Community Question: Challenger SRT Hellcat, Or Mustang Shelby Super Snake?
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When the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat first broke cover last year, we were convinced that the muscle car horsepower wars had come to a definitive, climactic conclusion – at least for a while. In case you’ve forgotten, the 6.2-liter Hellcat engine makes 707 HP with Hemi combustion chambers and a behemoth 2.4-liter supercharger.
But then, Ford Motor Company pulled the wraps off of its own super-potent pony: the 2015 Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake. Based on the regular V8-powered Ford Mustang GT, the Super Snake harnesses a fleet of 750 horses thanks to a Ford Performance Supercharger and, presumably, some amount of Wiccan magic.
But which of these – the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, or the Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake – would you rather take home?
We fear that question might be a bit of a no-brainer in a hypothetical world where price is no object, so let’s focus on the finances for a moment. The Challenger SRT Hellcat is a relative bargain at a base price of just $61,000, compared to the Mustang Shelby Super Snake and its nearly $83,000 price tag. In effect, you would be paying about 36 percent more for just 6 percent more horsepower.
Yikes.
Of course, that’s not the full story; pick the Mustang Shelby Super Snake, and you’re also getting a car that is more aerodynamic, more exclusive (with just 300 examples planned), and almost certainly lighter than the 4,400-pound Challenger Hellcat. Plus, if you tend to prefer the Mustang’s styling to that of the Dodge, then the Mustang Shelby Super Snake is about as mean- and racey-looking a Mustang as you’ll ever find.
But forget about what we think; what about you? Would you have the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat? Or the Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake?
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If power (modifying) is the main goal here, hands down it will be the Hellcat. Surprisingly, the Hellcat has hidden power that was detuned like the previous Neon SRT-4, which had over 400lbs of TQ (when removing the OEM ECU). The beta cars pushed over 800 at the dyno. Not to forget a larger 4ltr variant blower is coming. Never-er-less, the Hellcat was aggressively tuned from the body to braking. What is original to the charger is the just shell. One needs to look underneath the shell see what was done to ensure the car do over 200mph.
However, I truly love the inspiring Shelby design Mustang. Make it simple, but aggressive, and the power fanatics will come. Here again, a GT car modified by an well qualify aftermarket company did it job superbly. Well done Shelby.
I’d wait for the GT 500, hopefully it will have a twin turbo Coyote.
No contest. The brutish Hellcat has been reengineered from bumper to bumper to withstand the power and still provide a factory warranty. Likewise the interior, including the performance electronics, have been completely reengineered in the Hellcat. The Hellcat’s size is also a plus, as it’s actually better able to handle that much power. The Super Snake does admittedly probably look a little hotter, but that’s an aesthetic thing. Many people like that the Hellcat looks rather subdued.
At ~$65K, which the Hellcat will eventually actually sell for again (most dealers are price gouging at the current time), the Hellcat’s a steal. With a limited production run and a price tag of well over $85K (you will never get one at that price!), the Super Snake will be an expensive toy for rich car collectors. In short, if you want a trophy car to show off with the local car club, buy the Super Snake. If you want the hottest car on the road that can actually serve as a comfortable daily driver as well, buy the Hellcat.