ATS Road Trip: Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody First Look

With the Ford Car Pack’s four cars now all shown, SCS Software has turned back to the other pack. The first in-game showcase from the RAM & Dodge Car Pack is the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, and SCS is careful to call it a work in progress.

Seen before, now in the game

Players have met this car already, in a way. Last October an SCS On The Road episode showed the team recording a real Hellcat Widebody owned by Marek, from idle rumble to full acceleration. The new screenshots are the first look at what that reference has turned into.

What SCS is focusing on

There are no specs, colours or trim lists this time. The post is mostly about intent. SCS says each Road Trip car is meant to raise the bar for visual quality, and for the Challenger its vehicle artists have concentrated on the exterior proportions, the materials and lighting, and the interior detail.

The screenshots back that up. The silver car shows off the widened arches and hood vents, another shot puts it on the Golden Gate Bridge, a red one rolls past a Stanislaus National Forest sign at dusk, and the cabin shots show the SRT wheel, red seat belts and perforated seats. SCS wants the car to look right in every setting, from a scenic overlook to a drive under changing skies.

Expectations

The most interesting line is not about the car. SCS uses the post to state plainly what Road Trip is for: exploration, atmosphere and American car culture on the open road. That reads like a gentle correction for anyone expecting a racing game. A Hellcat in ATS is for cruising historic highways and small towns, not lap times.

Andi, who modelled the Challenger and the Charger, said in January that his favourite part of the job was the interior textures and materials, and the challenge of keeping them detailed but optimised. On this evidence it is going well. Further refinements are planned.

Source: SCS Software blog. Images and video: SCS Software.