Is the kitty not as powerful as claimed?
Plenty of performance car owners like to throw their vehicle on the dyno and see how what’s measured stacks up against the factory claims. It’s always nice when it becomes obvious the automaker was conservative in its stated horsepower and torque output figures. However, YouTube channel Freedom Street Garage has a video which seems to indicate output for the Hellcats isn’t what Dodge has said.
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To be clear, we’re not saying Freedom Street Garage is correct in its assertions, especially that “Dodge lied” as declared in the title of the video. Instead, we’ll present you with some facts and the video, then let you decide what’s really going on.
As you can see in the video, the dyno read torque output at 520.641 lb.-ft. and horsepower at 562.555. Those figures are quite a bit off from what Dodge has stated, although the estimated crank power was displayed on the dyno at 748.198.
You might notice in the video they’re using a Mustang chassis dyno, so that’s why the figures are off. However, people are also pointing out that Mustang dynos supposedly provide the closest output when compared to what the vehicle does on an actual road.
One user says his 2015 Hellcat with a 6-speed transmission made 632-rwhp when it was stock, saying he’s seen power output swings of 50-60 depending on the setup. Another user claims the guys didn’t run the Hellcat in the right gear, hence the more anemic power at the rear wheels. Yet another points out that Dodge’s claim was 707-hp at the crank and that the measurement obtained in the video was much higher, so there was no fraud on the automaker’s part.
This is the kind of thing worth debating in forums, Facebook groups, and maybe even in real life as long as you can keep it civil. Is this video misleading? Did they run everything correctly? Check it out for yourself.
Images via YouTube