To be discontinued after the 2023 model year, the Challenger is going the way of the dodo with the Hellcat engine in tow. It's easy to blame fuel economy and emission regulations for the supercharged V8's demise, but as far as the Challenger is concerned, it should have been redesigned from the ground up long, long ago.
Previewed in 2006 and launched into production back in 2008, this generation of the Challenger was conceived with the help of Daimler. While on the subject of antiquated things, what Chrysler dubs HEMI Gen 3 rolled for the 2003 model year.
Even so, the Challenger is no pushover in combination with the only supercharged member of the HEMI engine family. Pictured at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the widebody Challenger in the video below runs a 10-second quarter mile. That's Challenger SRT Super Stock territory, with Dodge quoting an elapsed time of 10.5 fully stock.
A 2019-or-newer model based on the design of the hood, the V8-engined muscle car doesn't match the rivaling C7-generation Corvette Z06 in terms of miles per hour. That 'Vette topped a staggering 144 miles per hour (232 kilometers per hour), and to whom it may concern, General Motors advertised the 2015 model year Corvette Z06 with 10.95 seconds at 127 miles per hour (204 kilometers per hour).
Truth be told, the last generation of the front-engined Corvette is quite a bit lighter than Chrysler's two-door coupe. Nevertheless, the American muscle car (that's actually produced in Canada) returned to the strip for more quarter-mile action. The second run ended in 11 seconds for the Challenger, whereas the modded C6 in the other lane clocked a little over 12 clicks.
Uploaded by Wheels, the featured clip further includes a drag race between a Jaguar F-Type and the C7 mentioned just earlier. The Chevy, which also rocks a supercharged V8, once again blitzed the quarter mile at 144 miles per hour in the 10s.
Photo: Wheels on YouTube
As for the British GT, 12.3 seconds isn't bad for a car that wasn't designed to excel at the strip. The Jaguar also features what appear to be factory tires, which are designed for on-road action rather than straight-line showdowns on a VHT-drenched strip.
Similar to the Challenger, the F-Type will be discontinued in the near future as well. Back in April 2023, the folks at Jaguar Land Rover confirmed that Jaguar will transition to all-electric vehicles in the near future. The first of three zero-emission models will be revealed in the latter half of 2024 as a four-door GT on the brand-new JEA platform.
The newcomer promises up to 430 miles (700 kilometers) of driving range, with prices kicking off at 100,000 pounds sterling back home in the United Kingdom. At current exchange rates, that converts to 125,600 freedom eagles or thereabouts.
With the help of Groupe PSA, the Dodge brand is reinventing the four-door Charger as a three-door liftback with either inline-six turbo muscle or all-electric powertrains. The 2025 Dodge Charger is expected to deliver in excess of 800 horsepower in its punchiest form. At the lowest end of the spectrum, the Charger 340 belts out 455 ponies.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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