by Steven Perez
posted on July 27, 2017
Shaun M.’s super muscle car in Chicago
When Shaun M. turned 21, he and his buddies went to Las Vegas, where they rented a Lamborghini and had a blast cruising the strip and desert highways. The owner had a fleet of supercars and made money by renting them out to travelers. Shaun thought that this must be just about the most ideal job for a car enthusiast.
Over the years, Shaun kept tabs on developments in car sharing and hoped to one day find a way to fulfill his dream of owning a small supercar fleet. In Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Miami, there were many boutique rental companies to choose from. But in his native Chicago, there were remarkably few for such a big city. He wanted to share unique and exciting cars, and the Chicagoland market seemed to have an opening.
Then he discovered Turo. Shaun decided this was his opportunity to share something truly unique, something that you couldn’t rent anywhere else. So he bought a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, an immensely powerful American sedan first introduced by Dodge in 2015. The Hellcat is ludicrous, excessive, fantastic, and many other extreme adjectives. Thanks to its positively brutal power, the Hellcat is helping to redefine the modern muscle car.
Big kitty-cat
Here’s what you need to know: 6.2L supercharged Hemi V8. 707 hp and 650 lb ft on 91 octane (premium unleaded). Rear-wheel drive. Eight-speed automatic transmission. Zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds. 204 mph top speed. It is the fastest, most powerful sedan in the world. Let me say that one more time. This is the fastest, most powerful production sedan in the world.
Shaun did not make the decision to list a car with this much power lightly. He works for a collision estimate software company, so he knows the risks and costs of accidents better than most. Shaun notes that Turo’s partnership with Liberty Mutual was one of the main factors in his decision to list the Hellcat. “I was very impressed when I saw that you guys were using Liberty Mutual to cover my car,” he said. “That’s what put me over the edge.”
Shaun has only recently listed his Hellcat, and has completed one trip so far. For the record, the driver said he loved it. He had also recently rented a Nissan GT-R, and “the Hellcat blew the GT-R out of the water.” Shaun was happy to hear this because he reckons that, as far as acceleration goes, the GT-R is his main competition. “It has the acceleration off the line, but I have the long run.”
Purrs and hisses
Shaun couldn’t be happier with his new car. “I absolutely love it,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade this thing in for the world.” One of Shaun’s favorite things about his Hellcat is you can make it as comfortable or as crazy as you want it to be. If you’re in traffic or you want to conserve gas, eco mode will manage about 24 mpg. “Which is absurd considering you have an engine that makes up to 700 horsepower.” When you want to go wild, you can switch it from the 500-hp eco mode to one of the predefined settings of street, sport, or track mode.
Outside of the set driving modes, traction, suspension, transmission, and power are all customizable. At the highest settings, the Hellcat lives up to its WWII fighter jet namesake and becomes a fire-spitting, tire-screeching savage. In track mode, at full throttle, the Hellcat can empty its twenty-gallon gas tank in about 13 minutes. Not that a road long enough exists anywhere.
Shaun uses his Hellcat as his daily driver, and his job often requires him to drive between locations. He loves that it is practical and absurd at the same time. It has heated seats, a fully-loaded infotainment system, a comfortable cockpit, and two rows of seats. Of course, he tends to leave it in eco mode so he’s not constantly visiting the gas station.
Apex Predator
On the street, Shaun’s Hellcat looks like any Dodge Charger SRT, which is an exciting and aggressive-looking car to be sure. But the Hellcat is much more than just a special edition Charger. It’s a brutal, record-setting monster that houses the most powerful engine Dodge has ever produced. On the surface, the only clues that betray the snarling beast inside are the 15-inch red Brembo brake calipers and the Hellcat badges by the front wheels.
The Hellcat comes with two key fobs. The black key limits power to a measly 500 hp. Use the red key, and all 707 snorting ponies are at the tips of your toes, waiting to be summoned by a push of the accelerator.
Shaun has yet to take his baby to the drag strip or track, but when he does, he’s sure to make a few necks snap. A stock Charger Hellcat comfortably runs quarter miles in the mid-elevens. That kind of speed is not something to play around with, and Shaun expects others to drive his car responsibly.
If you’re looking to drive the fastest sedan in the world, look no further. Shaun’s Hellcat is waiting for you in Chicago.*
*Turo would like to remind you that you must abide by speed limits and all other applicable laws when renting from the marketplace. The Hellcat is fast, but she purrs happiest at a reasonable mph.
Steven Perez
Steven is an avid car guy and content maker at Turo. Between Golden State Warriors games he can be found getting lost somewhere in California.
