Forza Horizon 4: DAYTONAAA!!!

Having muscled my way through the abyss of the Spring season in Horizon, I got my hands on a classic Dodge Charger Daytona and looks like I'm going to have that Fast and Furious flashback in my head the moment I set foot to this wickedly-styled muscle car emerged from its success in stock car racing.



The Charger Daytona, emerged from the time where wind resistance plays a key role in stock car racing in America, features a revolutionary pointed fiberglass nose to reduce drag and its signature tall rear wing for better downforce at high speeds. With only 503 machines built, most of the units made were come with the 440 Hemi engine with either a four barrel carburetor or the Six Pack with two-barrel carburetors. There is a well-known fact that Buddy Baker drove the Daytona to break the 200mph barrier in 1970, a speed record that lasted for 13 years. With its impressive race career even more than the Plymouth Superbird brother, the Charger Daytona is labeled as the King of the Aero Cars.



With quick info done, it's time for me to channel my inner Vin Diesel as I'm going for broke with this Charger Daytona and see if I can outwit the other muscle cars around me, even while I'm on drag tires in a middle of a wet spring. I'm not sure if someone managed to get their thousand horse monster on drag tires won a race while trying to survive through different corners but hey, challenge accepted. It doesn't hurt mixing and matching stuff in the middle of No Limits Horizon so here goes...



Job well done. There's nothing else I can say.

Enjoy your new ride!

Forza Motorsport 7: 'Merica, baby.

While the rest of America enjoyed some of their patriotic tribute with some grills and fireworks, I had something even better than those and that means, I'm heading to that one place in Texas where speed talks. I'm talking about Circuit of the Americas in Austin and I've summon three of the best muscle cars ever assembled to do more than just fireworks.







As you can see, I've summoned some of our old friends from the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. Here's the Dodge Demon...as seen from The Fate of the Furious. Then, there's the Ford Mustang GT350, and finally, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, one of the most capable track-focused muscle cars ever to be assembled from off the coast. As you can see, these three told me something that these muscle cars wanted to flex their muscles and see which one stands tall. Since this is America, best to be riding cowboy and find out.







Although this Demon came out from The Fate of the Furious, this is still the same Dodge Challenger Demon that rocked the world of sportscars with its supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 engine that blows away 840 all-American horsepower and a straight-line performance that upsets almost all of the expensive European exotics. I once tried that out a few moments ago since the game's launch and by a shock result, the less-powerful but track-honed and now-extinct Dodge Viper ACR punched the Demon like an elbow blow, a sheer sign that a hyper muscle car with drag tires wasn't fit for track duty, although the man from Cafe Leblanc showed us how it's down.

The Camaro ZL1 may not match the Demon's terrifying straight-line performance but because of its track-honed capabilities after years of Nurburgring sessions, it has transformed into a leaner and sharper muscle car that combines big power from its Corvette Z06-derived supercharged 6.2L V8 engine and unbiased dynamics only the free and the brave can salivate through its rather dynamic character. Its NASCAR derivative maybe making headlines through the months but rest assured that the ZL1's dynamics won't go unnoticed for a car that looks good on the straights and the curves.

The GT350R maybe the least powerful of the three, probably because of its naturally aspirated 5.2L V8 engine that produces 526HP of power, but because it's the lightest of the three and the most track-focused of them all, it doesn't really matter how fast this car can go. What matters the most that the GT350 tries to make driving great again for the drivers. There goes that dinner table conversation.

With that conversation over, time to see which of these muscle cars is the best round the Austin Grand Prix venue and with that, time to grab some beer and nachos because it's time to roll the tape.



