Can’t Afford a Dodge Challenger Hellcat? Buy a Widebody Kit Instead
If you currently own a Dodge Challenger but wish that it looked more like a Demon Hellcat, then you have probably checked out the body kits that the aftermarket has to offer. Unfortunately, many of the body kits that you can purchase online come close to the OEM Hellcat look, but don’t quite fit the bill. Fortunately, you will soon be able to make your dream come true.
Many Dodge Challenger widebody kits have made good attempts through the years
Yes, it’s true that you can currently look up “Dodge Challenger Hellcat widebody kit” on Google and come up with a plethora of results. However, none of them are true to the OEM form. According to MotorTrend, there have been many reputable companies like Vicrez, BMC Extreme Customs, and Liberty Walk that have done well to make widebody conversion kits for the non-Hellcat Challenger, but none of them “nail the original SRT or Demon exactly.”
The publication went on to say that it’s not a question of getting the perfect look, instead, it’s a matter of a copyright issue – a matter that Dodge takes very seriously. To add to that, manufacturing these widebody kits and getting them to fit perfectly can be difficult as well. Of course, that’s not to say that Challenger owners shouldn’t buy an aftermarket widebody kit if they want one, but an OEM kit would be the best option.
Dodge will soon offer a widebody kit through Direct Connection Power Brokers
Fortunately, an OEM widebody kit is on the way. Direct Connection Power Brokers recently released its catalog of high-performance parts for the Challenger and within its pages is a “Challenger Widebody Fender Flare Kit.” But that’s not all, there’s even the 2019 Hellcat hood and front fascia kit for sale separately so that 2015-up Challenger owners can upgrade their car to Hellcat aesthetics in pieces.
The kit doesn’t exactly come cheap though. While many aftermarket widebody kits are priced in the $1,200 to $1,500 range, the OEM fender kit alone will set you back $2,500. The hood costs $1,495 and the front fascia kit costs $1,995. In total, that’s around $6,000 before taxes, shipping, and installation costs. If you plan to do it yourself, then be prepared to cut and drill some body panels to install it properly.
There are plenty of other parts in the catalog to complete the Hellcat look
If you want more than just the widebody kit, then check out the rest of the Direct Connection Power Brokers catalog. Within the pages, you’ll find plenty of other performance parts like air intakes, Hellcat Widebody-look wheels, and an air catcher headlight kit to complete the Hellcat look. MotorTrend did the hard work for you and totaled up all of the parts to make any 2015-up Challenger look like a Hellcat.
When it’s all said and done, you’re looking at spending around $9,694 for the fender flare kit, the front fascia kit, the hood, the wheels, the air-catcher headlamp kit, and a set of General tires. All in all, that’s not bad considering buying a real Hellcat will set you back a lot more than $10,000.