Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Drags Tesla, This Mopar Doesn't Bite the EV Dust So Easily

The American carmaker is striving hard to follow in the footsteps of Tesla, albeit with a twist – after closing production of the L-bodied Dodge Charger sedan and Challenger muscle car in December 2023, they have introduced the eighth-generation 2024 Charger Daytona as an all-electric muscle car. With two EV options at up to 670 hp and traditional fastback coupe plus four-door sedan body styles, the new Charger might be a compelling option – especially when running down the quarter-mile dragstrip against a Tesla.

However, it's going to be a while before people start pitting the novel Charger EV against Tesla Performance models. For now, though, we have to contend with the pre-facelift Tesla Model 3 going against the retired Dodge Challenger in a classic ICE versus EV brawl. More precisely, the videographer behind the Wheels Plus channel on YouTube is a big fan of Bandimere Speedway, home of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, and it shows.

While searching for the next great encounter at the racetrack (probably during its final days of operation), also known in the NHRA as Thunder Mountain, the channel's host stumbled upon a dark and menacing Dodge Challenger Hellcat Widebody ready to kick it to shambles with a white EV knight Tesla Model 3. From the get-go, the Mopar driver seemed ready to rock with a massively great burnout and an even greater reaction time.

While Hellcats are notoriously hard to tame off the start line, this one performed flawlessly, and despite the EV's massive zero rpm torque advantage, it held on its own for the entire duration of the race. Hence, this Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat proved a much harder ICE-powered nut to crack than other muscle cars, and the Mopar won – 11.3s versus 11.42s! Still, if you prefer the EV, it went against an old-school muscle car next and proved that age does make a difference, hence the 11.43s versus 12.65s victory.

As far as Tesla is concerned, the upcoming 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV is not necessarily a threat because the zero-emissions Mopar is so darn big and heavy that even a Tesla Cybertruck will probably beat it at the local quarter-mile dragstrip. Instead, Tesla might want to focus next on bringing to market the refreshed Tesla Model 3 Performance or Ludicrous with an upgraded rear motor and around 600 combined horsepower. As for Dodge, the next Durango is coming next, most likely – perhaps with both EV and six-cylinder ICE options, just like in the next-gen Charger.