2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody: The Goldilocks of Dodge Muscle Cars [Video]

Not slow, Not as fast, but still bad**s

That’s the quick takeaway of TFL’s review of the all-new Hellcat Widebody after a day spent driving through a torrential downpour in Indiana as a guest of FCA. While the weather was damp and cool, the Hellcat is undeniable hot.

Coming to dealerships this fall, this rear-wheel-drive muscle car features the same 707-hp 6.2-liter V8 with 650 lb-ft. of torque first introduced in the Hellcat but wrapped in the aggressive styling of its dragster/daily driver sibling, the 840-hp Demon. As the name implies, the Widebody is 3.5-inches wider thanks to wheel fender flairs that allow for Pirelli P-Zero 305s to fit underneath and deliver *that* much more 0-60 mph and driving performance. By comparison, the slimmer Hellcat is *only* running 295s.

Dodge even has numbers to make their case for the $72,590 Widebody (destination included). Compared to the regular Hellcat, the Widebody is 2 seconds faster on 1.7-mile road course and 3/10 of a second faster in the 1/4 mile. Why? There’s more rubber making contact with pavement. All that stick does carry a penalty though: top speed for the Widebody is 195 mph instead of 199 mph. As if 99.9% of the us would ever be able to tell the difference.

The biggest news is the adoption of electric steering in the Widebody, which allows the steering to be tuned for three different types of feedback: Street, Sport, and Track. And the move to electric steering makes parking lot maneuvers that much easier considering the fatter tires on the car.

TFLCAR’s TAKE: For those of you who missed out on getting a Dodge Demon, don’t worry about it. The Hellcat Widebody has all the sweetly sinister looks of the Demon along with improved handling and faster performance over the current Hellcat. Outside of a drag strip, you’d be hard-pressed to miss the Demon’s extra 133-hp. Plus you’ll save yourself more than $10K. We’re not knocking the Demon, here. It’s just that the Hellcat Widebody makes a compelling case for being the best all-around muscle car among Dodge’s three Musketeers of the 700-plus horsepower club. And unlike the Demon you shouldn’t have any problem finding one at a dealer.

2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody Specifications

• Base Price: $72,590 ($1,095 destination charge included)
• Engine: Supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with 707 horsepower at 6,000 RPM, 650 lb-ft. of torque at 4,800 RPM
• EPA: 13 city, 21 hwy, 16 combined w/ 6-speed manual transmission // 13 city, 22 hwy, 16 combined w/ 8-speed automatic
• Brakes: 15.4-inch vented aluminum front rotors and Brembo calipers (note: the Demon’s rotors are smaller at 14.2-inches)
• Wheelbase: 116.2 inches
• Overall Length: 197.5 inches
• Width: 85.4 inches (with mirrors)
• Drag Coefficient: 0.398
• Base Weight: 4,490 (manual), 4,498 (automatic)
• Weight Distribution (Front/Rear): 57/43