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    2021 Dodge Charger Redeye review: When in doubt, power out

    That colour? It’s known as Hellraisin.
    Steven Ewing/Roadshow
    At this level, Dodge may promote the present Charger for an additional decade and I do not assume anybody would thoughts. The firm honed a easy however efficient technique of incrementally enhancing its hella-old full-size sedan with cool styling updates and the one factor everyone loves: extra energy. Like, much more energy.

    Like797 horsepower797 horsepowerDid I point out it has 797 horsepower?

    Don’t LikeOutdated inside bitsI hope you want gasoline stations

    You’ve already learn the headlines: The 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye hits the highway with a frankly foolish 797 horsepower and 707 pound-feet of torque. It’s absurd. It’s superior. And with its customary launch management, it is significantly fast. The Charger Redeye can speed up to 60 mph in proper round 3 seconds and it will high out at a supercar-beating 203 mph. It’s so dumb and I like it.Dodge’s 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 is the star of the present, nestled beneath a redesigned hood that has a bigger chilly air scoop and two warmth extractor vents. The Redeye improve comes with Dodge’s Power Reserve function, which pre-pressurizes the consumption manifold for higher throttle response, in addition to the Power Chiller, which makes use of air-con refrigerant to assist cool the consumption air. It’s an enormous engine in an enormous automotive making huge energy, and it is an absolute beast in motion. You won’t ever, ever, ever need for ahead thrust within the Charger Redeye. The accountable grownup in me feels it’s a necessity to level out that it is borderline harmful to supply a 797-hp something to most people, however the laughing-his-ass-off fanatic in me simply says screw it, let’s go.

    2021 Dodge Charger Redeye has huge energy and a large stance
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    The Hellcat V8 works at the side of a wonderful eight-speed automated transmission that is completely adept at preserving the engine buzzing within the coronary heart of its powerband (which, given the output, is principally in every single place). There are chintzy little half-paddles connected to the steering wheel do you have to really feel like shifting for your self, however these steel protrusions are hardly satisfying to make use of. Just depart the transmission alone.You can customise a complete mess of efficiency settings to your liking, from the steering weight to suspension stiffness to transmission mapping and extra. You may even inform the V8 to settle the hell down and prohibit its output to 500 hp, not like that basically makes a lot of a distinction within the grand scheme of issues. My most well-liked tune is to depart all the pieces in Street however put the steering in Sport, and naturally, depart the engine on full blast. This offers the wheel a bit extra weight with out feeling overly cumbersome, and retains the adaptive dampers tender sufficient to make the Charger an actual peach on lengthy drives.

    A spherical of applause for this cannonball of an engine.
    Steven Ewing/Roadshow
    Honestly, as a lot because the Charger Redeye is typecast as a grasp of straight-line shenanigans, it is shockingly succesful whenever you toss it round on a winding highway. The Redeye will get the Widebody therapy, which provides 3.5 inches of extra monitor width and 50 additional cool factors over a traditional Charger. More importantly, this permits Dodge to suit meaty 305/35ZR20 tires in any respect 4 corners, although, weirdly, they’re all-season tires, not stickier summers.

    The underlying feeling of “if I give it too much gas coming out of a corner I’m going to spin and crash in a ball of flames” by no means actually leaves you whereas hustling this 797-hp monster with two-decade-old underpinnings. But with nice energy comes nice accountability, and the adaptive dampers and broad tires do an exquisite job of preserving issues copacetic in corners. There’s a ton of suggestions by the steering wheel, too, so that you’re at all times conscious of how a lot grip is obtainable always. I would not name the Redeye agile by any means, nevertheless it’s manner much less of a raucous, bite-you-in-the-ass hellion than you may assume. Plus, it is obtained two-piece, 15.7-inch entrance brakes from the fantastic of us at Brembo, which is fairly strong peace of thoughts.I suppose I ought to point out gas financial system, despite the fact that it is irrelevant in any Hellcat-powered automotive. Exactly nobody is shopping for this factor with effectivity in thoughts, and that is factor, as a result of even the EPA rankings of 12 miles per gallon metropolis, 21 mpg freeway and 15 mpg mixed are a bit of optimistic. Get used to seeing numbers within the low teenagers on the common. Don’t overlook concerning the $2,100 gasoline guzzler tax, both.With Uconnect, even previous tech is nice tech.
    Steven Ewing/Roadshow
    The entire Redeye improve is technically only a $8,600 possibility bundle on the usual Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody. You get all of the go-fast stuff in addition to a 220-mph speedometer and a few distinctive badges, however all the pieces else carries over unchanged from different Charger fashions. Colorful brake calipers and matte black roof and decklid remedies can be found as add-ons, however the one method to actually inform a Redeye from lesser Hellcats is to identify the pink eye contained in the Hellcat brand on the entrance fender. (Get it?!)That means the Redeye’s inside isn’t any totally different than the bottom Hellcat, which itself is not far more particular than the entry-level, V6-powered Chargers. Sure, you possibly can add issues like a carbon/suede inside bundle ($1,595), however there is no hiding the truth that this cabin is previous. Really previous. You’ll principally discover low-cost plastics on the door playing cards, and the buttons on the middle stack appear and feel just like the 20-year-old components they’re. At least these supportive entrance seats are endlessly comfortable, they usually come customary with heating and air flow. The rear seats are heated, too, although you will be shocked how little legroom there’s for a automotive this large.Every Charger Hellcat will get the Uconnect infotainment suite, housed on an 8.4-inch display screen within the sprint, with customary Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is Fiat-Chrysler’s older multimedia software program, although, not the new-and-improved Uconnect 5. Still, this last-gen system has a ton of performance and the touchscreen shortly responds to inputs. It’s previous tech, however not less than it is good tech.Loud and proud.
    Steven Ewing/Roadshow
    Driver-assistance applied sciences are few and much between. Blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic detection are customary, however that is about it, and trendy conveniences like adaptive cruise management aren’t out there. (You’ll discover the three useless buttons on the proper facet of the steering wheel the place these options ought to be.) Then once more, you purchase the Charger Redeye as a result of it makes 797 goddamn horsepower, not as a result of it’s going to do the heavy lifting for you.The 2021 Charger Redeye prices $82,190 — that is $69,995 for the Hellcat Widebody, $8,600 for the Redeye improve, $2,100 for the gasoline guzzler tax and $1,495 for vacation spot. Throw on just a few extras and you may get one in all these up over $90,000, however go straightforward on the choices and you may find yourself with a reasonably good automotive like my tester (that colour known as Hellraisin, FYI) for $87,165.Yes, that is a ton of cash for a Dodge Charger, however good luck getting this a lot energy for this little money from every other automaker. Besides, if Dodge has confirmed something over the previous few years, it is that individuals love these items, and the underside line actually does not matter. That “shut up and just make it faster” angle is a uncommon factor within the automotive world nowadays, and one thing we must always embrace so long as we are able to. Flawed as it might be, I would not have the Charger Redeye every other manner.

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