America is in a rather strange situation politically at the moment. Thankfully, things are just as crazy in the world of muscle cars. How better to improve on the Challenger SRT Hellcat than by making it wider?

Yes, it’s another Mopar creation on EngageSportMode. No, we’re not sponsored by Dodge. Although if Sergio Marchionne wants to share some of his indeterminable wealth, we’re more than happy to sell out here. Or we will accept payment in the form of a Challenger SRT Hellcat.

“Happy 4th of July! Let’s celebrate it by adding a widebody kit to the already mental 707hp SRT Hellcat”. We like to think that those were the words which came out of the Dodge engineers, and marketeers, responsible for this latest creation. This wasn’t a particularly challenging exercise for the people at Dodge; taking the flared fenders from the Demon and slotting them on the Hellcat instead.

Doing so endows the Hellcat with an additional 3.5 inches of girth, and obviously makes it look 3.5 inches cooler in profile. Adding the name ‘Widebody’ to any car usually only ever results in good things, and we’re pleased to confirm that Dodge has continued that tradition. Getting an extra ‘wide on’ means this Hellcat now has rear wheels 11 inches across –  an increase of 1.5 inches over the ‘normal’ version. Tyres are vast 305/35R20 Pirelli P-Zeros, and offer more grip.

So much more grip that the Hellcat Widebody is 0.1 seconds quicker to 60mph (3.4 seconds), 0.3 seconds quicker over a standing 1/4 mile, and pulls 0.04g more on a skid pan compared to the normal car. These may seem like fractional increases – and are – but this is what people wanted according to Dodge. They might not have wanted the top speed to drop to only 195mph though.

The wonderful 6.2-litre supercharged Hemi V8 engine remains unchanged, with the same 707hp and 650lb-ft of torque on offer. Standard electrically-assisted power steering is new, however, and offers Street, Sport, and Track settings. Dodge promises the electric power steering will promote feel and improve handling, although we imagine buyers seeking a Hellcat for chassis finesse are limited.

Beyond the stretched wheel arches, the Widebody is pretty much business as usual. A new alloy wheel design, suitably named ‘Devil’s Rim’ by Dodge, is the other notable addition. Inside the interior remains as before, although the instrument panel does gain a new SRT Hellcat badge.

With a suggested retail price of $71,495 (including the $1,700 ‘gas guzzler’ tax), the Hellcat Widebody is some $7,000 more expensive than the ‘narrowbody’ car. That seems quite a lot of cash for flared wheel arches and wider tyres, but the real prize is the enhanced looks and extra grip. Sales begin later this summer, with deliveries by the fall autumn. We’ll take ours in Go Mango orange, Sergio.