Capable of running the quarter-mile in 9.65 seconds, the Dodge Challenger Demon was the world's quickest production car at the time of its introduction. But the Demon is no longer in production, so if you're on the market for a fast Mopar, you need to settle with the Hellcat.
The good news is that the current range-topping Challenger, the Hellcat Redeye, is no slouch either. Its supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 rated at 797 horsepower is potent enough to push it down the quarter-mile in 10.8 seconds, according to Dodge. And it can become even quicker with a few small upgrades and a pair of drag-spec, slick rear tires.
How quick? Well, it won't get into the 9s, but it will smoke some of the most powerful production cars out there. The video below, for instance, shows a Hellcat Redeye win against a wide variety of cars, including Mustangs, BMWs, and even a C7 Corvette.
In the first shoot-out, we can see the Redeye take on a Ford Mustang. The latter is more powerful than the average Mustang GT, but it gets beaten with a one-second gap. Specifically, the Redeye crosses the finish line in 10.74 seconds, a tad quicker than Dodge's official rating for the coupe.
A second Mustang joins in on the fun for the second race, but it doesn't stand a chance either, despite being a half-second quicker than the previous pony. The Redeye is off to a perfect start and charges toward the line in anger to score a 10.75-second ET.
With the Mustangs out of the way, the Hellcat Redeye faces a C7-generation Corvette. Sadly, the Chevy is off to a poor start, so this race isn't exactly entertaining. The Redeye takes the win with an 11-second run, more than a second quicker than the Vette.
But how does the Redeye compare to a German rocket on wheels like the BMW M8? Well, it's quicker than the Munich-built four-door too. The latter runs the quarter-mile in 11.23 seconds, while the Mopar hits the line in 11.07 clicks. The story is pretty much identical versus the smaller M5. The Bimmer needs 11.2 seconds to get to the other side, but the Redeye wins with a flat 11-second sprint.
For the final race in the video, the Redeye goes against an older Audi S8. The German sedan runs the quarter-mile in 11.21 seconds, but the Hellcat is quicker at 11.11 hits. It's worth noting that all these runs against European cars are in the 11.0 index, so the Hellcat driver had to run a tad slower to stay within the rules. It's amazing that he actually managed to score low 11s every single time.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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