A good chunk of the muscle car world only cares about the all-new Dodge Charger series. For good reasons, as it is the first battery-electric vehicle in this class and the only one at this point, it has some very big shoes to fill.
Turning its muscle car into an EV for the latest generation is a bold move from the Stellantis-owned brand. However, Dodge hasn't gone all-in on the zero-emission game, as it has played it somewhat safe because the new Charger is also available with ICE power in the form of the Hurricane mill.
It will be a while until this model proves its worth and shows whether it is just another regular EV or a real muscly one, and knowing how Dodge operates, we might be a couple of years away from meeting the successor to the mighty Hellcat (and hopefully Demon/Demon 170). Meanwhile, all we can do is wait for the automaker to allow journos to test it out.
At the same time, we will also keep an eye out for the previous generation Challenger SRT Hellcats, as the series may be dead. Still, it remains as dreamy as ever – probably even more, given that such models are no longer in production. Ford will soon up the ante with the Mustang GTD and probably the next Shelby GT500, and Chevy is currently missing out on the muscle car game.
Photo: Screenshot Youtube | Wheels Plus
Now, speaking of Hellcats, we've dedicated a good chunk of our time to all kinds of drag races involving these models, and it is time to focus on yet another one, which was apparently shot at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, presumably not long ago. The contenders were the regular Challenger Hellcat, which appears to be a Jailbreak variant.
Regardless of the spec, the Hellcats boast in excess of 700 horsepower from their supercharged V8. The 6.2-liter lump enables naught to sixty mph (0-97 kph) in the low-3s, and on a good day, these rides are 10-second cars down the quarter-mile. Thus, this Hellcat needed a serious contender, and answering the call was none other than the Demon.
In this configuration, the Challenger enjoys a maximum of 840 horsepower, dealing with the sprint in a neck-snapping 2.3 seconds. The quarter-mile is a nine-second affair, yet mastering a perfect takeoff takes lots of skill and time.
It is clear that the balance tilts in favor of the Demon. However, we've seen regular Hellcats achieve some impressive 1/4-mile times over the years. So, did the black muscle car stand any chance against the yellow Demon in the drag race you are about to watch below? There's only one way to find out – or two if you feel like cheating and checking out the image gallery.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News