2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Shaker: Your Time Machine Is Ready

The 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Shaker is the answer to the question 'what if I want to drive a car like the Hellcat, but I also don't want to die?' If you've been put off by the awesome responsibility that comes with the Challenger SRT Hellcat's 707 horsepower, or perhaps discouraged by its $72,000 price tag, then the Scat Pack Shaker presents an appealing alternative.

With 'only' 485 horsepower from a stupendously huge V8 under its hood, this more-retro-than-retro muscle coupe has sufficient power to be fun, but not enough to accidentally wrap yourself around a telephone pole while trying to reverse into a parking space. It's also got a functional air scoop sticking up through the hood to let your neighbours know you mean business as you commute to work each and every morning. Oh, and the window sticker checks in at under $50k. Really, at this point I have to wonder why you haven't already walked away from your computer screen and put a deposit down.

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All-New Where It Counts

The 'Shaker' concept is nothing new for Dodge, as 2014 also offered a 'scoop through the hood' model in R/T trim that summoned the ghosts of drag strips past to inject more than a little extra attitude into the modern coupe. The 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Shaker, however, has been given a thorough refresh for the current model year, one that includes subtle changes to the car's front and rear lighting, the installation of a thinner grille, and a new, much-improved interior that moves away from the plainness of the previous edition and instead adds glorious 70s-inspired rotary gauges to frame an LCD gauge cluster display. There's also a fresh centre console that shields the shifter from passenger interference, nicer seats and interior trim, and the best-in-class Uconnect 8.4 infotainment interface holding it all together on the dash.

Heavy Metal Thunder

While these cosmetic updates are welcome, most muscle machine fanatics are going to be more impressed by what's waiting for them when they hit the Scat Pack Shaker's start button. As the 6.4-litre V8 roars to life, you are asked to contemplate the mortality of the Challenger's rear tires, rather than your own as when sitting behind the Hellcat's supercharged mill. With 475 lb-ft of twist ready to be harnessed by the deft combination of your left foot and the six forward ratios provided by the Shaker's available manual gearbox, it's probably a good idea to have a spare set of 20-inch 245/45/ZR's waiting in the garage, especially if you activate Sport mode (which turns off the car's traction control).

Of course, if you want a more finely-tuned burn-out experience, then you can always avail yourself of the Super Track Pak button, which activates the car's Performance Pages app. Displayed on the large and bright Uconnect screen, the feature allows you to alter the car's steering and throttle sensitivity, as well as keep tabs on 0-100 km/h times and quarter mile sprint statistics. A full set of digital gauges can also be accessed via the Performance Pages, making the Scat Pack Shaker feel even more special than the hole in its hood already suggests.

Straight-Line Shenanigans

As much effort has been put into helping the SRT Hellcat shrug off its two-tonne curb weight on a road course, in my mind the R/T Scat Pack Shaker is the most honest and enjoyable member of the Challenger's now four-model-strong V8 family. The 110 extra horses harnessed by the 6.4-litre motor are a much better match for the tubby coupe as compared to the entry-level R/T's 5.7-litre, and while the Scat Pack gets bigger brakes and a stiffer suspension, it doesn't make you pay extra for the-next-step-up SRT 392's competition-inspired gear that 90 percent of buyers will never use. Oh, and it doesn’t threaten to stop the rotation of the Earth at every stoplight like the Hellcat, which is always a plus.

Instead, the Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Shaker gives you all of what you need, and none of what you don't. I'm talking about straight-line speed: with a full launch control system that lets you dial-in the exact RPM you want to peg the V8 at on the hole-shot, the Scat Pack is more than willing to turn in sub-five-second sprints to 100 km/h all day long. Practice with the clutch yourself - or opt for the solid eight-speed automatic - and you can eventually best the computer at its own game. Your reward for these shenanigans, other than tire squeal and the roar of an intoxicatingly-tuned dual exhaust system, is the sensation that you're driving the world's most comfortable time machine, a modern-day coupe that embraces all of the muscle era's strengths and none of its bone-rattling weaknesses. Well, except the ability to competently hit an apex.

My Favourite Muscle Car

Were it my money, and if I had a direct line to the Albertan oil fields to address the car's horrendous fuel economy, the R/T Scat Pack Shaker would be my pick from Dodge's enticingly diverse Challenger family. The opposite of anonymous - I had people constantly walking up to the car simply to tell me how cool they thought it was - the Scat Pack Shaker's nostalgic authenticity, manageable V8 power, and outstanding soundtrack are the perfect complements to its roomy, comfortable interior and up-to-date in-car infotainment and safety gear.

Hammer the throttle and you'll feel like a hero, but even at cruising speeds you'll enjoy all the envious eyes cast your way from sidewalks and beige Toyota Camrys piloted by those who wished they'd followed their heart rather than their head. What's the worst thing about owning a R/T Scat Pack Shaker? Having to tell everyone that no, it's not a Hellcat. If you can get past that semi-regular assault on your ego then you, too, will fall in love with the best Challenger Dodge has ever built.