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Written by Dan Carney
Dodge debuted the new 2015 Charger with refreshedsheet metal, updated cabin, and revised chassis, with a new top-of-the-range SRTHellcat model serving as the new flagship of the line. The new sheet metal issignificantly slipperier than before, with the new car embracing a morecontemporary version of the snub-nosed blunt appearance of the outgoingCharger. All 2015 Chargers benefit from a variety of upgrades, suchas the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, which is now standard across theline. The car also features new electric power steering with threedriver-selectable effort levels and a cast aluminum rear axle housing andaluminum hood to trim weight. There are LED taillights and front parking lights, while theinside sees the installation of more premium materials, a standard 7-indriver information display and new thick-rimmed steering wheels. Three-mode Bilstein adaptive shock absorbers let drivers choose among auto, sport, and track settings on the Charger SRT models, the 392,the R/T Scat Pack, and the Hellcat. The Charger SRT line for 2015 starts with the 392 and its6.4-L Hemi V8. For this year the engine"s ratings grow to 485 hp (362 kW) and 475lb ft (644 N m), increases of 15 hp (11 kW) and 5 lb ft (7 N m) from last year"s car. It rolls on new20 x 9.5-in aluminum wheels that surround 15.4-in (391-mm) front brake rotors and six-piston Brembo front calipers. The rears are 13.8-in (351-mm) rotors and four-pistonBrembos. Tires are Pirelli P Zeros, either all-season or three-season versions. The Hellcat employs the same engine as covered previouslyhere from the Challenger launch (Chrysler's new Hellcat V8 gets 707-hp SAE rating - SAE International), but in the longer Charger, less drag permits an eye-opening top speed of 204mph (328 km/h), while more advantageous weight distribution contributes to a quarter-mileacceleration time of 11.0 s. That means that, although the Hellcat has a uniquespeedometer that reads to 200 mph (322 km/h), the car is capable of running out of numberson the gauge. The Charger Hellcat eliminates the fog lights that arestandard equipment on other Chargers, using those openings in its bumper fasciato duct air to an oil cooler and to a secondary heat exchanger for thesupercharger"s intercooler. Additionally, the Hellcat"s aluminum hood isstamped with deep heat extractor vents on either side of the central NACA airintake duct. These keep intake air temperature below 60 C (140 F) evenduring extreme ambient conditions and, as a result, the Hellcat"s power neednot be dialed back even after 30 minutes of hard road-race course driving in37 C (99 F) ambient temperatures. Meanwhile, the Hellcat"s supercharged engine"s power meant that the ZF eight-speed automatic had to be upgraded to withstand the engine"storque. This was accomplished by adding pinion gears to the first and third gear sets and by adding five more clutch pack discs. EachHellcat transmission also sees an additional layer of quality testing afterassembly. In the Track drive mode, the transmission executes 160-msgear shifts. Similarly, the differential is reinforced with welded ringgears, shot-peened gears, hardened shims, and then bolted in with a newfour-bolt attachment. It drives through asymmetric axle shafts that aredesigned to minimize axle hop under acceleration. In addition to drivetrain bolstering, Chrysler"s dynamometers alsoneeded upgrading to handle the engine"s power during development, according tothe company. During that development work, the engine ran the equivalentof nearly 2 million customer hours on the dyno, and one of the cars endured 100consecutive quarter-mile drag strip runs. Furthermore, every new Hellcat engine runs for 42min on a dyno before it is installed in a car to confirm all is well withthe engine. The Hellcat"s exhaust is appropriately industrial-strength,as befits such a powerful engine, with dual 2.75-in (70-mm) pipes feeding ceramiccatalysts that are able to tolerate temperatures of 1050 C (1922 F). Bypassvalves in the mufflers open the exhaust when the drive-mode system is set to Track, giving the Hellcat asuitably loud character when driven aggressively.
