If there was a car that goes straight to your soul, pulling on the emotional heartstrings on the way, to offer full red-blooded excitement, then the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat would be in the top tier of your list. The SRT Hellcat sports a blend of premium materials, race-inspired technology and heritage-influenced design, yet it is tractable enough to deal with the mundane and practical stuff, with civilised steering, firm yet acceptable suspension and is fully furnished with an impressive digital array of goodies. 

However, let’s be honest here, most wouldn’t buy the car for its bluetooth connectivity or its ventilated leather seats. It’s all about epic power. The Hellcat summons 700-odd horses from its supercharged V8 engine, with performance figures that can chew up and spit out most cars within its reach.

This official UK import has full-service history and has received a menacing satin black paint finish, to suit its stealth-like prowl. With just one owner since new, the car is in mechanically tip-top condition, with the slightest of cosmetics required to bring back to scratch. A perfect opportunity to obtain a car that has no right to exist, but we should all be glad it does.

Bought new from official Dodge distributors Clive Sutton in 2017, the car has undergone all SVA/IVA certificates prior to its handover to its current owner. It has a complete series of service history stamps to date, with the most recent service carried out in September 2021 by GP Auto Design, a respected classic car specialist who has been trusted to deal with all of the owner's specialist cars. 

The Hellcat has passed both of its last MOTs with no advisories. The owner is an American muscle car connoisseur, having owned several classic GM and Chrysler cars over the years, so logically seized upon the opportunity to obtain what has to be considered a spiritual successor. 

Used as a daily driver, mostly for commuting, the car has not needed anything other than servicing, with no outstanding issues to upset its regular reliability. He has decided to sell the car, as a consolidation of his cars, mainly due to space issues. It is sold with an MOT to September 2022 and comes with both its black and red key fobs.

The dashboard layout and design acknowledge the Challenger’s heritage and successfully combine the retro visuals with an up-to-date array of impressive technology with an added level of quality. The electric seats with perforated leather inserts and embossed SRT logo show minor wear on the driver's side bolsters but overall are in good shape. The carpets and mats are decent, and the boot is in a tidy state, with no evidence of heavy use. Like the cabin, it is bone dry. The headlining is free from any damage, with a few minor but removable marks noted. The door cards show light wear but are free of significant marks.

The facia is in a very presentable condition, with no significant signs of wear or damage, other than the lightest of marks noted on the lower plastics. The part-leather centre console has intact stitching. The dials, controls and switches are in good condition, with the Multi-function screen hosting an impressive array of functions, including navigation, Bluetooth and seat climate control. Everything including the air-conditioning is operational. As well as featuring front and rear dash cams, the car has been fitted with an aftermarket traffic safety system, which warns you in advance of approaching emergency vehicles. The fully adjustable steering wheel with mounted audio controls shows typical daily use on the padding but could easily be cleaned up. The gear lever is tidy with no issues. 

The underside of the car is solid, with no issues noted in terms of the condition of the sills, inner wings, floor pan or boot floor. The car still displays its original ‘Go Mango Orange‘ paint colour on the floor pan and engine bay but actually seems to complement the satin black finish. 

The front underside tray shows minor signs of scuffs, which is to be expected for such a low car. The external integrity of the car is positive, with no structural issues noted on the bodywork. The panels are well placed, with even gaps and no issues in regards to the opening and closing of the doors. With the exception of a minor treatable dent noted on the offside front edge of the wing, the metal work is in a good state with no dents. 

The intimidating satin black paint finish was added soon after the owner took delivery of the car and was said to cost £4,000. It has been well applied with decent coverage and an even finish. 

The offside rear corner of the bumper, and the nearside rear corner of the car show minor impediments. The paint on the corner of the offside front wing and corner of the nose cone will also need attention, but these are the only distracting blemishes observed on the car. 

The trim is in good shape, with a few minor scuffs observed, the most obvious one can be seen on the lowest section of the offside corner of the front air dam. The wing mirrors have minor scuffs too, both of which reveal a little evidence of a car's previous colour and the offside passenger door handle cover is missing. The handle itself is fully operational. 

The rest of the car's trim is in good shape, with no issues noted with the lights, lenses, grille or badges. The glass is in good condition, with decent rubber seals throughout. The 20” alloys are in presentable condition, with minor scuffs noted on the edges of the rims. The Pirelli P Zero tyres are likely to be the original tyres sold with the car, all have a legal level of tread, although the near-side front tyres have a couple of nicks. 

The stock 6.2-litre V8 Hellcat engine is built to withstand power and abuse, combined with its regular servicing should offer confidence in regards to its durability. It has a good reputation for being reliable too and has found its way into other Dodge products. The car fires up instantly, with no issues being flagged up on the dashboard. 

The car idles with no unwanted noises, with no evidence of fluid leaks or exhaust fumes. All of the oil pressure and engine temperature gauges remained in check during the test drive. The car was not opened up in anger, due to the busy urban environment, but the owner has mentioned that the combination of the exhaust ruckus and supercharger intake is intoxicating. 

On the day the car didn’t produce any differential whine, with the steering free from vibrations or any form of play. The brakes are free from drama, with no issues in terms of their ability to stop the car. The car has typically firm suspension, as to be expected for a car that pumps out over 700 bhp but can cope with the day-to-day driving, with no suggestions of knocking or thuds over the London roads. 

The car is remarkably docile at lower speed, with no issues with the 8-speed auto gearbox, producing slick smooth changes. The engine is neatly presented, with no obvious signs of damaged components, and the exhaust is in good shape. 

Its appeal and animal magnetism are hard to ignore, as you focus on the Hellcat's mechanical soundtrack. It combines the well-balanced retro-themed styling feel of the original cars, with the manners of a modern daily driver, packed into something that accelerates like a bat out of hell. Subtle it ain’t but that’s not the point of the Hellcat.