Don’t believe Dodge’s Charger Hellcat can go 204 mph? Watch it here

By Stephen Edelstein January 29, 2015

Dodge calls the 2015 Charge SRT Hellcat the “quickest, fastest, most power sedan ever,” and it went the extra mile to prove one of those claims.

The carmaker recently released video of a Charger Hellcat undergoing speed testing, and reaching the 204 mph maximum velocity Dodge has said it’s capable of all along.

The test took place on a 7.5-mile oval. To account for wind, an average was taken of the car’s speed on both straights to determine the actual top speed.

While it does wear a bit of camouflage, Dodge says this final-stage prototype Hellcat is identical to the cars customers can buy in every way.

That’s good news for customers, because the Hellcat didn’t disappoint.

Running with the wind, it actually reached a top speed of 206.9 mph. Against the wind, it hit 202.2, making for an average of 204.5 mph.

It’s pleasantly surprising to see a sedan that doesn’t cost six figures top 200 mph, but that’s what you get from a 707-horsepower supercharged HEMI V8.

The Charger Hellcat delivers on two out of three superlatives, but we’re eager to see Dodge confirm the “quickest ever” claim.

Dodge says the Charger will run through the quarter mile in 11 seconds flat on street tires, which is actually slightly faster than the two-door Challenger Hellcat.

However, the carmaker hasn’t thrown out any figures to top the claimed 3.2-second 0 to 60 mph time of the 691-hp Tesla Model S P85D.

The Tesla can’t touch the Hellcat’s top speed, though. Few cars – sedan or otherwise – can.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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