Two RWD-biased sedans competing against a rear-wheel-drive sedan one size larger than both. Two six-cylinder cars duking it out against a V8-powered muscle car. The trio in the featured clip is a spicy one, but the more pressing question is, which is the quarter-mile king? Let’s find out!
Pictured in white, Kia’s range-topping variant of the Stinger is the second-oldest design of the lot. Previewed by the GT concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and the GT4 Stinger concept from the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the D-segment liftback launched in 2017 for the 2018 model year. To be discontinued this year, the soon-to-be-axed Stinger can be specified with rear- or all-wheel drive.
The GT comes with rear-drive as standard, whereas all-wheel drive adds $2,200 to the tally as per the U.S. configurator. In this configuration, the Stinger weighs 4,023 pounds (make that 1,828 kilograms), which is pretty alright given the car’s footprint. We also have to remember that a twin-turbocharged V6 is hiding under the hood, connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Lambda II T-GDi sixer is good for 365 horsepower at 6,000 revolutions per minute and 376 pound-feet (510 Nm) from 1,300 to 4,500 revolutions per minute. Not bad for a Kia, huh?
Next up, the bright silver-painted CLS isn’t your usual CLS. Twinned with the E 53 and GT 4-Door 53, the CLS 53 rocks a 3.0L inline-six turbo with EQ Boost, an electric auxiliary compression, and plenty of AMG badging. Unfortunately for AMG loyalists, the 53 series isn’t considered a true AMG because the powerplant isn’t hand-assembled in Affalterbach.
As opposed to 362 ponies and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm) for the 450, the 53 levels up to 429 and 384 (520). It uses a nine-speed automatic with a torque converter, not the multi-clutch gearbox of the 63 series. The newest design of the bunch weighs 4,389 pounds (1,991 kilograms) in this spec.
The final entry is a dinosaur in many respects. Not only does it feature a platform dating back to the DaimlerChrysler era, but the Charger also flaunts a good ol’ HEMI. The naturally-aspirated V8 is referred to as 392 after the cubes it displaces, as in 6.4 liters if you prefer the metric system.
Equipped with a TorqueFlite automatic based on the ZF-developed 8HP, the red-painted Charger Daytona weighs 4,410 pounds (2,000 kilograms). Good for 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet (644 Nm) on full song, the four-door muscle car boasts aftermarket instead of factory-issue rubber.
We’re not going to spoil which is quicker from a dig and a roll, though. The Charger vs. Stinger vs. CLS video was uploaded a few hours ago, and as ever, it was filmed at Sam CarLegion’s trademark location in Canada.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News