A Year in Cars, 2014: The Dodge Challenger Hellcat Breaks the Sound Barrier

Dec 31, 2014 06:00 PM EST | Jeff Jablansky

Few new cars scream "America" with more unadulterated gusto than the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. In fact, none of them can. That's because none of them were bestowed a 707-horsepower supercharged V-8 and a chassis tuned by SRT for shredding tires as well as it can attack a raceway. And the Challenger Hellcat is never quiet about its intentions: You hear it coming even before you see it.

Rather than prattle on about the way the raucous exhaust note made us nearly deaf, how the whine of the supercharger is the most patriotic automotive accessory on the market, or why a gentle touch of the accelerator is key to not letting the car overtake the driver, we felt it most appropriate to honor the loud, supercharged savage with a quiet salute.

Here's a haiku to one of my most hilariously memorable drives of the year:

No neighborhood Cat
Wakes the neighbors, screams and growls,
Purrs when stroked softly.

For the last week of 2014, we're recounting some of our most memorable drives of the year. Check back throughout the end of the year for new installments.

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