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Hennessey 2017 Camaro ZL1 vs. Dodge Challenger Hellcat Drag Race Gets Brutal

Back in December last year, when the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 had just hit the streets, Hennessey Performance decided to add fuel to the muscle car fire, pitting such a Chevy against a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. We are now back on the topic, as we're dealing with a rematch, albeit one that's as unfair as they get.
Hennessey 2017 Camaro ZL1 vs Dodge Challenger Hellcat 6 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Hennessey 2017 Camaro ZL1 vs Dodge Challenger HellcatHennessey 2017 Camaro ZL1 vs Dodge Challenger HellcatHennessey 2017 Camaro ZL1 vs Dodge Challenger HellcatHennessey 2017 Camaro ZL1 vs Dodge Challenger HellcatHennessey 2017 Camaro ZL1 vs Dodge Challenger Hellcat
The 2016 race saw an automatic Hellcat duking it out with a manual ZL1 and you could easily see the Camaro losing ground each time the driver worked the shifter.

The Lone Star State developer promised it would come back with a rematch featuring a manual Mopar machine, which only seemed fair, since the torque converter Camaro ZL1 still hadn't reached the market (the 10-speed auto Camaro ZL1 should land in March).

However, the Texan specialist decided to turn everything into a tuning tale. While Hennessey did invite a stick shift Dodge Challenger Hellcat to the fight, the Camaro ZL1 featured in this new brawl is no longer stock.

Instead, the Chevrolet has been gifted with Hennessey's 750 hp package. To be more precise, the Corvette Z06-borrowed heart of the ZL1 received a pulley upgrade, a high-flow air induction system, as well as an exhaust setup featuring a long-tube stainless steel headers, stainless steel midpipes, and high-flow catalytic converters, with the new hardware pieces being handled by revised ECU software.

Once again, the two muscle heroes went for a series of rolling star drag races, with the brawls taking place in Hennessey's back yard.

The blown machines kicked off in second gear, with the races ending once the two went past 130 mph. It's worth noting that both had their Traction Control nannies on.

Since the 707-pony Hellcat's scale footprint is larger than that of the ZL1, the tuner couldn't help but promise another "rematch", one involving its 850 hp Challenger Hellcat.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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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.
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