While the Challenger was always meant to be an old school muscle car in its purest form, market demand forced Dodge to keep refining the suspension and brakes in the direction of handling instead of comfort and straight line speed. And so, the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody gets a new suspension setup and bigger brakes both of which put it well ahead of the earlier models in terms of handling performance. At the same time, the 2019 model year gets a bit more power extracted from the 6.2 liter V8 plus a few cosmetic tweaks and new software features. As always, the Widebody package makes the Hellcat look much more sinister than before while also improving lateral grip and acceleration, and not by a small margin. But before we discover what all those improvements are, check out the Hellcats currently selling at Exotic Car Trader if you are looking to buy one.
Very few cars saw as many updates as the Hellcat, and even fewer saw so many different model iterations. After the first Hellcat was introduced in 2015, the first update came along three years later. In those first three years, the Hellcat didn’t lack any media presence thanks to its impact. The Hellcat was included in virtually every comparison be it against a supercar, an EV, or a sports car in its price range. Two years later, the first Hellcat Widebody came out, improving on the biggest single drawback all Hellcats had, and that was the lack of traction. Apart from that, the Widebody looked much more aggressive and complete than the standard model. A year later, the Hellcat got a few cosmetic and software updates plus it saw the introduction of the Demon which was the most powerful Challenger yet with 840 horsepower. And for the following model year, the entire Hellcat lineup got the most extensive update until that point with major exterior changes, new software programs, and more power. That update makes the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody one of the best performing and most advanced models before it was discontinued in 2023.
For the automotive geeks, the interior of the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody can be a source of endless entertainment. There are virtually hundreds of different live data monitoring systems to be found in the infotainment. That same data can be transferred over to the gauge cluster screen where the dials now feature a more retro design for the 2019 model year. The gauge cluster screen has also been slightly updated and features new graphics and a different default configuration. New driver aids were also added like the launch assist to prevent wheel hop, line lock, and the launch control now holds up to ten seconds instead of five. There were also numerous different interior color and material options so if you don’t find one that suits you, you can be almost certain that there are examples out there that do. Other than that, the interior of the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody remained largely the same, which isn’t a bad thing. Following the 2015 model range update, the interior had become much more premium and bespoke. Among other things, the dashboard was angled toward the driver which is something all petrol heads love, while the new three spoke steering suited the car’s character much better.
Following the 2019 update, all Hellcats got a new hood design that was no longer shared with the Charger Hellcat. The new hood was reminiscent of some of the original Dodge muscle cars and features dual snorkels instead of the old single, centrally mounted one. The new intakes improved engine cooling and are what helped Dodge extract a bit more power from the engine. And although the rest of the lineup got new wheels, the Widebody kept the old double five spoke ones from earlier models. The 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody was still 3.5 inches wider than the narrow body models and also featured a wider track both front and rear, as well as wider tires. That’s about where the exterior changes end. But they are more than enough to make a difference and make the Hellcat Widebody look meaner than ever. Especially with those signature headlight intakes and the ducktail trunk spoiler to complete the picture.
When a car is packing 700+ horsepower all going to the rear wheels, it will only be as fast as the tires allow it. That’s why one of the most important mods on a Hellcat are better tires. The 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody also helps counteract that limitation with a wider track and wider tires. All Widebodies get 305 section rear tires instead of 275 which help lower its 0-60 time from 3.6 seconds to 3.4. The 2019 model year also gets an extra ten horsepower for 717 total and 656 lb-ft of torque. That said, the extra power is nowhere near enough to make it noticeable, but it does improve the top speed by 1 mph, which is nice. The extra girth all around hurts aerodynamics so the 2019 Widebody has a 196 mph top speed compared to 199 of the narrow body models. But that’s a sacrifice everyone is willing to take thanks to the better looks and better cornering speeds due to a 1.6 inch wider track at the front and two inches wider at the rear. All these improvements make the Widebody the best handling Hellcat made, although for track days, the ZL1 and GT350 are still much better options.
As the 2019 model year rolled out, Dodge put a $5,500 discount on all models. That put the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody MSRP at right around $65,000. Today, examples with less than 15,000 miles still go for around $60,000 which means they have hardly depreciated at all. Those with a bit more miles, say over 50,000, usually sell for around $50,000 which is still a hefty price tag with all things considered. But as Dodge had discontinued the entire Challenger lineup including the Hellcat, and with Stellantis taking the brand in the EV direction, it’s highly unlikely we will ever see anything similar to the Hellcat which justifies its resilience to depreciation.
With all things considered, the 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, together with the Redeye, will continue to be one of the most sought after Hellcat models. The Widebody brings the Hellcat more grip and much more villainous looks, while the 2019 update brings a more advanced software, a meaner hood and a bit more power. All those small changes quickly add up to a much more exciting car. Lastly, if you are considering a Hellcat or any other luxury vehicle, muscle car or classic, Exotic Car Trader can make the process much safer and less time consuming. Exotic Car Trader offers escrow protection, delivery and first inspection while allowing you to finalize the purchasing process online. The same goes if you sell a car through Exotic Car Trader only in that case you get a professional photographer at your door.
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