2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody revealed

The ‘only four-door muscle car in America,’ as FCA calls it, just got a little faster with the introduction of the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody. The new body style is now standard for the SRT.

The Charger SRT drivetrain still consists of a supercharged 6.2-litre Hemi V8, putting 527kW to the rear wheels, but in the Widebody those rear wheels are wearing 305/35ZR20 Pirellis, which translates to 12-inch-wide tyres in old-speak. This extra rubber is covered by the body being 3.5-inches wider over the wheels.

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That extra grip goes quite some way to making sure the SRT has enough traction to hit 100km/h in just over 3.6 seconds (the 0-60mph time, which equates to 97km/h), before going on to cover a quarter-mile in just 10.96 seconds.

At FCA’s proving ground, the Widebody ran a time 1.3 seconds faster than a standard Charger SRT around the 3.38km circuit, equal to eight car lengths at the end of a lap.

Also revealed alongside the SRT Widebody is the 2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Widebody, which lacks the supercharger but packs a few extra cubic inches with a 6.4-litre atmo Hemi V8. The Widebody kit is optional for the Scat Pack, unlike the SRT.

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The N/A 6.4’s 362kW is a higher tune than it is in the locally-available 300 SRT or Jeep Cherokee SRT, which gives Americans access to a 12.4 second quarter-mile run and a 0-100km/h time of around 4.4 seconds based on Dodge’s 3.4sec 0-60mph claim.

FCA North America head of passenger cars for Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and Fiat Tim Kuniskis says despite the Charger not being the most practical sedan, it’s still proving its value as an alternative for enthusiasts.

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"Can you buy a vehicle that is dollar for dollar more practical than a Charger Widebody?” Kuniskis asks.

“Absolutely, but there are also more than 1,000 flavors of ice cream and vanilla is only one of them.

“If the 'average' person will own six cars in their lifetime, our cars need to connect so strongly that people can't help, but turn around and take a second look before walking away."

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Of course, the chances of buying a Widebody here in Australia are slim, short of importing and converting the car privately.

FCA has given no indication that the Dodge brand will become part of the Australian market any time soon.