Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat has 707 horsepower
Just a month ago Dodge announced the coming Challenger SRT Hellcat with a mind-blowing 6.2 liter supercharged HEMI engine, at the time saying it would have over 600 horsepower.
Well that turned out to be the understatement of the year as this week as Dodge launched a nuclear bomb into the muscle car wars, announcing it will have 707 horsepower.
This makes the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat the most powerful production muscle car ever built by one of the big-three automakers.
Yes the aftermarket tuners have created more power with their own versions of various showroom stock muscle-cars, but this rolls off the production line just like a base V6 Challenger.
Buyers will get a black and red key-fob. One allows the car to unleash all 707 horsepower while the other you toss to your kids or the valet who will be limited to only 500 horses.
The Hellcat gets a host of power-train and chassis upgrades to handle this power….obviously. Production will be limited to a small amount and you can bet it will cost plenty.
Unless Ford or Chevrolet announce something we don’t know about yet, it looks like Dodge wins the battle for 2015 when it comes to all out horsepower.
First Look: 2015 Saleen 302 Mustang
Steve Saleen this week is teasing us with a rendering of his own iteration of the upcoming 2015 Ford Mustang.
At first impression the design shows a new hood which wraps down over a blacked out grille section, all framed by an all-new front fascia.
The lower fascia gets a large deep chin with more aggressive air-inlets and a far less OEM factory appearance. Overall the car appears lower and wider.
The look definitely gets away from the Ford Fusion in terms of facial features, which will be a welcome move for many Mustang enthusiasts.
Unfortunately some might now say it looks a bit like a Chevrolet Camaro at first blush with its rectangular grille and headlamp block, Mustang’s traditional headlight bars hidden.
We’ll have to wait a little while longer to see the rest of the car, but you can bet Steve Saleen has some additional tricks and surprises in store for his favorite platform of creation.
Test Drives
This week we test drove the 2014 Toyota Highlander Limited, the company
s three-row family crossover SUV.
Having just test driven a Highlander XLE a month ago, we wanted to take a different road with this test drive, in this case….no road.
Our desert back-trail crawling helped us to learn how well the car-based crossover SUV can really perform in the rough, not just in the mall parking lot.
We were surprised to find the Highlander is very much able to be used like a traditional SUV when the pavement ends. Click on the link below for our full review.
In our Hot Lap series this week we showcase the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG. Saying entry-level and AMG in one sentence seems a bit of an oxymoron, but this hot little all-wheel drive sedan is exactly that.
We had the chance to push its limits at High Plains Raceway as well as on the mountain byways of the Rock Mountains, all of which provided us a glimpse into its true driving talents.
Coming up next week is our review of the Volkswagen Beetle TDI clean diesel. A popular option for Beetle buyers is the no compromises high-mpg diesel. Ours is equipped with a six-speed manual which only adds to the fun factor.
For these and many more reviews, log onto TestDriven.TV or our YouTube Channel.
Reality Check: Man reunited with stolen Corvette
In our Reality Check this week, sometimes miracles do happen. Detroit man George Talley got a phone call that was an unexpected blast from the past.
Thirty three years ago his 1979 Chevrolet Corvette was stolen right from the curb on Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit.
Fast forward to present time, AAA had found the car in Hattiesburg, MS where the VIN number was trying to be used for title purposes.
General Motors got involved and helped get the car back up to Detroit where they staged a reunion between Talley and his Vette at GM world headquarters, ironically just down Jefferson Avenue from where it vanished back in 1981.
Now 71, Talley got his car back all in one piece, in running condition with only 47,000 miles on the odometer.
Having had a beloved car stolen myself, I can only hope for such a day. Good for you George!
