Ohio Police Confiscated a 797 HP Hellcat and Assigned It a Completely New Purpose | Carscoops
The powerful Dodge muscle car has been customized with police markings and flashing red and blue lights.
23 hours ago
by Brad Anderson
The Challenger Hellcat Redeye can complete a quarter-mile in under 11 seconds.
This 797 hp beast will not be used for police pursuits or high-speed chases.
The vehicle was acquired by the police through a court-ordered criminal forfeiture.
Criminals in Ohio may feel a sense of unease at the sight of a Dodge Challenger Hellcat in highway patrol colors, but they can relax: it won't be chasing after them. The real purpose of this muscle car is for parades and community events, serving as a showpiece that coincidentally possesses the capability to outpace most production cars in a straight line.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol refers to it as a Hellcat, but it actually features the hood of a Hellcat Redeye. If it is indeed a Redeye, it boasts 797 hp compared to the "just" 707 of a standard Hellcat. These vehicles can traverse a quarter-mile in under 11 seconds, making them fast enough to catch even the quickest stock production cars available to most drivers. However, residents of Ohio need not worry about that occurring.
Designed for Community Engagement, Not Crime Fighting
As is commonly seen with high-performance vehicles in police fleets, this Challenger will not be utilized to combat crime. Instead, it will be present at community gatherings, promoting officer engagement. Nevertheless, officers took pleasure in showcasing the car's speed, capturing a video of it racing down the drag strip for social media.
From Seizure to Service
To prepare the car for law enforcement purposes, new decals have been affixed to the exterior, and flashing red and blue lights were installed in front of the grille. The Ohio State Highway Patrol indicated that they did not buy the vehicle from a dealership; it was obtained through a court-ordered criminal forfeiture. Had the police not chosen to incorporate it into their fleet, it probably would have been sold or destroyed.
This isn't the first instance of a seized Hellcat being added to a police fleet in the U.S. Three years ago, the Texas Highway Patrol incorporated a modified Challenger Hellcat into its roster, which was upgraded to produce 1,080 horsepower. It was confiscated when the owner was apprehended for street racing and evading officers, reaching speeds of up to 160 mph (258 km/h).
Photos: Pickaway-Ross CTC
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Ohio Police Confiscated a 797 HP Hellcat and Assigned It a Completely New Purpose | Carscoops
The high-performance Dodge muscle car has been customized with police stickers and blinking red and blue lights.