Date: 14-Nov-2014 09:48 EST
More of this article on the SAE International website
ID: 1036
Dodge debuted the new 2015 Charger with refreshedsheet metal, updated cabin, and revised chassis, with a new top-of-the-range SRTHellcat model serving as the new flagship of the line. The new sheet metal issignificantly slipperier than before, with the new car embracing a morecontemporary version of the snub-nosed blunt appearance of the outgoingCharger. All 2015 Chargers benefit from a variety of upgrades, suchas the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, which is now standard across theline. The car also features new electric power steering with threedriver-selectable effort levels and a cast aluminum rear axle housing andaluminum hood to trim weight. There are LED taillights and front parking lights, while theinside sees the installation of more premium materials, a standard 7-indriver information display and new thick-rimmed steering wheels. Three-mode Bilstein adaptive shock absorbers let drivers choose among auto, sport, and track settings on the Charger SRT models, the 392,the R/T Scat Pack, and the Hellcat. The Charger SRT line for 2015 starts with the 392 and its6.4-L Hemi V8. For this year the engine"s ratings grow to 485 hp (362 kW) and 475lb ft (644 N m), increases of 15 hp (11 kW) and 5 lb ft (7 N m) from last year"s car. It rolls on new20 x 9.5-in aluminum wheels that surround 15.4-in (391-mm) front brake rotors and six-piston Brembo front calipers. The rears are 13.8-in (351-mm) rotors and four-pistonBrembos. Tires are Pirelli P Zeros, either all-season or three-season versions. The Hellcat employs the same engine as covered previouslyhere from the Challenger launch (Chrysler's new Hellcat V8 gets 707-hp SAE rating - SAE International), but in the longer Charger, less drag permits an eye-opening top speed of 204mph (328 km/h), while more advantageous weight distribution contributes to a quarter-mileacceleration time of 11.0 s. That means that, although the Hellcat has a uniquespeedometer that reads to 200 mph (322 km/h), the car is capable of running out of numberson the gauge. The Charger Hellcat eliminates the fog lights that arestandard equipment on other Chargers, using those openings in its bumper fasciato duct air to an oil cooler and to a secondary heat exchanger for thesupercharger"s intercooler. Additionally, the Hellcat"s aluminum hood isstamped with deep heat extractor vents on either side of the central NACA airintake duct. These keep intake air temperature below 60 C (140 F) evenduring extreme ambient conditions and, as a result, the Hellcat"s power neednot be dialed back even after 30 minutes of hard road-race course driving in37 C (99 F) ambient temperatures. Meanwhile, the Hellcat"s supercharged engine"s power meant that the ZF eight-speed automatic had to be upgraded to withstand the engine"storque. This was accomplished by adding pinion gears to the first and third gear sets and by adding five more clutch pack discs. EachHellcat transmission also sees an additional layer of quality testing afterassembly. In the Track drive mode, the transmission executes 160-msgear shifts. Similarly, the differential is reinforced with welded ringgears, shot-peened gears, hardened shims, and then bolted in with a newfour-bolt attachment. It drives through asymmetric axle shafts that aredesigned to minimize axle hop under acceleration. In addition to drivetrain bolstering, Chrysler"s dynamometers alsoneeded upgrading to handle the engine"s power during development, according tothe company. During that development work, the engine ran the equivalentof nearly 2 million customer hours on the dyno, and one of the cars endured 100consecutive quarter-mile drag strip runs. Furthermore, every new Hellcat engine runs for 42min on a dyno before it is installed in a car to confirm all is well withthe engine. The Hellcat"s exhaust is appropriately industrial-strength,as befits such a powerful engine, with dual 2.75-in (70-mm) pipes feeding ceramiccatalysts that are able to tolerate temperatures of 1050 C (1922 F). Bypassvalves in the mufflers open the exhaust when the drive-mode system is set to Track, giving the Hellcat asuitably loud character when driven aggressively.
Date: 14-Nov-2014 09:48 EST
More of this article on the SAE International website
ID: 1036