After many laps of making grills and fireworks with these three ultra-powerful muscle cars, here are the results;

ZL1 - 2:33.968
GT350R - 2:37.078
F8 Demon - 2:41.758



The muscle car wars between Dodge, Ford, and Chevrolet; with cars like the Mustang, Camaro, and the Challenger, Detroit's big three had been baffling each other since the beginning of the era. The Mustang has been the living legend in the muscle car craze that shows the world that they are still the king of muscle cars, although there's still time to wait until their biggest trump card will be unleashed, giving the rivals more time to rethink their strategies. The Camaro has been the second-rate copycat to the Mustang but with its unsung success through the years and movie star appeals, more and more people would consider the Camaro as their next muscle car for the weekends because they think they're cooler than the Mustang. The Challenger has been aged through the years and despite getting a little less attention from the crowd, this muscle car became the ultimate equalizer by showing things the opposition never had. The Demon is the finest example of what the Dodge Challenger does and the opposition really quaking their feet when they notice its rule-breaking performance that challenges the world above and beyond.

The Americans are so glad that through good times and bad times, cars like these still exists and even as this kind of era is about to pave way to zero emission and self-driving age, rest assure that the fun factor of these legends will never go in vain. That is the American way and these cars are what made America the home of the loudest and most powerful cut-price machines in the world.

Forza Motorsport 7: Blood Runs Deep

If you've been a fan of those Dodge commercials, you may be enamored by the Vin Diesel-ish voiceover while seeing cars like the Charger, the Challenger, and now the Durango, speeding around the roads. I mean hey, blood runs thicker than oil and what better way to celebrate the newest arrival to the "Brotherhood of Muscle" by driving the first-ever Durango SRT from Forza Motorsport 7's Dell Gaming Car Pack?



Before calling the shots, let's take a quick look on the Dodge Durango SRT, shall we? Dodge's third-generation Durango combines the practicality of a sport utility vehicle and the sportiness of what a Dodge can be and due to inconsistent public demand, the SRT version of the Durango was unleashed, giving the soul of a muscle car to this do-all crossover.

Dubbed as the fastest third-row SUV in its class, the Durango SRT is powered by a 392-cubic-inch (6.4L) V8 engine producing 475HP of power and 470lb-ft of torque, while mated to a TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic. As verified by the NHRA, it foes 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds and can go through the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds.

Apart from its V8 power, the Durango SRT rides on a short-and-long-arm independent front suspension with coil springs, specially tuned Bilstein adaptive damping suspension (ADS), upper- and lower-control arms and a stabilizer bar, resulting to sports car-like handling.  At the back comes a specially tuned multi-link suspension, and after that, it comes with a performance-oriented AWD system. It has massively new Brembo high-performance six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers and vented rotors at all four corners, resulting to an estimated 115 feet to come to a full stop from 60 mph.

The end result is that not only the Durango SRT is a track weapon crossover in its own right but also a fun people mover doing all sorts of everyday jobs, more than enough to make the neighborhood envy.





Need a little refresher? When I first saw the Durango SRT, I once said that not only you can handle this behemoth like a boss but you can handle any kind of weather condition like it never happened. Of course, it may not be as fast as the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk I drove a while back but you don't got smacked by some fat teenager girl doing a stage dive at the concert. Instead, it's likeyour granny spending the whole day watching Mad Mad-esque films no one heard of as I shall now explain on trip round Laguna Seca.



It maybe a people mover on steroids but the way the Durango SRT behaves is like I was expecting! Of course, this is the ideal crossover for men who got married by accident but going for the family car that is as fun as what they drove when they were single, like I said, and while you can drive it for everyday activities such as taking the kids to school, going to work, going grocery shopping, so on, so forth, but it's sensational to drive. It maybe heavy but it behaves like a Subie and that's just the cherry of the cake.





So, you got my point about how good the Durango SRT is, right? Let's crank it up a notch by proving just how good the Durango SRT is and because I prefer the unscripted life, let's pick a benchmark car for the Durango SRT to play with and I think I got one...





This is the Ford Focus RS, one of my favorite hyper hot hatchbacks ever emerged from the Old Continent to be driven by American hands. It has the same EcoBoost engine from the regular Mustang and has the coolest four-wheel drive system ever made. So cool, you can hoon it like a maniac. Anyway, let's see how the Focus RS fares with the Laguna Seca track...



The Focus RS did it in 1:55.264 and all I have to do is to see if the Durango SRT is as good as this hot Focus. Let's roll the tape!



