As horsepower addicts most of us like our horsepower on demand. At the demand of our right foot, or the demand of our checkbook or bank account when we head to the local car dealer to buy our next big horsepower acquisition. Dodge has raised eyebrows of the media and enthusiasts of all brands with its Hellcat powered Challenger and Charger cars. The Hellcat has proven to be significantly more popular than the manufacturer originally predicted resulting in a flood of orders for what is currently the highest horsepower muscle car from a big three manufacturer in history.
There’s just one little problem. There are about 900 potential Hellcat buyers out there, who just had their 2015 orders cancelled. Fiat-Chrysler cancelled all remaining 2015 Hellcat orders, and gave those who have been patiently waiting for their Mopar muscle car thrills to come from Dodge’s most powerful vehicle ever, a voucher for a 2016 car. You can read more about what happened in this article from StreetMuscleMag.
So what are these enthusiasts to do? Many muscle car owners and buyers are the instant gratification type. We don’t like waiting in line, whether it’s to get our hands on a car, or passing slower cars on the track. That’s why we buy and drive muscle cars.
Shelby American is pulling a clever trick for potential Hellcat buyers as one possible solution. They’re offering anyone holding one of the cancelled orders or vouchers for a 2015 Hellcat an opportunity to purchase a new Shelby Super Snake with the 850 horsepower upgrade, a free upgrade to Katzkin leather seats, normally a $2,995 option. “You can’t park a voucher in your garage, so the 850+ horsepower Shelby Super Snake is the perfect solution for power-hungry-Hellcat fans,” said Keith Belair, Shelby American Chief Operating Officer. “We can give them the high performance car they want without the frustration of getting back in line.”
“This is the hottest opportunity for disappointed Hellcat customers,” said Gary Schechner, Shelby American Vice President of Marketing. “They now have the chance to buy the car that would have likely left their Hellcat at the last traffic light. And now they’ll be able to do it from the more comfortable seats of their Shelby Super Snake. And our cars are ready to be built now. There is no need to wait.” Those are bold words that will likely stir the muscle car war even more.
We’re not sure that this proposition to would-be Hellcat buyers will work but for Shelby American it’s worth a shot. If you’re an enthusiast who just wants bragging rights at having the baddest muscle car in the neighborhood, and you don’t want to wait for your Hellcat order to come in, this might be a golden opportunity. That is, if you can swallow the price tag of $54,995 plus the cost of a new Mustang GT for the new Super Snake.