Dodge Challenger "Hellephant 426" Does First 1/4-Mile Run

We first discussed this big coupe earlier this month, when the muscle toy hit the dyno. And we are now back on the topic, since the beast has been unleashed at the drag strip.

Of course, the question that sits on everybody's lips has to do with the 1,320 sprint of the Hellephant. And while they involve a 9.27s run at 150 mph, they're not that relevant by themselves, so let's take the time to see why.

In fact, there's a greater question here, born not just over all the hype the 7.0-liter HEMI has generated online and offline: is the big 426 worth it? You see, this type of hardware will set one back $29,995, while the installation kit costs an extra $2,265. Besides, the rumor mill talks about production being limited to just 100 units, at least for the time being.

Well, at least for now, we can only zoom in on what the aftermarket specialist playing with this motor has to say. We're talking about AJ Berge - who runs the Long Island, NY-based Hemituner Performance - who says the Hellephant is totally worth it.

For starters, while the 6.2 motor in the Hellcat and the Demon features an iron block, the Hellephant uses an aluminum one, so, following the said swap, the Challenger is 88 lbs lighter.

Of course, this sort of mill requires plenty of dialing in, to say the least - according to the said gearhead, a meatier torque converter for the ZF 8-speed auto would be required. In fact, he expects this car to deliver an 8.8s quarter-mile run at 155 mph and that's using 93-octane gas, not ethanol. Then again, we’ll probably have to wait for the cooler fall weather for such results.

For the record, we're looking at a small wheel conversion at the back, with the taller sidewall of the Mickey Thomspon rubber allowing for better launches. And it seems that the machine hit the redline for the first six ratios before hitting the 1/4-mile point.

Now, you can check out the said pass in the Facebook clip below, but the actual magic sits in the Demonology-supplied YouTube video, which sees the builder discussing his Hellephant work. Normally, we'd mention the main points and their corresponding timestamps, but this 59-minute vid is not your usual shenanigan.

The clip is loaded with details such as an opinion on running nitrous on the 426 monster, talking us through how a heavy machine like the Challenger reacts during the starting phase and (ready for it?) an upcoming build that will see the Hellephant morphing into a 448ci (7.34-liter) motor. Among others, the aficionado even talks about how the stronger engine block principles that led to birth of the Hellcat's 6.2 motor were applied to the naturally aspirated 6.4 HEMI after the first came out.