Challenger RT Vs. Jeep SRT Is American Muscle Vs. Even More American Muscle

The Dodge Challenger R/T (that would be Road & Track) comes with a HEMI 5.7-liter V8 engine good for 374 hp and 409 lb-ft (555 Nm) of maximum torque - perfectly decent figures for a naturally-aspirated engine. Being an R/T, it also gets better brakes, upgraded suspension, and grippier tires.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (Street and Racing Technology), on the other hand, is a definite upgrade on the Challenger as far as power output goes. The 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine churns out 477 hp and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) Nm of torque, but it does so inside a heavier and less aerodynamic body.

If you think that's impressive for an SUV, allow us to introduce the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. This monstrosity gets a slightly smaller engine at 6.2 liters, but this time the air is force-fed into the burning chamber to generate 707 hp and up to 645 lb-ft (873 Nm) of torque. It'll accelerate like a horse that sat in a hot peppers field reaching 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and just generally speaking do lots of things that are very un-SUV-like.

Compared to the Trackhawk, the SRT Grand Cherokee is a little kitten, but it does have pretty impressive numbers of its own: 0-60 mph sprint takes just 4.4 seconds, for instance. However, it does carry a lot of weight around, especially compared to the not so light itself Dodge Challenger R/T: 5,356 lbs (2,429 kg) compared to 4,083 lbs (1,852 kg).

It's pretty difficult to predict a winner in a drag race based on these numbers alone, but it would very much depend on the nature of the competition. The Jeep would probably come away as the winner in a standing quarter mile race thanks to its higher torque and four-wheel-drive system. A standing half-mile would be a coin toss, while any running start format should be claimed by the R/T. That's the theory, at least. Hit "play" to see what happens in real life.