C7 Corvette Z06 Duo Races 392-Powered Muscle Cars From Dodge, Obliteration Follows

Not to be confused with the Charger Daytona R/T from 2006 or the big-winged aero warrior from 1969, the Charger Daytona 392 is a special edition with little in the way of changes from the Scat Pack Widebody. Good for 485 horsepower at 6,100 revolutions per minute and 475 pound-feet (644 Nm) of torque at 4,100 revolutions per minute, both the Scat Pack and Daytona 392 have a problem in the form of curb weight.

Rated at 4,372 pounds (1,983 kilograms) without a driver, of which 55 percent hangs over the front axle, the four-door sedan is noticeably heavier than the C7-generation Corvette Z06 on the other side of the drag strip. Back in 2014 for the 2015 model year, General Motors quoted 3,524 pounds (1,598 kilograms) for the coupe and 3,582 (1,625) for the convertible, as well as a 50:50 weight distribution.

Pictured at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, both cars blitz the quarter mile in 13 seconds. There is a difference of seven tenths between them, though, with the 'Vette clocking 13.11 as opposed to 13.82 for the Dodge. Trap speed? Make that 119.43 and 100.43 miles per hour, which means 192.20 and 161.62 kilometers per hour in the metric system.

The next race pits a C7-gen Corvette Z06 against a Challenger R/T Scat Pack. As opposed to the Charger from earlier, this one doesn't feature the widebody option. Be that as it may, the Challenger had its rear tires replaced with super-sticky drag radials. In combination with lighter drag wheels, the 392-engined Challenger should put up a good fight.

The driver of the Z06, however, makes a mess of the start. We all know that spinning ain't winning, but 14.84 seconds at 112.29 miles per hour (180.71 kilometers per hour) is an extremely poor outcome. To whom it may concern, General Motors advertised the 2015 model year Corvette Z06 with a quarter-mile time of 10.95 seconds with the eight-speed automatic (or 11.2 seconds with the manual box).

The Challenger's driver matched the 13.82 seconds of the wide-bodied Charger Scat Pack, yet posted a higher speed over the quarter mile (105.58 miles per hour/169.91 kilometers per hour as opposed to 100.43 miles per hour/161.62 kilometers per hour). Even with the widebody option and front runners, it would crack into the low 11s to challenge (pun intended) the original Challenger SRT Hellcat.

As you're well aware, General Motors replaced the C7 with the mid-engined C8 for 2020. Available in three distinct flavors at press time, the first-ever production Corvette with mid-mounted muscle is expected to join the 800-horsepower club next year with the introduction of the ZR1. Closely related to the Z06, the primary difference between the heavily anticipated ZR1 and the Z06 is turbocharging.

The Challenger and Charger we all know and love will be discontinued after 2023. The next-gen Charger is a three-door liftback with either twin-turbo I6 or all-electric powertrain choices. Not much is known about the Challenger, which may be replaced by the next-generation Dodge Charger.