How did I fare with the Durango SRT? It did it in 1:56.272 and when you round them up, it's a second slower than the Ford Focus RS. Close but this crossover proves its point!



There you are, ladies and gentlemen. The Dodge Durango SRT is almost as fast as a Ford Focus RS and while it's more expensive to buy than the soon-to-be-defunct hot Focus, this crossover is a do-all on the road and on the track and in the world of Forza, this has got to be one of the most enjoyable crossovers to drive at the moment if you think the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is too much of an overkill for you. Like the commercial said, welcome to the Brotherhood of Muscle.

Dodge Durango SRT and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

SUVs are becoming the mainstream of today's motoring and while it was meant to carry the whole family for everyday trips, it can be downright boring because why do men get married and ended up with family cars that are boring than what they had when they were single. Perhaps there is a better solution for men who got married by accident but going for the family car that is as fun as what they drove when they were single.

2018 Dodge Durango SRT

2018 Dodge Durango SRT interior

This might do the trick. Behold, the new Dodge Durango SRT and SRT really means all business because when you see SRT, all you think about V8 Dodges on steroids and it is. It's a family car on steroids and when you let loose with its 6.4L HEMI V8 engine, "Hey, how about those Republicans?" It maybe rude to say it during a conversation at the dining table but because this is the Durango SRT, this muscle SUV is ready to paint the town red, literally.

From its beefy front face, Viper-inspired bonnet, red and black interior that smells like it came from a red state, and the huge monitor that comes with a performance mode screen that displays G-forces, braking distance, reaction times, and everything that your SUV can't do because of such boringness this SUV doesn't have, the Durango SRT is all about American football, basketball, and stock car racing with the hint of nachos, pizzas, and fast food vittles that can irritate the next neighbor or two. I mean come on, this is how good old American boys love to do in their weekends and this SUV fits to such expression.

Believe it or not, the Dodge Durango SRT has the similar expression you'd expect from the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT because like the said one, the Durango SRT is powered by the 6.4L HEMI V8 engine mated to an 8-speed AT. This engine produces 475HP and 470lb-ft of torque and with this output, it can get from 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds, which is as fast as a high-powered German sports saloon but with enough grunt to unleash 8,700lbs of towing capacity.

It maybe a muscle car but this 62,995 Dollar (plus OTR costs) SUV on steroids can handle almost everything because this is the first Dodge SRT vehicle to come with performance-oriented four-wheel drive system and with that, not only you can handle this behemoth like a boss but you can handle any kind of weather condition like it never happened.

While all sounds nice for a V8 muscle SUV with seating for six people, it can be downright crazy to drive and when you set the drive mode on TRACK, the Durango SRT will drive you as mad as today's news and public affairs. Like your granny spending the whole day watching Mad Mad-esque films no one heard of, setting the Durango SRT on TRACK tightens the suspension damping and steering gradient feel, resulting to uncanny dynamics that will enrage drivers to the verge of hypertension. How uncanny was that? Driving an SUV on track days can be downright crazy and in the Durango SRT, while it can be decent to drive on normal roads and not bad to drive on any weather conditions, especially when its snowing in the northern extremities of America, it can lose your sanity or your arms when you twist this car through the bends.

However, that Durango SRT is the least of the problems because somewhere out there lies a more crazier American V8 crossover that can irritate the smartest people as if they got smacked by some fat teenager girl doing a stage dive at the concert.

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk interior

This is the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and by the looks of it, it can irritate even the European high-performance crossovers with such output. 707HP from its Hellcat V8 engine, 645lb-ft of torque, 180mph of top speed, this is a Hellcat made for those who are feeling under the weather and they can't take the Dodge Challenger Hellcat or Charger Hellcat on a rainy or snowy day and thanks to performance-tuned all-wheel drive, you can drive it anytime, anywhere no matter the weather condition.

