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REAR-WHEEL drive, two doors and a powerful, force-fed V8 is a recipe for guaranteed success in our books.
If you’re after something along these lines, the most obvious option available locally is the awesome Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe. Powered by a monstrous 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, it’s essentially a high-end muscle car in a fancy suit. We’re big fans of its looks, noise, speed and dynamics on road and track and Aussie sales figures suggest that we’re far from the only ones.
But what if you want real power? Not just the sort of power that can overthrow governments and rule countries, but enough power to conquer the universe. Thanks to Melbourne’s Crossover Car Conversions you can have a fully registered, right-hand drive version of Dodge’s berserk Challenger Hellcat.
It’s not cheap. By the time the car has been bought in the States for around US$50K, shipped to Australia, all the relevant taxes and duties applied and the steering wheel moved to the ‘correct’ side, the price rises to near-$200,000. That’s the bad news. The good news is that’s still not crazy money for a car that produces 527kW/881Nm.
Not only is that a whopping 152kW/181Nm more than the similarly priced C63, but it’s more power than any production car on-sale in Australia bar the Ferrari 812 Superfast (588kW; $610,000), Tesla Model S P100D (568kW; $250,582) and Lamborghini Aventador S (545kW; $788,914).
You’ll also have rarity on your side, as only a handful of Hellcats have been sold in Australia. It’ll give you something to talk about should you come across fellow Hellcat owner Nick Kyrgios. Can it match the AMG dynamically? Unlikely, but if you want to turn heads and fry tyres, here’s your car.
| 2017 Merc-AMG C63 S Coupe specs | 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat specs | |
| Engine | 3982cc V8, DOHC, 32v, twin-turbo | 6166cc V8, OHV, 16v, supercharger |
| Power | 375kW @ 6250rpm | 527kW @ 6000rpm |
| Torque | 700Nm @ 1750rpm | 881Nm @ 4000rpm |
| Weight | 1725kg | 2027kg |
| 0-100km/h | 3.9sec (claimed) | 3.5sec (claimed) |
| Price | $162,400 | $189,000 |
Here's one we found on Trade Unique Cars
2016 Dodge Hellcat - 10km, manual, $189,000
Hellcats are few and far between in Australia, but Mustang Motorsport has this recently converted model available with a mere 10km on the clock, making it effectively brand new. Big money, but you’ll stand out!
