Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye Widebody review - practical depravity

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They should call it the Wide-eye because that’s what happens when the throttle is pinned to the floorboard. The 797 horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye is basically a “detuned” Dodge Demon engine with some carryover features in a Hellcat Widebody. The Redeye option has specific hood scoops and is the ultimate styling version of the Challenger lineup. It looks like an extra-large Trans-Am racer from the early 70s. Bulging fenders with 305 series tires front and rear gives it a sinister and powerful appearance in the Destroyer Grey color.

What matters most is under the hood. The remote start takes several seconds to go through the process and suddenly the car erupts in a surprisingly loud-for-stock, purposeful rumble. How it’s legal in the big nanny state is anyone's guess. But it’s glorious and gets the blood pumping and smiles broadening in anticipation.

It starts in the “Eco” mode which means “only” 500 horsepower, matching the 'Black' key of the two provided as opposed to the "Red" key which unlocks the full power potential.  In the Black key mode, it also shows conservative settings for the transmission, traction control, suspension and steering.  Paddle shifters are disabled and the beast defaults to 2^nd gear starts. Push the SRT button on the dash and the menu selections of Track, Sport, and Custom modes are available to get you out of Eco oppression.

Things go "red" when the other modes are selected and the exhaust gets louder. The headlining moment of this car is when you hit the gas. From a roll, whether at low speed or 55mph, all hell, and rear  tires, break loose. The transmission’s near instant response combined with the engine output is a reality altering event in such a big vehicle. One of multiple passengers, a fan of the NHRA, hot rods and once my passenger at a media track day described it as “surreal” as well as some other choice words. And this tire spinning phenomenon can and did happen with multiple occupants. It’s loud, furious and amazingly powerful. 

Another example is one time it was in the 500hp mode with four adults in the car. I punched it and I heard the “Whoa” as you’d expect from all three. But when the 797hp mode was activated, that’s when the resulting acceleration pull caused all our heads to lean back from the g-force generated and the “Whoa” changed to a much louder, “Wows!” with giggles.  Or the little nephew yelling with joy, hands raised like on a roller coaster. It’s all exhaust roar and supercharger whine.

Included in the $6000 Widebody package is wider tires mentioned front and rear on 11” width, 20” tall wheels. It also includes their "Competition" suspension and the fender flairs. Internet experts complain about its size and weight.  Find another 10 second quarter-mile, 130mph+ trap speed coupe that seats four adults. And is it under $100k? They also claim the platform was old in 2009. It’s since been heavy revised and updated, and obviously still relevant so again, meaningless. Some harp on the reliability rankings. SRT has been excellent for over a decade, personal experience. And the Bondurant Racing School loves the reliability of theirs.  Bob, his wife Pat and one of the technicians we talked to all love them. To the point the techs had less work and they had to be promoted within to be instructors to keep them on staff. But yes, it is heavy and large, but so are virtually all four adult passenger coupes. At over 4,500 lbs though, it needs to lose nearly 1000lbs to be a regular track day (road circuit) choice.

But that’s not to say it doesn’t have flaws. On a 150 mile road trip, the exhaust drone is noticeable for those acclimated to silent luxury, and unfortunately it won’t upshift into 8^th, the top gear unless in Eco mode or manually selected. If in a performance mode, it drops out of 8^th easily and won’t return automatically. A software update could fix that. The driver’s seat has some electrical adjustments but the lumbar support seemed a little too intrusive. The passenger seat only had manual adjustments. Some may not care, but with the practicality-implying multiple-passenger transport, expecting more content for $90,000 is reasonable. Ever since 2006, various SRT, Scat Pak, R/T, Daytona, 392 and Hellcats didn’t have the lumbar bulge I could recall, but the thick seats do cut into the rear leg room a bit. A non-issue in the sedans, and in the coupe, even though four adults can fit, and better than the domestic Mustang and Camaro competitors, the seats should automatically power forward when the seatback is tilted forward.

Despite the seating shortcomings, this one has automatic high beams, rain sensitive wipers, blind spot and rear cross-path detection, remote start as mentioned, and the Uconnect infotainment interface with GPS and Sirius XM radio for 1 year, Traffic Plus and Sirius Travel Link for 5 years. Unfortunately it also has a $1,700 gas guzzler tax due to the 13 mpg city and 22 mpg highway ratings. Due to multiple exhibitions of acceleration for friends and neighbors, who absolutely loved the experience, 9mpg was indicated at one point.

Never mind these electrical luxury features, content and complaints of a nearly 800hp car on pump gas that has a factory warranty, California smog legal and costs under $100,000. Let’s get back to the basics. The width can be felt in the handling, which is secure and a firm, and handles bumps very well. The suspension tuning is great for its sheer size and mission intent. Interestingly the perception of width is apparent in that the body motions felt like they were from “the other side” versus right next to you. As if you sit far from its vertical axis. Never mind all that, the emersion in performance gets deeper still….

The Performance Pages is the where the data and telemetry lies. The home screen gauges show horsepower, boost pressure, g-force and a 0-60mph timer. The second page is the transmission temp, boost pressure, air-fuel ratio, intake charge coolant temp, and intake air temp on the third page. The performance timers include reaction time, 0-60mph, 0-100mph, 1/8th mile elapsed time, 1/8th mile mph, 1/4 mile elapsed time, 1/4 mile mph, and braking distance from the recorded mph. The gauge screen shows oil temperature, oil pressure, coolant temperature and battery voltage. There’s a g-force screen showing a levels achieved in all directions, an engine output summary and dyno summary of horsepower and torque.

