1971 Dodge Charger Meets 1970 Chevy Chevelle in Classic Muscle Car Drag Race

Prized and often expensive collectibles nowadays, these Detroit-made muscle machines are still being driven regularly. Fortunately, some owners opt to race them in Pure Stock Drag Race events, reenacting the good old days' horsepower shoot-outs.

Both coupes hide big V8s under the hood, starting with the 7.2-liter V8 in the Charger R/T. This Magnum mill packs an impressive 370 horsepower and 480 pound-feet (651 Nm) of torque. The Chevelle SS features a smaller, 6.5-liter V8, but it's almost as powerful at 350 horses and 415 pound-feet (563 Nm) of twist.

But while the Charger comes with a three-speed automatic gearbox, the Chevelle uses a four-speed row-your-own transmission to route the power to the rear wheels. The less powerful Chevy is also almost 300 pounds (136 kg) lighter, so it's difficult to say which muscle car has the advantage here.

Once the lights go green, the Chevelle SS snaps off the line a bit quicker than the Charger R/T and takes the lead. Despite the slightly less powerful engine, it leads by almost a car length half-way through the quarter-mile. The Chevelle goes on to take the win with a 14.39-second sprint. The Charger R/T comes almost a half-second behind at 14.79 seconds.

Interestingly enough, the Chevelle's trap speed is notably higher at 96.73 mph (155.67 kph). The Charger R/T crosses the line with the speedo needle at 92.63 mph (149.07 kph). Granted, both cars are notably slower than modern-day muscle cars, but I'd watch classic duels like this all day long.

Nothing compares to the roar of high-displacement, naturally aspirated V8 engines, and heavy-metal muscle taking off the line with their noses up in the air. Hit play and crank up the volume for pure awesomeness.