Dodge dropped their 707 horsepower Challenger Hellcat on us recently, effectively stealing the Muscle car spotlight away from the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. The Hellcat features a 6.2-liter supercharged version of Dodge’s 392 Hemi engine linked up to an 8-speed automatic transmission (a 6-speed manual is available) and will take down the quarter mile in as fast as 11.2 seconds on stock tires. That makes it faster than both the GT500 and the ZL1 at the strip, so should Chevy answer back?
The ZL1 is the more track focused car out of the GT500 and the Hellcat. It has track-tuned suspension, GM’s trick Magnetic Ride Control system, multi-link rear suspension, huge Brembo six-piston brakes out front and 4-piston brakes in the rear and grippy Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. If we were headed for a twisty road course, the ZL1 would be our choice.
But if you’re heading to the strip, the ZL1 is outclassed, so should GM do something about it? We know there is more meat left on the bone of the LSA engine, so a power bump could be in order, but Chevrolet would have to be careful not to out-power the upcoming 650 horsepower 2015 Corvette Z06. On the other hand, the Z06 should take care of the Hellcat in a straight line, so is building a Hellcat competitor truly necessary? We think Chevrolet will turn its attention away from the current Camaro and towards the new, Alpha-based car, what about you?
Comments
Any group of idiots can make a heavy ass car, built on an outdated platform, stick a giant engine in, making a lot of buzz about, and say that their work is done. However, it takes an excellent group of engineers to make a small sports car off of an outdated full size sedan’s platform that can handle as well as the camaro does. So my answer is no, GM doesn’t need to respond, as a lighter, faster, newer camaro is in the works. Not to mention, the challenger is so much bigger, it would make more sense for GM to make a mid-size muscle car like the chevelle and have it go head to head with the challenger, and leave the smaller camaro to do battle with the mustang.
Okay, you’re just being a fanboy, and its showing badly. Quit white knighting for A CAR. The camaro doesn’t care if you think its better than the challenger, its a car.
That being said I’m not a fan of factory tuning jobs myself, I think they’re just massive dick measuring contests between automakers that just result in overpriced cars that really aren’t all that fast for the money.
And I say this as a former Camaro owner, for the record.
Not so much match it power wise but a bump in power to get it closer. Would be a good idea to give the ZL1 a bump to 600 for its last year (easy to do) then with the next gen being lighter keep the power level the same (say 605 or maybe 620) but below the Z06. With the lighter weight of the 6th gen it will put it closer to the other two in terms of power to weight and performance numbers in a straight line. No need to go all 708 on anyone. Heck, just under-rate it like they used to. Anyone see the new M3 dyno? Put down at the wheel what it’s rated at. So have the ZL1 rated at 600 but put down 550-570 would be nice.
This is the deal. It is not the max HP or G force but the whole package as it works together.
In years past you could take a economy car or average coupe and just slap a bigger engine in it and make a performance car out of it. Back then they were only intended to go fast for a 1/4 mile and never turn or stop very fast. Also it was not unusual for the engine to be gone in a year or two once it was sold. That is why so many of these cars from the 60’s hold so much value if they have an original numbers matching engine as they are so rare.
Today a true performance car is expected to do all things well and on top of that anymore get good MPG and live long trouble free lives.
The path of the Challanger is it is a very old car in todays market terms. It is in great need of a make over and new platform. the car is a mosh of reused old Benz parts meshed with some new Chrysler parts from 10 years ago, The car as we see it is not do for a refresh for a few more years.
This leads us to what the HellCats mission is. It is to stimulate sales of the model and keep it in the news while Ford and GM release much more advanced cars that do all things well. In other words it is a very good marketing program.
Lets face it there is talk the car may be limited to 1200 units and even if it is not limited most market watchers are expecting only around 5,000-6,000 units to be sold.
While the car will garner headlines for and create a place in history it will never really add much to the bottom line of the present car line at Chrysler. They will not lose money but it will not gain market share or much ground if any on the others.
Life today is more than just 0-60 and 1/4 miles.
I would rather see GM take the proper approach and make a car that does everything well vs. just a couple things.
Note too GM tested the ZR1 engine to 725 HP and met all the dyno durability test and emission test standards. So they could easily do one of these engines if they chose. The fact is would it be worth the investment or work while these recourses could be channeled into just making the next Camaro a much better car than it is today.
What I would like to see is a lot of what they learned on the Z/28 put into the next SS and take the Z to the next level in the new car.
In this game it is the long term gains and not the short term gains that determine the winners and losers. I expect GM and the performance people will do the right things as exhibited by the Z06 and continue to do what is right.
