Dodge, just like many other Stellantis brands, does not have many nameplates on sale – just the 2023 Hornet starting from below $30k, the $31k Challenger, the $33k Charger, and, finally, the $39k Durango ‘family man’s’ utility vehicle. That’s two SUVs, one sedan, and a coupe if anyone keeps track.
And that is for the 2023 model year alone. Starting with the 2024MY, things will be different because Stellantis has ordained Dodge to consider the EV revolution. As such, the little Hornet will welcome a plug-in hybrid version into the fold, while the ICE-powered Charger and Challenger will be no more after people have had their fill with the seven special ‘Last Call’ limited editions, both in America and overseas.
Instead, just one of them might survive and morph into the production version of the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept coupe, complete with no less than nine levels of Banshee EV power so that it continues to be both a pony and a muscle car – just with zero emissions from then on. Alas, that does not mean the U.S. automaker has abandoned the ICE lifestyle – as the Durango might soldier on with feisty applications like the SRT 392 and, above all, the mighty Durango SRT Hellcat.
The latter model, which had a tumultuous limited apparition both for the 2021 and 2023 model years, rocks a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 mill under the hood, as opposed to the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 tucked inside the SRT 392 model. Alas, the difference in performance is quite staggering, all motivated by the gap between the 475 hp (with 470 lb-ft/637 Nm of torque) offered on the SRT 392 and the 710 hp (645 lb-ft/875 Nm) seen in the SRT Hellcat, respectively.
And there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have an eloquent Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat example to put everything into the proper perspective – at the local quarter-mile dragstrip facility, of course. So, the videographer behind the Wheels channel on YouTube is a huge fan of the Mission Raceway Park venue in Mission, British Columbia, Canada, and never misses a chance to check out the local brawls.
This time around, at MRP – aka Thunder by the River – a gray Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat was looking for all-out glory. But, of course, it had to prove itself, first against the aforementioned Durango SRT 392, all dressed in green. Alas, it did not help it rocket out of its lane at the Christmas tree’s matching light and the SRT Hellcat took a commanding lead that became a notable victory (12.21s versus 13.43s). Alas, that wasn’t the most shameful performance of the day, indeed.
They say that it takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar, but the driver of the black Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat muscle car that came up next at the one-minute mark probably never heard or forgot all about it. Anyway, long story short, the Durango wiped the floor with its fellow SRT Hellcat rival, by way of an outstanding 12.18s to 12.95s pass! Most folks would have called it a day at the sight of a behemoth three-row SUV duking it out with a proper muscle car and taking the laurels. But not the next guy or gal, though.
As such, the last skirmish in the video embedded below is not only of the Muscle versus SUV variety, but also a traditional modern versus vintage affair, although we suspect the old-school Chevy Super Sport also had a bit of contemporary DNA inside to make it a proper restomod. What it lacked, though, was a commanding driver at the helm, considering the wheelspin and slow start – which ultimately led to its demise by way of 11.93s versus 14.13s ETs!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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