That sounds nice but you need to be brave because driving the Trackhawk has the same experience as an EXPERT-level 600-combo song that has some bits to hold, bits to tap, and so many to tap that are too fast to lock on with your eyes. It's going to end up slipping on GOOD, GOOD, GOOD, rather than GREAT or PERFECT because with the performance-oriented 4WD and the supercharged Hellcat V8 engine, the dynamics will end up on the GOOD side and when you engage all the hero buttons around you, you'd better get some painkillers ready because there are times this can can understeer in 911 Turbo levels and resorting to brutal driving style won't cut it because the dynamics can bite you real good like dog with rabies.

Apart from the crazy dynamics and the fact that it can seat up to five people, the TRACKHAWK is downright expensive with prices start at 85,900 US Dollars, which is as expensive as a European sportscar, and that's a shame really because while it was labeled the most powerful SUV in the world, it doesn't carry enough people than the Durango SRT. 

But still, despite the price difference, these American high-performance SUVs are capable of painting the town red with their deep Republican view against the opposition, raw V8 grunt, and practicality common to most SUVs. So, which one will you pick?

Photo: FCA US LLC

Forza Motorsport 7: Opera, Art, and Doughnuts...sorta

As the world awaits the second season of Amazon Prime's original motoring program, The Grand Tour, how about a little flashback? Because Jeremy Clarkson's annoyed by the appearance of Richard Hammond and the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, he went to Mugello to teach Hammond a very painful lesson on speed. With Mugello back at Forza 7, how about I'll recreate that memorable Grand Tour moment from that certain episode?



First, let's talk about the cars first, starting with the Aston Martin DB11. Although the V12 engine is now smaller and turbocharged, the power output it produces is rather smooth indeed because this is how grand tourers do. 608HP of power, 700Nm of torque, 0-60mph in less than 3.9 seconds, 200mph top speed, the DB11 wasn't unfazed by its performance figures because all it matters for this car is to cruise around the open road on a bright sunshine and while it was heavily focused for comfortable driving in mind, it can be downright decent on the track making this beauty a beast to behold in the eyes of the driver.



The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat maybe based on the old Chrysler 300C underneath, which is based on the 1990's Mercedes E-Class, but putting a 707HP supercharged V8 engine on it is a complete madness. Although it was superseded by the limited-edition Challenger Demon by about a hundred and thirty-three, the Hellcat remains one of the most outrageous muscle cars ever to come out from the world's most powerful country that is now ran by an orangutan and his minions. So, outrageous, it can make a trip through historic places in Italy into a complete disaster because the roar of the supercharged engine and the endless squealing of tires. I know, this happened on that episode and you can't hide from the Hellcat's fury. Saturdays will be completely ruined thanks to the Hellcat.





In that episode, Jeremy lapped the DB11 at 2:18.79 while Billy Bob Hammond's Hellcat did it in 2:35. All I have to do is to do better than the GT folks while witnessing the very moment that the DB11 taught the Hellcat a very painful lesson. Let's roll the tape.


At the end of the flying lap, here are the results of my Grand Tour reenactment on Forza 7...

Hellcat - 2:22.648
DB11 - 2:15.469



Hey, history repeats itself as the "brown" Aston minced the Hellcat like crazy, although that didn't stop Richard Hammond from doing ridiculous things with the Challenger Hellcat. Still, it's great to have Mugello back on Forza 7 because without it, I couldn't recreate that classic Grand Tour moment in honor of the upcoming season of Amazon Prime's original series. They may be evolving but they never growing up. Get it?

Forza Motorsport 7: Dom's Demon

When the Dodge Challenger Demon unveiled to the world, everyone's cowered in fear over the most powerful production car in the world. With its 840HP from its 6.2L HEMI V8 and the fastest 0-60mph time of any production sportscar, 2.3 seconds to be precise, no wonder every supercar in the world got choked by the Demon's incredible straight line speed and as Forza fans, we wanted to see the most powerful V8 car in the world to be there. However, we got this instead...





Yes, this is still the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon we are familiar with, the one that made Europe tremble in fear because of its monstrous power output that upsets almost every supercar in the world but don't be fooled because this particular Dodge Demon belongs to, well let's cut to the chase, Dom Toretto.

