There is no denying that even the standard Challenger Hellcat is already one of the most extreme cars made in the last decade. And sure, there have been more powerful and faster cars, but none of them were built on a twenty year old platform and those that did match its performance usually cost at least two times as much. But Dodge wasn’t done shocking the world just yet with a handful of even more powerful models coming out soon after, one of which is the 2020 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. It gets the biggest supercharger ever fitted to a production car, pushing its engine to hypercar levels of power. And while the Demon is tuned for the drag strip, the Redeye is substantially retuned for handling providing a much more engaging driving experience. The 2020 model year also got a minor update and it includes the major one which came in 2019. But before we go into more detail on the Hellcat history as well as what made the Redeye the best handling Hellcat ever made plus what the two updates included, check out the examples currently for sale at Exotic Car Trader.
Modern Mustangs and Camaros always handled better than the Challenger, and because the Challenger was much heavier with not that much more power, it was also slower in a straight line more often than not. And that was a major drawback considering that straight line speed is the only thing it was supposed to do besides look nice. However, that all changed in 2015 when the first Challenger Hellcat came out with more power than any Camaro or Mustang ever had. Recognizing how much of a worldwide impact that had, Dodge doubled down on the winning recipe with the introduction of the even more powerful Demon. But since the Demon was aimed at the drag strip while all its competitors now handled just as good as their more expensive European rivals, the Redeye was introduced to give the competition even more headaches. And while it’s true that the Redeye still wasn’t nearly as tactile as the GT350 or the ZL1, it really didn’t have to be with nearly 800 horsepower. The Redeye just took suspension tuning more in the direction of handling to satisfy those customers who preferred mountain carving just as much as drag strips without sacrificing comfort. But that was still enough to make it the best performing Hellcat on a track or a mountain pass.
With the 2019 update, all Challenger Hellcats had gotten a significant update. And although it didn’t touch upon the interior drastically, there were some nice new details. One of those details was a new gauge cluster in which the numbers curved together with the dial rim giving the interior a nice retro touch. At the same time, all Redeyes get a 220 mph speedometer with bespoke gauge cluster screen graphics featuring a gray background with a red-eyed Hellcat logo. As for the 2020 update, examples that were optioned with the leather packaged got additional stitching on the dashboard and the door trim which gave the interior a much more premium look, especially with contrasting stitching. Other than the visual differences, all Hellcats got new technologies in 2019 like the launch assistant to prevent wheel hop and line lock for easier burnouts. Today, the interior may not look particularly modern, but everything is in its place and since the design was never extravagant to begin with, it won’t look particularly outdated any time soon either.
While the basic Challenger design always remained the same, it had been noticeably modernized over the years. The front LED headlights with integrated intakes still look sublime even today, and especially once you get closer and notice the illuminated Hellcat logo inside. LED tail lights modernized the look just as much and they still look fresh thanks to their simple design. Along with the 2019 update, all Hellcats had gotten a new twin snorkel hood which gave it a much meaner look while also balancing the overall design. The twin snorkels are also a nice throwback to the original Dodge muscle cars from the early 1970s. As for the 2020 update, it brought along new concave five spoke wheels which don’t necessarily look better so the old ones were kept as an option. All Redeye models also get wing Hellcat logos featuring red eyes to help distinguish it from the rest of the lineup, and those double five spoke concave wheels are also bespoke to the Redeye. With all these changes included, the Hellcat not only looked more well rounded than ever, but also more masculine, which is fitting for a muscle car.
As far as acceleration goes, traction has been the only limiting factor for all Hellcats because all that power goes to the rear wheels only. The Redeye, however, gets wider tires which help it reduce the 0-60 time to 3.4 seconds from 3.6. The wider tires also improve lateral grip but the changes extend much further than that. The 2020 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye gets completely different Bilstein dampers and substantially stiffer front and rear anti roll bars. Those changes alone are enough to make a world of difference. But it doesn't stop there. Brakes are just as important for lap times as the suspension so the Redeye gets six piston calipers gripping 15.4 inch rotors. And those are floating rotors for improved heat dissipation. Of course, the 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque certainly do their part in moving the 4,500 pound cruiser. The extra power comes from the same 2.7 liter supercharger found on the Demon, plus the same high speed valve train which increases the redline. The extra power also moves the top speed from 196 mph to 203 mph for the Widebody, and while official figures for the narrow body are nowhere to be found, we suspect it should do at least 205 mph.
With a starting price of $73,000, the 2020 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye wasn’t that much more expensive than the regular Hellcat. However, the Redeye seems to be holding up much better on the used market in 2024. Examples with up to 20,000 miles on them still regularly fetch $70,000 while even those with some even crossing the $80,000 mark. Cheaper examples are also available at around $60,000 which usually have around 50,000 miles. Granted, the 2020 Redeye is still a relatively new car, but with it being discontinued, the prices likely won’t drop substantially in the near future.
Even though the Demon is more extreme, the Redeye is still a much better choice for public roads. Its suspension setup not only makes it a more fun car to drive, but it also makes it safer and more usable. At the same time, it loses very little straight line performance over the Demon, and let’s remember that the Demon needs 100 octane gas to achieve its claimed power output while the Redeye does it on 91. Lastly, if you are in the market for a Hellcat or any other muscle car, classic or luxury vehicle, consider buying one through Exotic Car Trader. With escrow protection, delivery and first inspection, Exotic Car Trader makes the process as safe as it gets and also extremely convenient. The same goes if you are looking to sell a car through Exotic Car Trader, only in that case you also get a professional photographer at your door.
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