We have a little riddle for you: what's cooler than a Hellcat, but still a Hellcat, even though it's not that Hellcat? It's a Hellcat, of course!
We are talking about the Buick M18 Hellcat tank, which, you have to agree, is cooler than the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Still, this is not the Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter aircraft most people think of when discussing Hellcat facts.
So yes, Buick did build a Hellcat way ahead of Dodge. And since the machine's WWII destination means there's no copyright infringement here, the two have one essential thing in common, being the fastest vehicles in their classes.
We're not here to argue about the Challenger Hellcat being the fastest muscle car or not, so we'll skip to the war machine. Buick's M18 was a gun motor carriage. So don't call it a tank, but rather a tank destroyer. And yes, it was abbreviated M18GMC so that General Motors aficionados can have double the satisfaction.
More importantly, its status meant it was aimed at gunning down German tanks. So its speedy nature was partially owed to the thick armour. Yes, we know, not the most promising perspective if you happened to be among the crew of five (another Challenger Hellcat similarity) operating it.
But its 400 hp radial engine, which was originally designed for aircrafts meant the 39,000 lbs (17.7 metric tons) offered serious acceleration in WWII tank kingdom. Oh and it could also hit 55 mph (80 km/h). It was only outperformed by the turbine-powered M1 Abrams, which showed up decades later.
As in the Dodge's case, production was limited, with a little over 2,500 units being made. Still, the Buick M18 Hellcat had the best kill to loss ratio of all tank or tank destroyer deployed by US forces in WWII.
The best part of this story is that you can own one
If you're in the market for a tank, you might just call yourself lucky. One of these muscle war machines is up for grabs. We're talking about a 1943 example, which is described as being in excellent condition.
The machine, which has been fully restored, is being offered here.
We absolutely love the vehicle description:
Location: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts 01545
VIN #: 1240
Trans: Auto
Condition: Excellent
Exterior: Green
Interior: Green
We did find a few drawbacks, though. First of all, this is not Sublime Green. Secondly, this Hellcat is listed for $250,000 (around EUR224,000). Oh and the guns don't work anymore. Oh well, at least it seems driftable, with the seller hooning it in the video below. And it comes with a Hellcat badge, as you'll be able to see in the photo gallery.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News