Dodge Challenger Hellcat Drag Races Nissan GT-R Nismo, Trampling Occurs

Fortunately, the shenanigan we have here took place at the drag strip, which not only means things were kept on the safe side, but also involved the drivers using the prepped surface.

We're looking at a pair of performance coupes that could hardly be more different. Sure, they both keep their engines up front and can cater to the transportation needs of four people. But while the GT-R is all about putting that AWD to use, the Mopar machine follows the classic muscle car recipe.

Nevertheless, a drag race between the two can be considered an interesting bet, at least on paper. For the record, the Challenger we have here is a Hellcat, which means it delivers 707 ponies to the rear wheels. And, since this is the non-Widebody model, we'll mention Dodge's official times for the 1,320 feet sprint: 11.2 seconds on the standard tires and 10.8 seconds using drag radials.

As for the R35, this is the NISMO range-topper, even though we can't be entirely sure if we're dealing with the 2020 model or its 2017 predecessor. Regardless, they're both capable of delivering clean 11-second quarter-mile passes.

Now, there are a few aspects one can notice about this battle. For starters, the Nissan GT-R doesn't seem to launch quite as vigorously as it could: maybe this is just an illusion caused by the fact that the Hellcat drivers seems to have the better reaction time or perhaps the otherwise uber-sharp Launch Control feature couldn't handle the grippier surface of the track as well as that of the road.

Judging by the 1/4-mile numbers of the Hellcat, this is clearly the eight-speed auto, not the six-speed manual, while the thing might pack some light mods.

Even so, the battle is a delight, from the engine sound mix at the beginning to the sheer idea of a race between these aging-like-fine-wine giants ( while the GT-R is in production since December 2007, the modern Challenger started rolling out the factory gates just four months later).