If you walked into a dealership thinking Hellcat, you probably also knew it wasn't going to be a $30k car... and wouldn't settle for less.
Upbadging exists because of dreamers with no intent to purchase. The theory above is that the HC gets them into the dealership because they want 700+ HP and then they settle for 305... I don't know if that's true... I never considered it, not even for the Camaro or Mustang. I'm also a top of the line guy though, when I buy a vehicle it is always in the highest trim available because that is what appeals to me, not the shell of something similar.
Careful, there's a touchy Viper crowd on here...