Also bear in mind we have another engine yet to come in a L88 and a car to exceed the ZR1. I expect more power and less weight. A little boost and we could see 725 HP so very easy as I know they have done it and can do it again with DI even easier.
The Hellcat is a cool car but far from what Fiat and Dodge needs right now.
As for the Chevelle I love em as we have had 8 of them in our family over the years 7 of them new from the dealer. But right now GM does not need another Chevy Coupe. They should focus all the attention on the Camaro and if they can approve the case a smaller turbo coupe with RWD. The coupe market is limited in sales and a Chevelle and Camaro just are too close for todays market. I wish it were different but that is the way it is.
Your opening remark says it all… it truly is how the components are put together. It can be seen in road test after road test, how a car with less HP outperforms one with more.
Thank you.
I have built and driven many powerful cars. I also have learned over the years it is not how much power you have but how well you can use it that matters.
I see it daily in my work where people who tell me they know what they are doing will buy all these radical engine parts and go to build a major HP engine to only see it fall on it’s face.
Case in point. I had one 350 Chevy I built using just a 1970 Impala short block. A well chosen Cam and a set of good head alone with a match intake gave me a car with amazing results. It even ran on regular gas.
My one buddy built a 350 with too much cam. too much compression and a carb and intake that were too much for his needs. The car would not get out of its own way and never did run right. The key was the parts did not work together as one.
I am far from a 911 fan. I always though a Trans AM or Z28 were the kind of handling because of the big numbers. Then I had a chance to put several thousand miles on a 911 Carrera and learned something many people never find out. The truth is the car made going fast easy as it was so sorted out. It made 110 MPH feel like 50 MPH even on the most uneven back roads.
Now I am still not a 911 fan but it gave me the understand years ago of what a well sorted well packaged performance car can be. today I see it more in many cars. The ones from GM where they finally showed they got it was in most of the GM Performance Group cars. They were all sorted out so well and these same people today are now tuning all the GM car not just a handful of performance cars.
I would challenge anyone who has driven an HHR or Cobalt to take a Turbo Cobalt SS or HHR SS for a spin on a back road. I was shocked it was even the same car. The same for a Trail Blazer SS. These vehicles are well sorted and show what a complete package refined can do. That is why a Cobalt SS could cut lap times right with a Mustang GT.
Now there is nothing wrong with power but if the car is not tuned to use it all and is still lacking in other areas the power is more a marketing tool than anything else. In the case here it is a very good marketing tool but not necessarily a better car.
My hope is Chrysler can keep this engine alive and provide a new well sorted home for it at some point. To me this is like putting running shoes on sumo wrestler. Powerful yes but very limited in ability.
Absolutely NO
GM already has its “SuperCamaro” with the current Z28, performance and features that is better than the Dodge without needing those 700 HP
It keeps in the future with renewed Z28 550 HP Alpha platform; and will only need to beat the Challenger Hellcat and Mustang SVT versions
Regards From Spain
could just pop a supercharger on the z28 and presto, hell cat beater and don’t forget the corners.
As a current GM owner, my response would be not to worry about topping the Hellcat, just concentrate more on you’re existing platform of vehicles and solve all of your recall problems. Government Motors hasn’t a clue!
I would just love an affordable 4 seater car with Two doors, and 4 cylinder turbo or V8 push rod or overhead option. Let me have the option for straight axle or live. Roll up windows, no A/C. I don’t care. Make it respond to bolt ons well, with heavy aftermarket support. I feel like I’m the only one that would be financing a 93 Mustang if they re-released it today for a good price. Il deal with the weak handling if I ever happen to be on the Nürburgring.
It has a 6.2 liter engine you twat, not 6.4.
YES – GM definitely should answer the “Hellcat” Both of the them! The Hellcat Challenger and the Hellcat Charger….but Corvette is not the answer. The Challenger and Charger are not like Corvettes. Corvette has become “out of reach” for most of the customer base who made “Corvette” the icon it is today… 100K+ for a ZR-1? Ridiculous…and $75K+ for a Z28 Camaro? …even more ridiculous.
What Dodge has done is make a muscle car for TRUE enthusiasts. A car you can own without putting a second or third mortgage on your home, or telling your teenage son or daughter “you better get a job or financial aid” because Daddy spent your college fund on a Corvette…No way! Dodge made a “HELLCAT” that some of us can actually afford…and by the way, it has more power than the flagship Corvette and Z28 little brother.
Could I ever buy a Chrysler product? HELL-NO… but I applaud Chrysler for doing what they did…they built a muscle car that more of us can afford, and with the Charger, Chrysler stayed true to the big rear-wheel drive “family” car that GM once dominated. I say competition is GOOD for GM…it can only make GM better…if they do the right thing and remember who their LOYAL customers are.