Speed demons: Cars and SUVs get more pep in their step
NEW YORK — Fred Croatti often drives his silver Dodge Charger Hellcat to the grocery store, turning heads as he rumbles through the parking lot with a supercharged 6.2-litre 707-horsepower engine.
Although Croatti’s car sounds like a NASCAR racer, the retired pilot from Port Orange, Florida, isn’t looking for attention. He just loves the power.
“The visceral effect of the air, the sound,” he says. “All you’ve got to do is tickle the gas a little bit and the hairs on the back of your head stand up.”
At a time when mainstream and luxury cars look similar inside and out, buyers like Croatti are hungry for sound and speed, and car companies are happy to oblige.