The Dodge Charger Will Continue to Change (and That’s Good)

The first Dodge Charger was released back in 1964. While that model is certainly classic and beloved, we’d reckon that it couldn’t hold a candle to this year’s Charger, especially the Charger SRT Hellcat. Featuring an incredible, unprecedented engine and an intimidating, stylish design, the Hellcat version of the vehicle has been an absolute hit since its release a couple of years ago.

_Luckily for us, the engineers weren’t content on rolling over the same design and features. While there are plenty of aspects that will remain the same (including one particular feature that’s sticking around due to fan support), the brand also revamped several of the features and capabilities. To learn how the 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat continues to evolve and change, continue reading after the break… _

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat made its debut at the 2014 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show, and the brand’s fans were immediately enthralled at the impressive vehicle’s styling and mechanics (and, perhaps, the fact that the car was accompanied on stage by stars like Sandra Bullock, Mizz Nina, Michelle Yeoh, and Fan Bingbing). Featuring an intimidating (but stylish) exterior, a luxurious interior, and an incredible engine under the hood, enthusiasts were just dying to get behind the wheel of the impressive Hellcat.

The engineers truly transformed the Dodge Charger LX four-door sedan into a racer, making it the “quickest, fastest, and most powerful production sedan in the world” (according to a company press release ). The engineers weren’t only focused on producing a vehicle that was impressive under the hood. Instead, they focused on a stylish and luxurious exterior that properly paired with the powerful motor.

“For the last eight years, a large part of the Dodge Charger’s successful formula has been its many personalities for a family capable sedan depending on how the customer chooses to equip their car,” said Tim Kuniskis, President and CEO — Dodge and SRT Brands. “Now our 2015 Charger SRT lineup sets its advanced muscle car personality apart by offering unrivaled capabilities in our ultimate performance sedans.”

With the designers keeping an eye towards the original Charger, the Hellcat version was intended to resemble these early muscle cars. They already had an excellent vehicle to work with in the Charger, as the 2015 model included many of these same exterior features as these early models. All these engineers had to do was revamp the design a bit to further accentuate this older Charger’s most recognizable attributes, while also modernizing these respective aspects.

It started up front, where engineers added a new front fascia and grille to add a level of intimidation to their vehicle. A significantly larger hood was installed to properly complement the new cold-air intake system (which was actually a nod to the originally Viper). A new single-piece spoiler was added to the back, accompanied by an exclusive fascia and valance. Of course, the vehicle also includes the brand’s popular “signature racetrack LED tail lamps.”

Under the hood, you’d find the impressive supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 engine, capable of producing an incredible 707 horsepower and 650 pounds-feet of torque. The new supercharger technology uses a “forged-steel crankshaft with induction-hardened bearing surfaces,” contributing to the vehicle’s incredible speed and power. Add these specs together, and anyone lucky enough to get behind the wheel could expect the car to reach a top speed of 204.55 miles per hour, a zero-to-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds, and a quarter-mile time of 11.03 seconds (a figure that is NHRA-certified). The vehicle is accompanied by the TorqueFlite 8HP90 eight-speed automatic transmission.

The driving experience was also improved in the new Charger SRT, as drivers could tailor their vehicle to the outside conditions. Driving modes include Sport (increased performance capabilities), Track (increased capabilities on dry surfaces), and Eco (maximized fuel economy).

A year later, the brand has been thrilled with the results of their 2015 Hellcat. Not only has the vehicle proven to be a hit on the actual market, but the company has also generated over 61 million “sensational Youtube video views,” which is quite the impressive number (as well as a testament to the vehicle’s growing popularity).

“The SRT Hellcat models are America’s ultimate performance car duo, and these already legendary Challenger and Charger models have given Dodge more than the title of ‘fastest and most powerful muscle cars ever,’ they continue to drive sales records, increase brand profitability, draw new and younger customers to the brand and fuel interest across our entire vehicle lineup – achievements worthy of earning an exclusive set of performance stripes,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge’s Head of Passenger Car Brands.

Luckily, the brand is committed to keeping their products fresh, and that will certainly be the same deal for the upcoming Hellcat. The new special version Charger includes a new dual full-length body stripe package to further help emphasize the point that your Hellcat engine is nothing that should be messed with. The “carbon fiber pattern” covers the front and rear fascias, the roof and deck, and the hood. These additions will cost owners an extra $995.

While there aren’t many changes coming to the Charger Hellcat’s exterior colors, that’s not actually a bad thing. Take a look at the available colors for the 2016 version (via a Dodge press release from AutoBlog’s Noah Joseph ): Bright White Clear Coat, Redline Red, Pitch Black Clear Coat, Granite Crystal Metallic Clear Coat, Billet Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Jazz Blue Pearl Coat, TorRed Clear Coat, Ivory White Tri-coat, Maximum Steel Metallic and Plum Crazy Pearl Coat.

Realize any notable inclusions to that list? The limited-edition Plum exterior color will stick around a bit longer, as demand for the throwback color was through the roof. While production on the Plum Crazy Charger was expected to end in December, it’s going to continue through January (and hopefully beyond). This is an important development for the future of the Hellcat, as well as the brand’s other vehicles. While the company is clearly focused on evolving and improving each of their vehicles, their willingness to continue producing their Plum Crazy paint proves that they’re actually listening to what the customer is saying.

Furthermore, the brand clearly isn’t content with having produced an incredible engine and vehicle. They’re more focused on evolving their various models, regardless of the popularity and sales success. Instead of waiting for a particular nameplate to get steal, the brand instead keeps these vehicles fresh. This is rather admirable, as it’d be significantly easier to just roll over the same features and designs for each model year. Luckily, that’s not the case for Dodge or the Charger Hellcat.

The Charger SRT Hellcat will continue to evolve over the upcoming years (assuming the vehicle and engine aren’t retired), and we can also expect to see some changes to the standard Charger, as well. As we’ve also seen, the brand is willing to stick with some of the more popular aspects of the vehicle. Regardless, it’s encouraging to see these new and fresh features being unveiled for each model year. Of course, we’d expect nothing less from Dodge, as that’s what’s made them one of the most successful automobile companies over the past century.

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