FORBIDDEN FRUIT: Cars we wish were sold in SA ● Follow IOL MOTORING on Instagram for the latest performance car news
1. DODGE CHALLENGER HELLCAT
Want to make that Mustang up the road look like a sick mule? All it takes is some Hellcat fury, although that’s only if you live in the United States, that is. Dodge has taken the muscle car to a whole new level with its Challenger SRT Hellcat line-up, which Americans can order in a multitude of flavours, priced from $60 695 upwards, which equated to a shade over a million rand at the time of writing. Buyers can choose between a standard SRT Hellcat with 535kW or a Hellcat Redeye with 594kW and both are available in standard or widebody formats. While the 626kW Demon has been banished, there is apparently a 602kW Super Stock Challenger on the way for 2021. Dodge also offers a four-door alternative to the Challenger, in the form of the Charger SRT Hellcat. All are powered by a 6.2-litre supercharged Hemi V8 powerhouse with a rear-wheel drive configuration, that has made the Challenger a tyre-smoking celebrity on YouTube. Customers can also choose between manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions. The Demon, incidentally, also became the world’s first production car to lift its front wheels under acceleration, as certified by Guinness World Records.
2. FORD FIESTA ST
JASON WOOSEY
DESPITE being a relatively small market, South Africa still has a very decent selection of performance cars, but there are still a lot of exciting options available globally that don’t reach our shores, usually because they’re left-handdrive only. Without further ado, these are our favourite pieces of performance car forbidden fruit:
Back in the day, the original Ford Fiesta ST was one of our favourite pocket rockets, but sadly Ford South Africa no longer imports it. Those who love the off-beat hum of a three-cylinder engine would be in for a treat if the latest Fiesta ST ever came to South Africa. It’s 1.5-litre turbocharged engine produces 147kW and 290Nm, making it one of the most powerful three-pot powertrains in the world. 0-100km/h? Expect that to come up in just 6.7 seconds. Drivers can now choose between three drive modes that affect the engine, exhaust, steering as well as stability control, with Normal for everyday driving, Sport for fast roads and Track mode for, well, you know. Traction control is disabled completely in this mode, while the electronic stability control is set to wideslip mode, and can be switched off completely through a separate switch. A torque vectoring system is also in place to help you slice those tight bends with minimal understeer.
