The internal combustion-engined Challenger and Charger are going the way of the dodo after the 2023 model year. Stellantis will also gradually discontinue its HEMI engine family in favor of twin-turbo sixers, but alas, the Hurricane doesn't hold a candle to the sheer badassery of the 6.2-liter HEMI known as the Hellcat.
Revealed in 2014 for the 2015 model year Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat, said lump develops 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet (881 Nm) of torque. That's the starting point of the 6.2-liter icon, which can be taken to a whopping 1,025 horsepower as long as you feed it enough air and E85 ethanol blend.
Pictured at the Dunnville Autodrome in Canada, the red muscle car is quite a heavy beast, weighing in at 4,493 pounds or 2,037 kilograms if you prefer the metric system. Part of the reason for this weight is the iron block of the supercharged engine, but more importantly, the old bones of the LX-based Challenger are heavier.
Originally based on the LC version of the LX platform, the Challenger switched to the LA in 2014 with the 2015 model year facelift. It's a rear- and all-wheel-drive platform with Mercedes know-how that dates back to a fabled era when Merc and Chrysler were in cahoots.
This particular example of the breed is optioned with the ZF-supplied automatic transmission we all know and love from a plethora of BMW vehicles, beginning with the fifth generation of the 7 Series. Opposite the Challenger SRT Hellcat, the blue-painted Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE levels up to a 10-speed automatic.
Crosstown rival Ford is credited with developing this gearbox as part of a joint venture with General Motors, which saw the biggest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit come up with a nine-speed automatic for transverse applications. The Camaro ZL1 and 1LE-equipped ZL1 both use the 10L90 version of the 10-speed automatic transmission, named this way after the maximum input torque of 900 Nm (663 pound-feet).
Based on the Alpha platform introduced by the Cadillac ATS in 2012 for the 2013 model year, the Camaro is noticeably lighter, at 3,886 pounds (1,762 kilograms). Although not as powerful as the Challenger, 650 ponies are nothing to scoff at. Alternately, peak torque is exactly the same. But on the other hand, the LT4 small block in the ZL1 and 1LE-equipped ZL1 generates peak torque at 3,600 rpm versus 4,800 for the Hellcat V8.
How much do these differences matter in a straight line? Sam CarLegion is much obliged to answer that question with a dig race and a rolling start race, with the Camaro ZL1 1LE winning both of them. As expected of the Challenger SRT Hellcat, those rear tires had a bit of trouble putting the power down in a timely fashion.
The Camaro ZL1 1LE accelerated to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in 3.4 seconds compared to 3.7 for the Hellcat. As for the quarter mile, two tenths of a second separate these two great-sounding machines.
Similar to the Challenger, the Camaro is heading into the sunset as well. But only the internal combustion-engined Camaro. Although not confirmed thus far by General Motors, hearsay suggests that Chevrolet will revive the Camaro in the form of an electric sedan. The Charger, meanwhile, will return as a three-door electric coupe.
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
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