2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye

Description

Here at Streetside Classics, we never get to play the role of a new car dealer, but with this 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye, it's about the closest we'll ever get. Better yet, it's not just some Plain Jane late-model we're featuring here, but one of the most powerful production cars out on the market today, and what many consider to be the best contemporary homage to the muscle car era ever produced. Developed to fill the void left over from the discontinued Demon, people have been clamoring to get on waiting lists at Stellantis dealerships all over the country, just for the 'privilege' to pay the huge premiums over MSRP required to take one of these magnificent monsters home. Cut the line and buy this "like new", 1-owner, 850-actual-mile example today, and nobody will know the difference.

The SRT Hellcats are perhaps the most thrilling American muscle cars out right now, overshadowing the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, the sizzling Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and just about every other high-performance "new" muscle car produced in the last decade. In Redeye form, the 797HP SRT Hellcat transforms into a straight-line smashing, tire-smoking monster of a machine that's dropped jaws and burst eardrops at drag strips all over the country. Okay, it was already all that before the horsepower bump from 717 to 797, but for those maniacs that wanted even more power, and a touch more exclusivity, the Redeye is the answer. Coated in rare Hellraisin paint, a rare color with only 479 total Hellcats built in this high-impact shade, the finish is a modern take on the Plum Crazy Purple cars of yesteryear. And has a shade of purple ever looked this diabolical? I mean, just look at the thing: it looks like it wants to eat your children. They put the Hellcat motor in other cars, but it was really born to be in the Challenger – Dodge's premier muscle car – and when the Demon was discontinued (the rumor was people couldn't handle the straight-line speed) in 2019, many wondered if we'd ever see the juiced-up Supercharged 6.2L HEMI again. Lo and behold, it's made its triumphant return in the Hellcat Redeye, making this a very special car indeed. At a glance, it looks familiar and that's kind of the point, because most folks won't notice until it's way too late. But up close you'll see details like the functional dual-scooped and ventilated hood, the deep chin spoiler with splitter and yellow guards, the ducktail spoiler out back, and the subtle, blacked-out Hellcat emblems in the front grille on the front fenders. In fact, the only way to tell on the exterior that this is a real Redeye is by spotting the re-colored eye on the fender badge – pretty subtle, right? Well, don't worry, once you fire this baby up there's nothing subtle about it. All Challengers got revised fascias after 2015, while Hellcats received special LED headlights that double as air vents that keep the engine cool, so it looks unique right off the bat. And with just 850 miles on the clock, this one is still brand new in every way that matters.

You already know what to expect inside: acres of black leather and suede. The deeply sculpted and bolstered seats are probably one step away from what they used in the space shuttle and the acceleration forces you'll experience are similar. As we said, everything on this car is like new, including the seats, which have zero wear visible anywhere. The carpets, door panels, headliner, and, well, everything else, is in showroom fresh condition. The Hellcat comes only one way: loaded, so you get a ton of goodies like power windows, locks, seats, and mirrors, a powerful climate control system, a tilt steering wheel, and a booming infotainment system with navigation. Play with the controls and you'll find that you have a vast array of menus that can be used to fine-tune almost every aspect of the car's performance, including a puzzling "Eco" mode that seems oxymoronic here. Carbon fiber trim, white stitching, a trick shifter that's reminiscent of the old Slap Stick, and enough knobs and buttons (some of which are outlined in purple to match the paint) to keep you busy for a month are all included. There's plenty of space for passengers in the back and you even get a big trunk, which is what makes these Challengers so special.

The 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 is the most powerful production engine in the US, with 797 horsepower on tap in this Redeye version. In all honesty, this thing is absolutely bonkers in every way. It's too much power, too much speed, too much being too much. It's the ultimate Mopar muscle car, and the thing just flat-out works. Turn the key and it starts instantly and idles perfectly. It burbles through an emissions-legal exhaust system, and it happily swills pump gas. A 797-horsepower car with factory warranty does all this! I can barely get my head around it. It's linked to an 8-speed automatic transmission, which may seem like the easy way out until you realize that the car is faster with a computer handling the shifts and you'll be too busy holding on with two hands and screaming like a little kid for it to matter. The suspension is beefed up, the brakes are as big as manhole covers, and it gets special flat black forged alloy wheels shod with 275/40/20 Pirellis that are rumored to have the most fragrant tire smoke.

The Hellcat Redeye is here. It won't last long because Chrysler is limiting supply (Charger production is scheduled to halt at the end of 2023), so if you're ready for the biggest, baddest production car of all time, well, this might be your only chance. Call now!