Born half a century apart and in rival dynasties, the L88 Chevrolet Corvette and the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon share a key trait. These American icons were built to race, with the Mopar machine worshiping the quarter-mile god and the Chevy being a track-savvy offering. So, why not throw the two at each other, grab some popcorn and enjoy the spectacle?
If you think the 3,300 units of the 800-plus horsepower Demon make for a limited production, you should keep in mind that the Corvette C3's L88 incarnation is in a totally different league, as only 216 units were built between 1967 and 1969.
While the Corvette had grown larger and heavier over the years, the L88 option did away with amenities such as air conditioning, radio, and power steering while featuring upgraded suspension and brakes. The said goodies were a mandatory solution for a machine that was conceived as a gift to racing crews (many units competed on famous circuits, Le Mans included), even though this was still a street-legal car and a number of examples ended up treated as such by their owners.
Oh, and did we mention the muscle? That trademark L88 hood conceals a massaged incarnation of Chevrolet's 427ci (7.0L) big block, with the official rating of 435 hp being a massive understatement. We say that because the unit would deliver over 550 ponies in the real world; this was just one of the measures GM used to discourage buyers not affiliated to the motorsport world from purchasing the machine.
The example we have here, which features the three-speed automatic, not the four-speed manual, has had its V8 bored to 439ci (7.2L), while the compression ratio of the engine jumped from 12:01 to 13.5:1.
Nowadays, L88s are some of the most sought-after Corvettes, with certain examples commanding seven-figure numbers at auctions. So, as you can imagine, seeing one put to drag racing work as part of a retro-fueled series we've discussed in the past is quite a rare occasion.
In fact, for the brief interval that saw the two velocity beasts duke it out on the drag strip (lens tip to Cars and Zebras), nothing else mattered to those of us holding that popcorn. Heck, we didn't even care that much about the result of the race since the Dodge's drag-friendly tires, along with all its modern features and, of course, its supercharger, meant the outcome of the 1,320-foot battle wouldn't exactly be a surprise.
(you can jump to the 6:40 timestamp for the quarter-mile action)
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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