Photo: Dodge
More often than not, it seems that car enthusiasts in the U.S. are pining for some of the rear-drive goodness available in bountiful numbers in Australia. Sure, we scored a minor win with the Chevrolet SS, but the Ford Falcon XR8 and HSV GTS (not to mention all of the utes and wagons) still beckon. Well now it seems that there’s something we have that Australian enthusiasts want. Enter the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.
Since the Dodge Challenger is not produced with a right-hand drive option, Dodge is not able to export the muscle car to Australia, but that isn’t stopping a few custom fabricating shops from devising a plan to get the Hellcat’s 707-hp to start tearing up Australian asphalt. A report from drive.com.au indicates that there are at least two shops willing to convert the Challenger SRT Hellcat to a right-hand drive configuration including Queensland Challenger specialist Norm Clarke.
In the article, Clarke said “We’ve had quite a bit of interest in them, I’ve got three that I have to order plus one for myself. We are definitely bringing it in. They will definitely be a weapon.”
Now, we’d have to imagine that it is no small feat to flip-flop the steering controls of a modern vehicle. Fortunately, Chrysler does offer the 300 SRT in right-hand drive for Australia, so we’d have to assume that at least all of the mechanical parts exist to convert the Hellcat. The interior should pose a completely different obstacle in itself, however, as the shops would need to craft a mirror image of the Challenger’s instrument panel.
Once imported, the Challenger SRT Hellcat will become the second most powerful new vehicle sold in Australia behind the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. That car is locally priced at almost $700,000 with an output of around 730 hp (545 kW), and it’s expected that the converted Challenger SRT Hellcat would sell for around $180,000 making its 707 hp (527 kW) a surprising bargain.
In the article, Clarke said “We’ve had quite a bit of interest in them, I’ve got three that I have to order plus one for myself. We are definitely bringing it in. They will definitely be a weapon.”
Now, we’d have to imagine that it is no small feat to flip-flop the steering controls of a modern vehicle. Fortunately, Chrysler does offer the 300 SRT in right-hand drive for Australia, so we’d have to assume that at least all of the mechanical parts exist to convert the Hellcat. The interior should pose a completely different obstacle in itself, however, as the shops would need to craft a mirror image of the Challenger’s instrument panel.
Once imported, the Challenger SRT Hellcat will become the second most powerful new vehicle sold in Australia behind the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. That car is locally priced at almost $700,000 with an output of around 730 hp (545 kW), and it’s expected that the converted Challenger SRT Hellcat would sell for around $180,000 making its 707 hp (527 kW) a surprising bargain.
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