For putting the rubber to the ground, it offers a line-lock for warming up the rear tires and an adjustable rev limiter for launch rpm selection.  Speaking of which, there’s an interesting parallel with the Corvette. This is may be the pinnacle of straight line performance for the Challenger.  As long as it is front engine and rear drive, it will have that fundamental traction problem with street tires on an unprepped track. And now the Corvette is moving to a rear mid-engine design for better rear tire traction, not to mention the braking and aerodynamics benefit. That won't happen with the Challenger though. 

Other equipment for performance includes 41-spline, 230mm, heavy duty half-shafts in the rear to withstand the 707lbs ft torque from the engine being transferred to the wheels. To cool the incoming air to make maximum power, it offers the Power Chiller first seen on a production car from the Demon, which uses the air conditioner to further chill the supercharger coolant, which reduces the air temperature. The After-Run Chiller uses the cooling fan and a coolant pump to circulate the coolant to help cool the engine between runs at the dragstrip for optimal power.

in the price range of a base price of $58,995 for the 717hp Hellcat to the loaded, 797hp Redeye, they are an old-school throwback to straight line performance with well above-average handling despite its size and weight. It’s an amusement park ride for a family of four, driving it every time is an event, not a routine. As the Redeye sits alone in its combination of practicality, performance and price range, is it already a legend?

Ford F-150 Limited 4x4 Supercrew review

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Trucks are the backbone of our country. I’ve never been a “truck guy”, but recognizing them for what they are is an acknowledgement and appreciation of them. How the heck does the rest of the world get by with little vans? And what do they tow their campers, boats and other recreational vehicles with?

Ford’s F-150, the bestselling vehicle in the United States, and staring price is just over $28,000. This 2019 Limited 4x4 Supercrew model starts at $67,135 and features the twin turbocharged 3.5 liter Ecoboost V-6 engine producing 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, class leading among gas and diesel full-size pick-ups under 8,500 lbs. gross vehicle weight rating. It’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and I’m writing to tell you that it sounds good, more V-8 sounding than V-6, confirmed outside the truck, and not just artificially piped into the cabin.

Performance is impressive to the point of being fun with putting the pedal to the metal. Looking at third party performance test results, Car and Driver did a 13.7 second quarter mile at 102mph, the second quickest pick-up they have ever tested, beating the Edge ST, the first SUV from Ford Performance recently reviewed. And the Raptor for that matter. Just as impressive, and equipped with the big 22” wheels with 275 series rubber, it stopped in just 168 feet. Honestly, that is spectacular for a vehicle over 5500lbs.

Despite the mileage rating of 15 city and 18 highway, the 26 gallon tank provides plenty of range, and there’s an optional 36 gallon tank. A 170 mile round trip, almost all highway, saw 18mpg with much of the time at 75-78mph during which showed 17mpg at that speed. One notable observation was the adaptive cruise control was nearly perfect. Maybe it’s due to the higher mounting point of the sensors, but it is smartly programmed, didn’t rush up on slower traffic, kept an acceptable following distance and sped up smartly when a gap opened from a car moving over.

Opening the one of the four doors reveals the automated floorboard appearing from underneath the truck which is really convenient. Just don’t walk into it shin first! When they retract, they make a satisfying and positive sound of engagement. I’d love to know what Ford did to assure their continued operation many years and miles down the road while subjected to the elements and road grime. Other automated features include remote start and tailgate release from the key fob.

Once the tailgate is opened, a center button releases a pull out and drop-down step along with the yellow tip of a rod that can be pulled out and stood upright to assist with accessing and leaving the bed of the pickup. Absolutely brilliant in its simplicity and execution. 

Entering the Limited edition, you’re greeted with two tone leather covered seats and leather dash with a well thought out gauge display and easily figured out infotainment system with various display options. The navigation has a funny quirk that this and the previous Ford had. When you drive right past the front door of your destination, Home Depot of course, it still doesn’t know you’ve arrived until a little later. Thank goodness the system overall is very easy to use because if you only have a vehicle for a week, a 400+ page owner’s manual can be a significant commitment in a short amount of time. Alternatively, the Apple Car Play is works great as it always should.

A huge, wide, two level center console offers a lot of storage space, maybe enough for a laptop. The seats are immensely comfortable for the long haul, but not hauling around a turn but that’s not unexpected in a pickup truck. The seats are also heated and ventilated, the term captain’s chair immediately comes to mind due to their size, presence and comfort. Oh, they have a massage function as well! The seats don't hide the shuddery, jittery ride but despite the movement being felt in the glutes, it's still very much a luxury vehicle. 

Besides the USB outlet, there is a 12 volt household style socket which the wife said is great for drying her hair on a road trip. How many Ford engineers considered that I wonder? There is also an outlet in back and a ton of legroom. Fitting your three big work crew members back there is a non-issue with the full-size rear doors. They only nitpick from the driver’s perspective is the location of the door lock and parking brake functions.

Exploring various features, the center section of the rear window is powered and offers a nice ventilation option. Or to yell at your kids playing in the bed while you’re driving…. The sprayed bed lined offers lights in the side besides the top of the cab, as well as cargo tie down mounts.

Loaded with technology and options, it is truly a luxury vehicle that happens to have full functionality. With a sharp red paint and chrome trim, it looks like it would be owned by a successful farmer, construction or manufacturing business owner, or executive of an outdoor product company. The problem with a truck is when you do truck stuff, it many times means you’re going to be busy with projects. Or in other cases, busy having fun.