--- title: "The Story of a Florida Man’s 180-MPH Dodge Charger Hellcat Test Drive Is Bogus" description: "Don't fall for it." date: "2017-05-09" modified: "2017-05-09" authors: - name: "Kyle Cheromcha" job_title: "Editor-in-Chief" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/10080/the-story-of-a-florida-mans-180-mph-dodge-charger-hellcat-test-drive-is-bogus" categories: - "Dodge News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "charger" - "Charger SRT Hellcat" - "dealership" - "dodge" - "Hellcat" - "police" - "sedan" - "speeding" - "sports car" - "test drive" --- # The Story of a Florida Man’s 180-MPH Dodge Charger Hellcat Test Drive Is Bogus ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* Yesterday, a story [about a fateful test drive]() started making the rounds online, and at first glance it seemed too good to be true: A salesman at the aptly named Thunder Dodge in Bartow, Florida had allegedly been arrested for taking a potential customer on a 180 mile-per-hour jaunt on a public highway in a new Dodge Charger Hellcat and trying to outrun the police. Better yet, the customer was reportedly so impressed with the stunt that he reportedly bailed the brave salesman out of jail. And just when we were ready to add them both to the Hellcat Hall of Shame, it turns out the whole thing is a lie. We'll admit, the original "report" is suspiciously light on details and filled with questionable banner ads, but the story is just so temptingly easy to believe. There have been so many mind-boggling ["Florida Man" stories]() that the idea of a salesman taking a potential customer on the highway and saying, "Now, here's what she can *really* do" before stomping on the throttle actually seems within the realm of possibility. On top of that, there's also no shortage of tales of Hellcat drivers [paying the price]() for [pushing the limits]() on public roads. Still, we at *The Drive* were concerned about the lack of verifiable information and called the dealership to get their side of the story, who confirmed the whole thing was made up. A bemused spokesperson told us that the salesman named in the report, Eric Hale, is actually the dealer's Internet manager, adding that Hale was the one who posted the story online for fun. Disappointing, to be sure. Also, a bit confusing—one would think an Internet manager would have a better understanding of how stories catch on and spread without people checking the original source, and by using his own name, he was basically writing his own arrest report should anyone take it seriously. Maybe a crash course in viral infamy is in order. ## Author Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()