- I drove a $92,245 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody, the most thoroughly insane trim level of Dodge's two-door, neo-muscle car.
- The car has a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that makes 717 horsepower.
- That kind of power is staggering, but the Challenger is also a very capable cruiser, with exceptionally comfortable seats and a (relatively) calm demeanor. Until you unleash the beast.
- I've never been an immediate fan of Dodge's big-engine, throwback cars. But I almost always end up adoring them when I get behind the wheel.
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Sure, you could spend less than $30,000 on the absolute base Challenger and get a fun, retro muscle car with rear wheel drive. Even with just a 305-horsepower V6 under the hood, you might consider that a brilliant purchase.
But Dodge of course doesn't stop there. The Challenger nameplate has been around since 1970, but it was retired for a while, them revived in the late 2000s, as the Big Three Detroit automakers renewed a rivalry with vehicles that also included new generations of the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Camaro that evoked an earlier era.
Dodge has no fewer than nine Challenger trim levels and performance packages available, of which the $92,245 SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody is the top feline. With red eyes. That is wide.
I borrowed the well-optioned car for the Independence Day weekend, which seemed appropriate. Here's how my testing of this American icon, intensified, went down:
The 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody presented itself for duty wearing "Sinamon Stick" paint job. Sinamon! Get it?Matthew DeBord/InsiderThe car is unapologetically aggressive in its styling — perhaps more so than the current crop of updated muscle and pony cars. Before numerous options, the starting price was $58,995.Matthew DeBord/Insider
So why "Widebody?" Well, this Challenger has 3.5 extra total inches in width, and the broader fenders accommodate 20-inch-by-11-inch wheels wearing Pirelli P-Zero tires.Matthew DeBord/Insider
The 20-inch wheels are "Carbon Black" aluminum, front ...Matthew DeBord/Insider
... And rear.Matthew DeBord/Insider
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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