This is Dom's Demon and you can now play it on FM7 via The Fate of The Furious car pack. While Dom's Ice Charger overshadowed the Demon when it comes to star appeal, this demon of a machine should not be overlooked because this is the muscle car well known to break every world record in history, especially the fact that being the first production car in the world that can do the longest wheelie as verified by Guinness Book of World Records and because of The Fate of The Furious, every Mopar fanatic wants to have one in their collection and as a matter of fact, it's the numbers they should be worrying about because the Demon is strictly a limited-edition Challenger available only in the US and Canada and because it starts at 84,995 US Dollars, it's the most expensive Dodge to buy, although cheaper to buy than those European exotics the Demon sets its pitchforks at.

The Americans are as ballsy as the fat man in charge of the nation who wanted to build more nukes against his enemies but for a Dodge Demon, this is a definitive point how Americans are capable of, building stuff that are astronomical enough to crush their rivals into dust to show everyone that they are the greatest people in the world. I'm impressed to think that with all 840HP unleashed from its V8 engine, the Demon has evolved from muscle car into exotic in its own right and it's time for me to prove that theory.



Here we are at the Top Gear Test Track just to see if the Demon has grown into a proper supercar that can eat almost everyone, even in its compatriots like the Corvette and the Ford GT. Of course, with no one ever turned up to the party because I suspect, they've got intimidated by the Demon's power output, and instead someone popped up bravely.





Yes, this is the Dodge Viper ACR, the most hardcore Viper ever made and even though this is the last of the Vipers before its demise, probably because the Hellcats already devoured it like Titans in the forest, its GTS-R-inspired dynamics is what made the ACR a road-legal racecar and it lapped round the Top Gear Test Track in 1:15.1.

Time to get some beer and nachos because this will be the most interesting comparo of them all as the Viper ACR goes up against Dom Toretto's Demon from F8. Time to get this show rolling...


And now the results...

1:14.945 - Viper ACR
1:24.267 - Dom's Demon

And there we have it, ladies and gentlemen. Even though the Demon is over 200HP more than the Viper, it couldn't beat the Viper in a lap round the track and I think there's a clear reason for that. One, it's heavier than the ACR, and second, drag tires don't usually work on track days. Sure, it can be a blast to drive on the drag straights but on the track, it's very challenging indeed and looks like the Viper ACR, despite its demise, finally teached the Demon a very painful lesson on the track.



For me, it's been an honor to drive Dom's Demon on Forza Motorsport 7. Even though it's not as quick as the Viper ACR, this car makes me want to go Vin Diesel all the way because of its appearance in The Fate of The Furious. Those who saw the Dodge Demon would make them think that's the car Dom Toretto drove in the film and this Vin Diesel-approved muscle car is just one of the main reasons why we're into cars like these. The crazier they get, the awesomer they become and the Demon is just one of the Fast and Furious cars that get the job done. Now that's Fast & Furious to you.

Forza Horizon 3: Best of American muscle classics

While most Americans spend their independence readying the fireworks and the grill, I do my own way to celebrate American independence by driving out the best of American muscle classics in Forza Horizon 3.



Sure, there are lots of iconic muscle names in automotive history but I've gone for the names that once a muscle, stays as a muscle in modern times in alphabetical order; Camaro, Challenger, Charger, and Mustang.





Once as the underdog when it first emerged in the battle of the muscle cars dominated by the Ford Mustang, the Camaro tries to show what General Motors is capable of in this kind of civil war but whereas the Mustang reigned supreme as well as the Charger and the Challenger, the Camaro failed to do so and I understand that. Despite the Camaro's failure that led to its 2002 demise, the Camaro's coming back fighting as demonstrated by being Bumblebee in the Transformers movies and thanks to its newfound popularity, the Camaro won the hearts of many generations. Fame aside, let's not forget about how the unpopular first-generation Camaro came here which is like an ugly duckling turned into a swan with magnificent results and if it weren't for this, there wouldn't be a Bumblebee in the Transformers films.





