While not much had changed during the last few years of production for the Hellcat, the final model year did bring a few bespoke details. At the same time, a 2023 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody includes two of the most sought after trims which put it in a whole new category compared to the standard Hellcat. All Redeye Widebody Hellcats get thoroughly revised suspension, this time tuned for the track and not the drag strip. The Widebody brings more traction and a wider track for further improved handling, and the Redeye package unlocks nearly as much power as the Demon. All of this makes the 2023 Redeye Widebody not only one of the best driver oriented Challengers ever, but also slightly more special thanks to being the final production year. But before we go into more details, check out the ones currently for sale here at Exotic Car Trader.
Despite the revival muscle cars went through in the mid 2000s, the Hellcat will go down as one of the most memorable ones. Barely any other car in the past decade was as shocking and unexpected. And thankfully, it was everything one could expect. Supercar levels of power packed in a retro styled body with an obvious tie to the golden muscle car era. Not to mention that all of it was available for a very reasonable price which is one of the major characteristics that made the original muscle cars great. And as years went by, it only became better with attractive trims, more power and better technology. Most notably, the Widebody together with the Redeye which were introduced in 2019 and coupled together made one of the fastest Challengers ever. And thanks to all the extra visual and software updates, the 2023 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody is one of the most sought after model years. Especially since production ended that same year with Dodge announcing it’s taking the EV route in the future. Still, it was a good run with over 40,000 Hellcats sold which is a substantially higher production number than that of all of its competitors put together.
By the time 2023 rolled around, cars in the same price range as the Hellcat had screens that could be measured in feet instead of inches. Not to mention all that most of them get a ton of cutting edge driver aids and technology. But comparing the 2023 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebodie’s interior with the latest models isn’t exactly fair. The Hellcat’s interior didn’t change much since 2015 apart from the 2019 update which brought line lock and launch assist functions, as well as extra stitching on the dashboard and door trim for models with the leather packages. Everything else remained the same. Even so, its gauge cluster screen measures 7” which is more than enough to make it functional, and the same goes for the main infotainment screen measuring 8.4”. And just like the latest models it includes the essentials, Apple Carplay, Android Auto and navigation. But at the same time, the Hellcat does include almost a hundred different live data configurations showing the driver virtually every piece of information regarding the drivetrain the ECU gets. For a car enthusiast, that’s enough to make the Hellcat’s interior just as interesting as that of any modern sports car.
While at first glance the interior doesn’t look nearly as exciting as the price tag suggests, the exterior looks just as fresh as when it first came out in 2015. While that’s largely thanks to the retro styling, it’s also down to the 2019 update which doubled down on more reserved detail execution while also making it look more aggressive than ever. That update brought along the dual intakes hood and the Widebody trim. With the two, the 2023 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody looks like the perfect mix of modern and classic with both the fender flares being both modern and reminiscent of old circuit racing muscle cars. The hood on the other hand has a much simpler design but it’s also a throwback to the early Dodge muscle cars. That retro race car aesthetic is completed by the giant front splitter and the trunk lid spoiler and the styling was executed so well that hardly anything could be changed or added without making it look worse. We’re also happy that Dodge kept the signature headlight intakes, and the new concave double five spoke wheels that came out in 2020 modernized the exterior just enough. In the end, the Hellcat Widebody is more than likely to remain just attractive in 50 years as it is right now.
Yes, power never gets old, especially when we’re talking about 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque. While some hypercars and supercars have exceeded the original Hellcat’s 707 hp, the 2023 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody is still on par with the Ferrari 812 Superfast and the most powerful Lamborghini Aventador ever made. And all for a quarter of price compared to the two, but more on that later. The reason behind such a noticeable power increase over the standard Hellcat is the fact that the Redeye gets the same engine as the Demon. That means a high speed valve train, a 2.7 liter supercharger and an upgraded lubrication system. At the same time, the Redeye gets much stiffer front and rear anti roll bars plus entirely different Bilstein dampers tuned for a race track instead of a drag strip. Coupled with wider tires and a wider track front and rear thanks to the Widebody package, the Redeye Widebody becomes the best handling Challenger ever made. It’s also one of the fastest with a 3.4 second 0-60 time and a 203 mph top speed. All very impressive considering the Hellcat weighs just over 4,500 lbs and is only two wheel drive. Also, for the 2023 model year, the six speed manual transmission became available once again next to the standard 8-speed automatic.
Since even the 2018 Demon had a starting price of just over $80,000, the 2023 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody will go down as one of the most expensive Challengers ever with an MSRP of $90,890. That only puts it behind the Super Stock and the Demon 170. Today, in 2024, those prices are still largely the same for examples with showroom mileage. Depending on the mileage, some will go for as little $75,000 but rarely less. That said, the Redeye and the Widebody are two of the most sought after equipment packages which will make it more immune to depreciation than other models in the lineup.
During its 8 years of production, the Hellcat saw almost a dozen different iterations and half as many updates. And with two of the most desirable trims plus all the previous updates, the 2023 Challenger Hellcat Redeye Widebody is one of the best models ever made. And if you prefer track days over drag strips, the Hellcat Redeye Widebody is definitely the best ever made. Lastly, if you are after a Hellcat or any other muscle car, classic or luxury vehicle, we invite you to consider buying it through Exotic Car Trader. With escrow protection, delivery and first inspection just to name a few benefits, Exotic Car Trader makes the entire process perfectly safe and convenient. The same goes if you are looking to sell a car with Exotic Car Trader, only in that case you save even more of your time.
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