2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Roars Away in the Wild

We have enjoyed a handful of official 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat videos from the Chrysler Group in addition to a handful of other clips showing the 600+ horsepower Hemi Challenger sitting still, revving the monster supercharged V8. Today we have a great new video which, while very short, is the best “caught in the wild” Hellcat video that I have seen thus far with a little revving, a little tire spinning and a little rapid acceleration.

Also, as a lover of green cars – I particularly enjoy seeing the Hellcat Challenger in the real world wearing this sexy Sublime paint.

There are a few interesting things to take notice of while watching this 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat video. First, it has normal Michigan plates rather than Manufacturer’s plates so this is likely as near production as a preproduction car can get so it is probably nearly identical to what we will soon see in showrooms around the country. Second, we get a nice display of how the new taillights function with the backup lights on the inner middle portion of the new lenses and the brake lights on the outer portion.

Finally, pay close attention to the engine sound as the driver rips out of the driveway – specifically how easily and smoothly the transmission shifts from gear to gear. Considering the smoothness of the shifts, this is almost certainly the 8-speed automatic transmission.

The 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat with the 8-speed automatic transmission will come with adjustable drive modes that will adjust a wide variety of functions, including how hard the transmission shifts. Based on my experience with other high performance vehicles with electronic automatic transmissions, the sportier modes will stretch the gears a bit and also cause the transmission to shift harder. If I was a betting man, I would say that this is most likely an example of how the Hellcat transmission will shift in normal street mode.

While the Hellcat sounds incredible as the driver pulls onto the road and punches the throttle, I am a little surprised (and maybe a little disappointed) that there doesn’t seem to be any “blower sound” from under the hood of the 600+ horsepower Challenger. The vast majority of your high performance supercharged vehicles have a certain whistling sound that comes from the supercharger and it seems that neither at idle nor under power does the blower of the Hellcat seem to announce its presence.

On one hand, that is a good thing as it is more likely to catch opponents off guard when dashing away from a stop light, but as someone who loves the whistle and whine of a big, blown V8 – I’m a little bummed that there isn’t more of an audible presence from the supercharger. Fortunately, the exhaust sounds so freaking awesome that it doesn’t take me long to forget about the lack of a little whistle from the blower.

This video is short, but anyone who loves American muscle cars will enjoy watching this Hellcat Challenger hurry out onto the road with a quick rev and just a touch of tire spinning – providing a mere glimpse of what this beast can do.