The Challenger was once served as an alternative to the Charger and while the Charger was proven to be an icon apart from being General Lee in the Dukes of Hazzard TV show, the Challenger wants to follow its brother's footsteps by getting its shot of fame in Vanishing Point but sadly, it wasn't as popular as its Charger brother. Although today's Charger is a four-door saloon, the Challenger managed to come back as a modern day alternative to Mustangs and Camaros and just as we thought the Challenger is becoming the muscle car that never was in today's times, it managed to find its triumphant return to the road with the most powerful V8 car in the world as well as the first-ever 4WD muscle car ever produced. While the Challenger has a lot of tricks on its sleeves, the original is the car we should be thankful for because if it weren't for its presence, we wouldn't got the most powerful V8 car today.





The original Dodge Charger R/T holds no explanation because as I said before, the Duke boys drove one in the Dukes of Hazzard TV series as the General Lee, named after a Confederate soldier (which explains a lot from the highly controversial Confederate flag on the roof of the car). Although the Confederate flag remains one of the most controversial objects in history because of such background, a General Lee without it is like living like a complete poser. That's why fans want to keep it that way and I understand that. General Lee aside, this iconic Charger has been one of the forefront of The Fast and the Furious films and if I was Vin Diesel, I believe that the classic Charger remains a favorite. Sure, today's four-door Chargers also dominate the F&F films but credit goes to the Charger that is not only approved by the Dukes of Hazzard but also Dom from the Fast & Furious movies.





Lastly, the Mustang, and while Mustangs became one of the most iconic movie cars of all time since Steve McQueen drove one in Bullitt, the best of the first-generation Mustang goes to the Boss 302 because of its motorsport pedigree that traces back to its Trans-Am Racing and by surprise, the Australian Touring Cars. Pedigree aside, the Boss 302 remains one of the most respected Mustangs in the golden age of muscle cars and also of the most collectible Mustangs for the high-rollers with a restored Boss fetched a $530,000 price tag a decade ago.

These American classic muscles, they do more than just fireworks and grilles but also showing proof that America is great when it comes to flexing their big V8 muscles against the world. Sure, the whole world love to spit them up when they see one but when times change, they will see that cars like these are becoming the posters of the world superpower and soon, they will all bow down to their greatness. That all sounds scary but that's America to you, the land of the most powerful V8s in the world, and to celebrate American independence, time to get these muscle car icons the salute they truly deserved and this will be much more fun to see than fireworks and grilles.




Thank you America for the fast cars through the years!

Forza Horizon 3: Love, Poetry, and Coffee

Now, in a certain episode of The Grand Tour, Jeremy Clarkson and James May are having a nice Italian road trip with their grand tourers, the new Aston Martin DB11 and the Rolls Royce Dawn. Trouble is, their Italian road trip got ruined by Richard Hammond and the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Italy is so like two years ago for me but now that all the cars are here in the Land Down Under, there's no perfect time than settling the scores between love, poetry, and coffee somewhere Down Under.







If you can get to decide which method will you woo a dream lady for Valentines Day, it would be like a choice of love, poetry, and coffee. The DB11 is all about the love that you can do everything for her by any means necessary to win the heart of a woman. The Dawn is all about the poetry that shows how much of a knowledgeable person you really are to please a lady. The Hellcat, meanwhile, is all about the coffee that burns the hearts of lovers sipping a cup of joe in a cafe while having a chat.

Love, poetry, and coffee. These are the choices and by comparison regulations, anything fancy should be kept to a safe place such as their upgrades and their designs. These cars can have them back after this comparison but for now, the fight between opera, art, and donuts will be settled to the Grand Tour Sprint, so specially called because it has the words "Grand Tour" on it as if they're having their Australian stopover for the show or this is what I think it is.

Two grand tourers from Britain and an uninvited guest from America. This will be a very interesting comparison because these three got featured in The Grand Tour and now, I got the chance to compare these three to see which method will I woo a lady for Valentines will be the best. It's either love, poetry, or coffee. It's everyone's game now and now, the battle begins!



After their run at the Grand Tour Sprint, it's time for the results!

