Dodge Charger Hellcat Vs Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Race Ends in Total Humiliation

Well, yes, it is, but not at any cost. No, we mean that literally: not at any cost. The muscle/pony car philosophy says these vehicles need to be fast, but they also have to be fairly accessible. Adding AWD makes for more complex vehicles, which means they are more expensive to buy and more expensive to maintain, among other things.

And there's another aspect: when muscle cars came about, they were racing among each other. It was a level playing field. Then came the imports, and whether we're talking Japan, Germany, or any other country, they each came with their own philosophy on how you build a fast car and, just as importantly, how expensive they can be.

With that in mind, a fair drag race wouldn't be between two cars with similar amounts of power, but between two that cost roughly the same. Anyone can make a quick car if money is no object, though to be fair, in the case of a Mercedes-AMG (E 63 S T-Modell, as is the case here, or any other) you're not paying just for the technology inside, but also the high level of luxury of the interior.

Even though the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S held the title for the most powerful AMG model for a while with the 604 hp (612 PS) its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 makes, the Dodge Charger Hellcat is actually considerably more powerful. The 6.2-liter supercharged V8 makes 707 hp (717 PS), which is over 100 hp more than the Merc. However, it's also way more than the two rear wheels can handle on the non-sticky surface of a regular road (or runway), at least in the early stages of a race.

Put two and two together and what you get is a complete humiliation for the American model. "OK," you'll say, "but this is apples to oranges. Race the Charger against a RWD opponent." With the push of a button (or several, we can't remember), the AMG E 63 S can enter "Drift Mode" where all the power is sent to the rear wheels. How convenient.

Well, unfortunately for the Hellcat, this is only going to make matters worse for it because despite operating in a mode that's meant to allow plenty of wheelspin, the AMG is still victorious. The only consolation the Dodge can find is that it costs roughly 65% of the AMG's price. Whether that's enough or not, we can't say, but put it this way: even if you can buy two Charger Hellcats for the price of one AMG E 63 S, you'll simply have two cars that will lose to the Merc. Quantity over quality.