Dodge Hellcat's 707 hp begs the question: How much power is too much?

There's never been much concern in America that automakers might be building vehicles too powerful to handle. As if we needed proof, look no further than the heralding of the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat with its 707-hp V-8 — a full 150 hp more powerful than the next most thunderous Detroit sedan, the previous generation Cadillac CTS-V.

But it's still a question worth asking, and one that's being raised in a few corners: Is there such a thing as too much power in the hands of everyday motorists?

Officially, there are no legal limits in the United States about how powerful a car can be; so long as a model met all safety standards, automakers could throw a jet engine under the hood. There are precedents; In France, motorcycles are limited to 100 hp — meaning high-end sport bikes have to be detuned to be legal. And from 1989 to 2005, Japanese automakers had a private limit of 276 hp for all their vehicles, although by the time it was lifted, many were building more powerful models but simply saying the rating was 276 hp.

In America, big horsepower is big business. Dodge says that when it announced the Challenger SRT Hellcat would boast 707 hp a few months back, it became the most-searched car brand on the web. And that chatter filters down to the lesser models in the company’s portfolio – meaning the crazy halo car supports the entire brand, even if typical business practices suggests one must be clinically insane to invest money into building such a car.

Americans have also voted for higher horsepower with their wallets; the average 2013 model-year vehicle in the United States will sport 230 hp, the highest since the EPA started tracking such data in 1975, and a 67% jump since then. In general, there is overwhelming support for mad creations like the Challenger/Charger Hellcats – especially among car enthusiasts. But the negative waves have still creept in, like this tweet from one automotive writer:

Personally, I don’t agree, but I understand the sentiment. Just as supercar fans know to expect the first wreck of a new Lamborghini or McLaren a few months after production begins, it's only a matter of time before someone does something dumb with a Hellcat.

I’ve driven the Challenger SRT Hellcat with the same engine, and while I’ll concede that it is easy to get yourself in trouble if you’re driving like an idiot, tire technology and modern engineering routinely produces a level of traction that requires a conscious effort to shake it loose — even with 707 hp on tap. And you’re gifted two key fobs, one (the black one) limiting power to “just” 500 hp, while the other (the red one) offers the full Monty.

Even with the red key engaged, if you drive sensibly it behaves just like any other performance car – only one with a more evocative soundtrack. It’s not terrifying or sketchy. It just demands respect.