Dodge Challenger review

The available exterior colours are a marketing department’s dream and include: B5 Blue, Pitch Black, Sublime Metallic (green), and TorRed. You can also order the bonnet in Satin Black, just in case you find the Hellcat too subtle.

The two-door Dodge feels huge and you’re perched quite high, in seats offering little support. Back seat access is cumbersome. One can’t help but wonder how a vehicle so large features such compromised packaging.

But thumb the starter button and as the 707bhp V8 erupts into a rage of fury, you quickly forget about the glaring faults of the ageing platform.

That supercharged engine blasts the Hellcat through the quarter-mile in a very impressive 11.2 seconds at 125 mph, matching the 533kg lighter and twice-as-expensive Porsche 911 GT3. If you’ve made a deal with the devil, feel free to explore the 199mph top speed – which trumps the GT3 by 3mph. We recommend a more saint-like velocity ceiling, as the Hellcat is no Porsche in the chassis department.

That’s not to say it’s complete rubbish in the twisty stuff. Sure, the Challenger moves around, porpoising and hopping about when pushed, but those quirks actually add to the fun. It’s also not nearly as intimidating as the extreme specs suggest. Yes, wheelspin and lurid drifts are only a wiggle of your big toe away but the manic Dodge never truly scares you.

The stability control system's Track mode is perfectly relaxed, offering loads of fun while still keeping you out of the weeds. The eight-speed automatic transmission swaps ratios impressively, even when manually short-shifted from, say, third to fourth gear with smoke billowing from the rear tyres.

Considering the weight and size, Chrysler engineers buttoned down the Challenger quite successfully – three-mode Bilstein dampers, 390mm Brembo brakes, and a limited-slip differential are a big part of this – but the ultra-light steering brings you back to the reality of the brash experience.

On the equipment front each Challenger is well equipped with the SXT and R/T models getting heated mirrors, automatic headlights, dual-zone climate controls, sports seats, brake assist and a 5.0in UConnect infotainment system complete with Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Upgrading to the Plus pack adds leather upholstery, a six-speaker Alpine audio system, a heated steering wheel and an 8.4in UConnect touchscreen system with smartphone integration and satellite radio, while the R/T Shaker model forgoes the leather and gets a performance cloth interior.

The R/T Scat Pack model gets a performance tuned suspension as does the 392 Hemi Scat Pack Shaker which also comes with a sportier steering set-up. The SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat come with power folding mirrors, performance Laguna leather and an 8.4in UConnect infotainment system complete with sat nav.