The 300 SRT Hellcat Chrysler needs to build

The mighty Mopar collective has created some of the quickest muscle cars in the world with the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and the Challenger SRT Demon, both sure to rattle a few German cages.

This feature was originally published on December 2015

And Aussie cages too, as these Yankie behemoths aren’t being built with the steering wheel on the correct side.

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The solution? A large tub of lube, the mutha of all shoehorns and a heart transplant – plus all other key oily Hellcat addenda – into the right-hook Chrysler 300 SRT. As no-braininess gets, it’s Einstein approved.

SRT’s first-ever foray into blown V8s is backed by a choice of the ‘TorqueFlite’ eight-speed auto or six-speed manual – all of which neatly fits the Chrysler architecture. Meanwhile, Hellcat-spec six-piston, two-piece-rotor Brembos haul down two tonnes of Detroit’s finest from a Dodge-matching 328km/h V-max.

Tightening the 300’s handling talent is a three-mode adaptive suspension set-up and fat 275mm rubber. Mopar’s SRT Performance Pages system allows control over engine output, transmission, suspension and traction calibrations.

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Unique Hellcat appearance tweaks (front and rear bars, bonnet, rims, et al) and interior treatment (Nappa leather and Alcantara trim) are fitting additions to the beast promising 11-flat 0-400m times and 100km/h in the “mid-threes”.

Price? If we were to go Hellcat-spec, $90K. But if it were to be a Demon-spec engine? You can’t get ‘em anymore, so let’s assume you’d need another rather large chunk of cash.

And for complete world-domination, we’d give our 300 an extra kilowatt or two above the US Dodge on the official specs list (nod, wink).

EXTERIOR

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Today’s gen-two 300 looks tough enough, but the Hellcat makeover adds a more aggressive front and rear fascia treatment, a unique bonnet, subtle boot spoiler addenda and four-inch tailpipes. Any pimp chrome detailing is replaced by sinister black highlights.

INTERIOR

Inside, the 300 Hellcat gets lashings of Nappa leather and Alcantara, a bespoke flat-bottom wheel, enhanced TFT functionality and expanded Drive Mode preference settings, which vary from Red (527KW or 603kW in Demon guise), Black (reduced output) and Valet (4000rpm limit).

HANDLING

Unlike 300 Core’s single- and SRT’s dual-mode variable damping, the Hellcat gets an adaptive damper design that offers three different settings: the progressively firmer trio of Road, Sport and Track. Wider 275mm tyres allow more aggressive suspension tuning.

ENGINE

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The most-powerful Chrysler production V8 yet is 90 per cent different to the regular SRT Hemi. It features bespoke forged pistons, a forged steel crank, powder-forged conrods and other revised bottom-end specs. The heads and block remain alloy and iron respectively.

DRIVELINES

Our 300 Hellcat yanks the Charger Hellcat’s rev-matching and paddle-shifting TorqueFlite 8HP90 eight-speed auto – which boasts 160-millisecond upshifts. A Schwarzenegger-spec six-speed manual could be revived from the days of the Viper… maybe? Please?

ROLLING STOCK

From the original Dodge Challenger Hellcat, our 300 gets massive 390mm two-piece rotors with six-piston Brembo calipers, along with 20 x 9.5-inch forged alloy rims in either black or Oh-So-Tokyo-Tuner dark bronze finish.