Yahoo Autos Dodge Could Make an All-Wheel-Drive Challenger Hellcat
The Dodge Challenger Hellcat is one of the quickest cars you can buy for under $100,000, but it offers way more horsepower than its tires can cope with. This is, of course, part of the fun, but it can make driving the car a tricky proposition. As of right now, Dodge doesn't have any official plans to make an all-wheel drive Challenger Hellcat. But we think such a vehicle is technically possible. Here's why.
Automotive News reports that an all-wheel-drive Challenger, dubbed the GT AWD, will arrive later this year. After that, a wide-bodied, rear-wheel-drive Challenger Hellcat will make its debut in 2017, expected to be called the Challenger ADR, which stands for American Drag Racing.
The Challenger's platform mate, the four-door Charger, has been offered with all-wheel-drive since 2007, but never before in the Challenger. It's unclear if Dodge intends to offer an all-wheel-drive Charger Hellcat as a companion to the Challenger ADR, but it could. We know that FCA has an all-wheel drivetrain capable of handling 707 horsepower, destined for the Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat. Theoretically then, it's possible for Dodge to build a wide-bodied, all-wheel-drive Challenger Hellcat.
Both the Challenger and Charger are due for a complete redesign in 2018, based on the Alfa Romeo Giulia rear-drive platform. The new platform is expected to trim 400 to 500 lbs. over their current counterparts.
It's also expected that the long-awaited Challenger-based Barracuda convertible will appear in conjunction with this redesign, though it probably won't arrive until 2021.
We'd absolutely love it if the Hellcat were to go all-wheel-drive. The rear-drive car is a ton of fun, but a widebody Challenger Hellcat with big tires and four-wheel traction would be unlike anything else available.
This story was updated at 1:23 p.m. ET for clarification.
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