Dodge Challenger Hellcat Hit 170 mph … ON ICE

Driving a 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat on pavement is thrilling in its own right.
Add ice to the mix and things start to get really interesting.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is very, very fast and while it is best known for tearing up the pavement, a team in Sweden recently took the Hellcat Challenger to a top speed competition on a frozen lakebed – with a top speed of 171 miles per hour on solid ice.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat has an official top speed of 199 miles per hour, but that was recorded on a large test track in clear whether on a warm day. To get that “official” top speed, the Dodge team had to make back to back runs on the same surface and average out the two runs, with the result being 199 miles per hour. The Challenger technically went faster than 199 in one direction on the track, but the average was lowered when the car made the run in the other direction.
The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat did the same thing to get the official top speed of 204 miles per hour, meaning that the 707hp sedan went more than 204mph on one part of the record run.

The video of the Hellcat Challenger running 171 miles per hour in ice is different, as this isn’t any sort of official record run but rather, a competition to see who can go the fastest on ice. Think of this as the Swedish version of the Bonneville Salt Flats and instead of racing on packed salt and sand, you are racing on a couple of feet of frozen lake water.

Sound crazy? It is crazy…and that is what makes this Hellcat Challenger video so impressive.

Hellcat Challenger 171 on Ice
The video walks us through the effort made by a team competing in Sweden in a top speed shootout on a frozen lake and while we don’t get to see any of the competitors, we do get a good look at the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. We also get a good look at the wicked spiked tires, which are the only modifications made to this Mopar muscle car being taking on the ice. Oh, that and the steel plates bolted into the trunk to help the 707hp Challenger get better traction on the packed ice.

When watching the actual run, pay close attention to how much steering the driver is doing just to keep the Hellcat Challenger straight. The steering system of the Hellcat cars is quite precise, so anyone who has driven one can understand how much the back of this Challenger is dancing around if the driver is working the wheel that hard.

In the end, America’s most powerful muscle car hit a top speed of 274.56kmh on the ice, which converts to 170.6 miles per hour. Also, the Hellcat Challenger averaged 261kmh – or 162 miles per hour – over the course of the 1 kilometer run. This Challenger was only about 30mph slower on ice than the Dodge test team was on pavement during official top speed certification. That’s amazing.

It really is a remarkably cool video with stunning Mopar muscle action, so crank up your speakers and enjoy!