2017 Aston Martin DB11 (608HP/516ft-lb/4,134lb/51%/5,204cc/S1 805)- 2:37.057
2015 Rolls Royce Dawn (563HP/575ft-lb/5,644lb/51%/6,593cc/A 715)- 2:45.666
2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat (707HP/650ft-lb/4,438lb/57%/6,166cc/A 766)- 2:36.957

By a shocking result, the 707 horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is a clear winner in this comparison by a second quicker than the DB11!

Which means, if I go for love, I might go for broke to get the girl I want but I could get flunked easily like getting thrown by an Master-level song I'm playing on an certain idol girl app game. If I go for poetry, meanwhile, then my knowledge might bore her for the rest of her life. So, the choice is clear. It's a cup of coffee best served hot for the lovers everywhere. Don't get too much on a cup of joe, okay?

Forza Horizon 3: Hellcat on High Water

The Hellcats from the SRT lineup have total authority over every other sportscar in the world because of its supercharged 6.2L V8 engine producing 707HP of power, making them the most powerful V8-powered production car ever made. They're even more powerful than powerful V12 Italian supercars...well, just about, but you should really trust the SRT folks elsewhere because in the world where power is the deciding factor, the Hellcats will remember to be the king of V8-powered cars, although a select number of cars can outsmart its royal rumble coming out from the Hellcat's exhaust.





Hellcats are pretty much known to be coined as the Republicans' Veyrons because, in real life, there are two specially-made keys offered on these cars; the Challenger Hellcat and the Charger Hellcat. There is a black key that limits the power to 500HP while the red key unleashes all that 707HP power output in its supercharged V8 engine. In the fantasy world of Forza Horizon 3, that holds nonsense because with cars like these, you are free to unleash all that 707 horsepower in either hell or high water, just the way you like.





Debating which Hellcat is the best, some say it's the Challenger Hellcat because nothing beats a two-door muscle car like it but some would go for the Charger Hellcat, even though they're related to each other. One key factor, I discovered, is that even though the four-door Hellcat is heavier than the two-door Hellcat, it's got slightly better weight distribution, meaning the Charger Hellcat can slightly handle better than the Challenger Hellcat. Still, for all that power, both the Charger Hellcat and the Challenger Hellcat can be very harsh to master because of their challenging handling dynamics that require some expert-level skills to survive one corner after another if they want to stay on the lead against the opposition.

Let's find out which Hellcat is the best by pitting them against each other in the streets of Surfers' Paradise and the winner will have its own special treatment I lined up later. As always, the fastest time wins, am I right? Let's roll!



And now, the results...

2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat (707HP/650ft-lb/4,438lb/57%/6,166cc/A766) - 2:25.979
2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat (707HP/650ft-lb/4,575lb/54%/6,166cc/A773) - 2:24.878

The Charger SRT Hellcat, despite being slightly heavier than the Challenger SRT Hellcat, is the fastest by a second. Sure, they have similar terms but looks like the Charger SRT Hellcat is the Hellcat to rule them all and this means, it's time for the special treatment I lined up for the winner.





Surprise! Our little demon friend will be pleased when she sees this design inspired by Love Live Sunshine's Yoshiko Tsushima. Oh wait...it's Yohane. Not Yoshiko. Sorry. But anyway, let's give this specially-pampered Hellcat some celebratory screen presence it deserved. I got the cameras rolling in!







Oh, don't worry about the Challenger Hellcat because even though it lost the race against the Charger Hellcat relative, I have something else in store for it...except the once-feared Hellcat has been demoted to a mere child's toy. Speaking of child's toy, the Challenger Hellcat's been plastered with the image of Yokai Watch's Tomnyan. How embarrassing to see a uber-powerful muscle car being plastered with an image from a children's cartoon. Welcome to your walk of shame.





It's great to have both of the Hellcats being part of this wondrous experience in the Land Down Under. Whether it is the two-door Challenger or the four-door Charger, they all have one thing in common; to unleash all that seven-oh-seven fury against anyone who stands in their way. It may be their way to have them respect their authoritah but to understand the Hellcats even more than the next driver, it's going to be a challenge because even the hastiest of drivers can get thrown by the Hellcat's rage until the chosen few can unleash its force to be reckoned with. Hellcats are not for everyone but do you got what it takes to unleash them? Do you?