower center of gravity. Yes that is why the new Camaro will be lower.
This is only the first round and this car is not going to win the game here on engine alone over the long run. Now if they can get this engine in a new platform before 2019-18 then they have a shot.
Your comment presupposes that GM builds anything of quality. Simply put they suck. As a former corvette owner I look at the hellcat and love the ingenuity. The interior looks great the power is stunning and when Or if I pull up next to a corvette or camero….I will just smile when I am a quarter mile ahead of them when it counts. Don’t think for a second that former corvette owners are out of this because I am one. GM is the worst car company in the world right now. As also a former Cadillac owner I saw first hand the crap GM is bringing off the assembly line. Go Dodge, knock em down!
Don it is cute how you speak of grandchildren but follow it up with comment similar to a wet behind the ears 16 year old.
The fact is the big three all had their issues over the years. Many of the Camaro’s had world class drivelines but yet many 4th gen F bodies had window regulator failures due to the lack of refinement in the interior.
The Mustang too had a good deal with the 5.0 once they got it right with Fuel injection but yet the cat wa saddled with a platform that Ford never really got right and many had to turn to the aftermarket to stiffen up the chassis unless you had a notch back.
Chrysler had no real significant performance models post 1970 till the 300 RWD platform arrived. They were too busy building Caravans with smoking engines. V6 Mitsubishi engines with failed head gaskets and K car based models with talking dashes while the rear doors has hardened cotter pins as the pivot for the hinge.
None of these cars were perfect but GM did have and still has the edge for the most part in most models.
Now they stick a great engine into a old heavy car that needs replaced to give it some added life as they can not afford to replace it yet. That is nice but it falls short for what we will see soon in the new Mustang and a year later in a Camaro that will surprise even the most Jaded.
The fact is this. Yes the Italians added some LED and long over due better interior materials. But not much has changed and not much will change till 2018-2019 at best..
1/4 miles times were all the rage in 1970 as cars then barely stopped and could not turn. I have owned these cars and driven some of the best. I have been in the 69 1/2 Roadrunner one of the Best from Chrysler in the era but it was not the best car on the market. It had a great drive line but not much else to offer. It was still struggling on with Torsion bars and Leaf Springs as GM was moving to Disc Brakes and Coil springs on most models.
I agree the Vettes have always had something lacking but today the C7 lacks not for anything. The Coming Camaro will address the short comings in the already good car and leave no excuse this time as has the CTS and other new platform models.
So if you think Fiat is going to save the day soon well it will take time as the Dart the first real attempt failed and was never considered near the top of the class. The 200 is considered much better than the past car but a Ox cart was better too. It will do ok as it is not a bad car but like the Malibu it was too little too late to the party in a fast moving segment.
The RWD cars are not due to be replace soon and the Viper is on hold as sales have tanked due to the Corvette.
The only thing going well is Jeep and the Trucks. Not even the Fiat has worked well as it has been below their own projections.
This performance segment is not a 3 dimensional market of go, stop and turn and also is a global market. Right not the Dodge only has one of these covered and has no real global market.
The future is about the complete package and Ford and GM has already shown they are working to this goal.
Right now Dodges only hope is to catch the grandfathers who want to try to relive their youth and race at traffic lights but never turn a corner in performance anger.
The one thing that troubles me is this is a much better engine than the car it is in. I hate to see 4-5 years of it wasted in the present car when it would do so much better in a new platform. Also what do you do with the styling? How long do you keep it 1970?
No new classics are born if you continue to live in the past.
I am not trying to be a downer or hater here just pointing out the facts. I will enjoy this car and I am glad it is here as it may push Chevy to counter the power in the next Camaro but with one that will not only our run the Dodge but will be able to turn and stop before the Dodge driver can even think about it.
I stopped living the past as I remember it as it was not as some think it was. I love the old cars but they cannot compare to todays cars in anyway in performance. Hell my daily driver is a 13 second 4 cylinder that can carry 5 people and cargo and still top out at 160 MPH and also lap a autocross track with ease.
Dodge has a great engine we can only hope they can bring a chassis for it soon that it deserves.
I would also keep an eye on the VW take over rumors. While it may pump more money in I am not sure it will help quality with all the issue VW is having of late.
Love how my comment gets removed by the GM nazis. I thinks that’s all I need to say! Lol
well, the numbers are in Scott. Unlike the GT500 it does indeed put power down well. so well it runs 11s from the factory and 10s with drag radials out of the box.
I still think the big cat is a “Fat Ass” but she’s a fat ass that moves like stink. If the price stays as reasonable as they say, I’d buy a 1-2 year old one quick for 40+ grand.
Oh I know and have seen the numbers and it is impressive but it is only one dimention of performance.
Also it is to the point you are not going to go to the track and race it unless you have a drive shaft loop and roll bar with a 5 way harness. I had a buddy with a Duster that he built, even without tubs it ran 9 sec and they had a heart attack as he was well under the time that most tracks require the extra gear.
Besides for about the same money or less you can take the regular Dodge, Camaro or even Mustang and reproduce these numbers as it is all engine not car. Hell GM just released a 770 HP create engine that would drop right in.
Now give me a car with that kind of power that can do 10 seconds in the quarter mile and still lap the ring in 7:25 and then you will have a market leading car.
