Dodge Challenger, Charger Hellcats have a secret red key: what do we do?

The models named "Demon" and "Hellcat" have inspired more than 5.2 million followers on Facebook. A member of the muscle cars group evaluates the potential romance by key color. Black? Boring. Red? Call me.

This is not your father's car – unless your father is Mario Andretti.

These bright red keychains start the engines of only four vehicles:

• SRT Hellcat Charger – 707 horsepower
• Challenger SRT Hellcat – 717 horses
• Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye – 797 horses
• Challenger SRT Demon – 808 horsepower and sold in 2018 only

"The worries are going away"

"If you just want to relax and escape, you jump into the car and you start a tear.I call it a red key therapy," said Saph, 35, owner of the 2016 Challenger Hellcat. "All the stresses in life are easily alleviated by this menacing exhaust note."

Over the past five years, since the first Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcat models were launched on the street, they continue to deliver unprecedented performance.

On April 23, Val Saph is photographed next to his dear Challenger Hellcat, in front of his home in Armada. The financial analyst, who works for Fiat Chrysler, drives the bodybuilding car to work every day in the spring and summer. The Hellcat Challenger eliminates stress, said the competitor. (Photo: Victoria Saph)

The two keys allow someone to live with two distinct personalities, said Jonathan Klinger, spokesman for Hagerty, the insurance and evaluation company of Traverse City collector cars. "The black key allows you to live peacefully on public roads, but the red key forces you to … test your limits."

Patrick Rall, 40, of Milford and his wife, Amanda, 38, met via a Dodge online forum.

"The only time we use the black key is when the car goes to the dealership for warranty work," said Rall, a journalist who owns the 2017 Hellcat Challenger Hellcat-orange.

Sublime passion

"Dodge is doing so well because they keep things simple but offer power," said Paul Arseneau, 49, of Mansfield, Texas, vice president of engineering at Dynocom Industries. "I really think it will be one of the big classic cars in 25 years."

He loved the Ford Mustang but had bought a 201 Challenger Hellcat Redeye Widebody Black because he preferred the larger cockpit, claiming that it allowed the car to be used as a daily driver.

Steve Beahm, Fiat Chrysler North America's private car brand manager, said luxury car buyers are passionate.

"This passion extends from sublime to subtle" Easter egg ", he said," in the manner of a special red keychain, which unleashes the full potential of the Dodge SRT Hellcat in power, while the "ordinary" black keychain limits power. He noted that the output can be limited even further by using the controls from the center screen to keep the overzealous valet under control.

The Auburn Hills-based company does not break down sales based on special packages. She can not say how many people possess the powerful Hellcats.

Consumers bought 66,716 Challengers at two gates in 2018, up from 66,377 in 2015. And since the launch of Hellcat until March 2019, buyers have bought 275,494 Challengers in total.

"Normally, you go around the city in 500 mode. But you can change it, for example, 15 seconds at a red light when a Corvette stops at your side," said Overstreet, the guy who does not want to give his name. wife to his wife. red key and who has a Sublime Green 2015 Challenger Hellcat.

Drivers do not even have to wait 15 seconds. In fact, they can simply push a button and instantly increase the power.

Overstreet, who also owns a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner, is a registered nurse specializing in liver and kidney transplants. He notes that his wife, a registered nurse who works in a stroke treatment unit, is usually driving a three-row Toyota Sequoia. "Dad drives a hot rod and Momma drives a school bus."

Brian Lee, 51, from Shelby Township, runs a renovation business every day and asks young kids about his red key and black key at auto shows.

"They ask: 'Do you use the red key?' And I answer, 'Is there any other?', Lee says laughing.

Bill Golling, 69, who started working in the automotive sector washing cars and floors at his father's dealership in Bloomfield Hills, owns two Challengers, including a limited edition Dodge Demon Plum Crazy (purple) 2018.

"It's something when they say that the red key represents 707 horses and the black key is only 500, as if that could not cause you enough problems," he said. "It's so cool, this car, when you start it – absolutely thrilling, they only made 3,300 demons, all of which were sold very quickly."

Prices vary for these four supercharged Dodge / SRT models; with the charger starting at $ 65,545 while the Challenger ranges from $ 58,995 to $ 96,000.

Christmas in April

Andrew Matika, 31, from Shelby Township, said about his 2016 Hellcat loader: "The black keys are for winter when you're wearing snow tires.The red keys serve to hurt the feelings the rest of l & # 39; year. "