When it was introduced back in 2017, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon was the quickest road-legal production car in the world from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) and down the quarter-mile. The drag-ready Mopar has since been surpassed by EVs like the Tesla Model S Plaid and Rimac Nevera, but it still remains one of the quickest out there. But is it faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo S?
Well, it depends on which Turbo S we're talking about, but the answer is yes when it comes to stock Porsches. The current-gen 911 Turbo S needs 2.7 seconds to hit 60 mph, which is almost a half-second slower than the Demon. When it comes to quarter-mile sprints, the German coupe needs around 10.1 seconds to cover the distance, also almost a half-second slower than the Dodge.
But the duel you are about to see below sees the latest 911 Turbo S replaced by a previous, 911.2-gen model. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense since the older Turbo S is a tad slower, but there's a catch: thanks to a series of aftermarket mods, this 911 packs a bit more oomph than stock. Specifically, the beefed-up flat-six cranks out 620 wheel horsepower, significantly more than the 580-horsepower rating of its stock siblings.
Still, since the Demon flexes a more powerful V8, it's an easy guess as to who will win this drag race, right? Well, not exactly. While it might not be as powerful, the Porsche 911 has a few other aces up its sleeve. It's also being manhandled by a driver that hits a near-perfect green light.
The first race sees the Demon taking the lead off the line, but the 911 catches up to score a narrow win by only 0.03 seconds. The second race debuts similarly, but the 911 doesn't have enough time to catch on to the Demon. The Dodge takes the win by a tenth-second.
With the cars tied after two races, the third encounter becomes the duel that separates the boys from the men. And the 911 Turbo S driver teaches the Demon a painful lesson about reaction times at the Christmas tree. Following a couple of reaction times in the 0.2-second bracket, the Porsche driver hits a near-perfect start, touching the gas pedal only 0.013 clicks after the lights went green.
It almost looks like he took a red light, but he didn't. And the lightning-fast reaction gives him a comfortable lead that results in a half-second advantage at the finish line. With the second win in the bag, the 911 takes the overall victory and proves that power isn't everything at the drag strip.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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