Sorry I respect all that are tripping over their lounges here for this car but that does not mean I can’t have my own opinion and view on it. I feel I am fair about this as I do not totally condemn this car but it is still fair not to think it the end all be all of the segment. It may win the quarter mile but it still falls short in the long term race.
To be fair I can also call out short comings in the other cars too. Chevy has left the SS bake too long with out much in additions that it could have used but to be fair the sales did not call for the major investment.
Ford I feel still made a major mistake walking away from the 5.0 as the aftermarket sold that car not the dealers. I see so few people returning to the new car and keeping the old and feel it is part of the reason the last model did not sell as well as previous models. The fact Is there are no perfect models here for many reason.
As for 40 grand in 1-2 years It could happen but if the volume is low here the price will remain up. For Dodge I hope the value remains high but for buyers like you the more they sell the cheaper they will become. If they get cheap it would be interesting to see this engine in some of the older cars or street rods.
On fact this engine would be interesting to see in the Viper as an option. Lighter and more powerful would help this cat in many ways.
That’s the only dimension I really care about. That being said I think the performance computer in the Hellcat is far superior to anything the Camaro has ever had. The ZL1 is an absolute imbarresment at the drag strip. The new Z/28 is so over priced it’s pathetic. I’ve been a Chevy fan all my life have had my 1971 RS Z28 since I was 18 I’m 54 now. I’ve also owned 2 Corvettes and always owned GM vehicles. I was a certified Chervolet mechanic from 1982-1990. This is the first time I’m considering buying a non-GM vehicle, and I’m sure I’m not alone. So if Chevrolet thinks they have nothing to worry about they are in for a rude awakening!!!!
If that is all you want that Is fine,
My point is the market as a whole expect more than just big numbers and a Quarter mile time anymore.
While this car is faster than the ZL1 it is far from an embarrassment if you have more than just one criteria.
As for the Z/28 there is more advanced technology and engineering in the shock than the whole Dodge all together let alone the rest of the Z.
The Dodge is a sludge hammer and only dose one thing and dose it well. The Z like a tool box and has many tools to do many things well.
In the end you get what you pay for and the more tools the higher the price.
There is still enough people not in the nursing home to buy the Dodge yet but in the future they will adjust like the rest to appeal to a younger crowd that expect more from their cars. To live on you have to appeal to more than the 58 and older crowd. That is what nearly killed Cadillac.
You may not like hearing it but reality can suck but you have to live with it.
I think we need to just appreciate both cars! I despise camaros because every other idiot who saw Transformers now totally “gets” cars and all of a sudden they are a “car’s guy.” I absolutely love cars, my first love was a Dodge Viper that I raced on my Play Station 1. This was when I was about 7 years young. Ever since I have learned to appreciate cars and just see the good in all cars.
My message is there’s always going to be something that one car does better than its competitor. Appreciate the cars for what they are, a toy that you get as a man.
I would definitely choose the Hellcat over the Z/28 tho. I’m more of a hemi guy lol
For imports I am a Subaru kind of guy. I love GTRs but there is something about the Turbos on those Subies that just get me wet like a 16 year old girl meeting justin bieber or the one direction kids. lol
Scott, what could you possibly mean by saying mopar products like the Roadrunner were not up to par to GM & Ford in the late 60’s in terms of chassis? GM & Ford were still using body on frame design, while Mopars were using unibody construction… If anything mopar was ahead of the game chassis wise.
This is one awesome car and one of the most beautiful on the roads today.
I’ts great to see some insanity these days. Rock ‘n’ Roll at its finest!
199 mph, come on, a 707 hp Challenger can do better than that!
The car is limited by aero. The dynamic of drag accumulate much over 150 MPH and up.
$60K or $61K? Most places are quating “60,900” which is marketingspeak for $61K.
At least this one finally fixes the New Hemi’s weak piston issue. It’s a brilliant design, but unlike in 1964 there’s an MBA around to screw up a critical detail. At least it’s a known and understood issue.
btw, no one seems to mention the clutch-engaged supercharger, as in the Road Warrior. There’s something strange and satisfying going on when you can buy a car that works like a movie prop.
I’m not sure if it’s true or not, but I read yesterday that Dodge will only produce 1200 Hellcats. Dodge has 2400 dealerships so expect an incredible increase over the msrp. I’m sure they’ll be purchased by the likes of which you see at a Mecum auction and bidding will start in the 6 figure range. I want one but Dodge wont let me.
That is the deal I have heard too 1200 cars may all there will be per year.
This will drive up the prices and it could reach six figures if there is enough demand.
Now it is posted that Dodge said they so not know what the market demands will be and had no plans to limit production but that can change depending on demand. I expect time while the number is not set they will not over build the car to protect the value of the special model just as GM did with the Z/28 and Ford does on the Shelby GT 500.
You want to sell your image car but you do not want to over build it to the point it ends up on used car lots in a couple years once the leases are up and not worth anything on resale due to too many on the market.
I expect they will sell between 1500-5000 units at best this year and adjust it in the future. Over build it and you end up with customers later not happy with their values.
Special models are just that special and need to be retained to preserve the image. Shelbys today are prized as they are not easy to find or buy and have been this way most of their lives.
Note too I expect the price will clime later as I think they low balled it to start but they can make a lot more money on these.