Dodge Charger Scat Pack Battles a Mustang GT: Track Time Tuesday
Dodge Charger weighs more, but has more power and an automatic transmission.
The modern Dodge Charger is often referred to by FCA as a muscle car, but purists reject the suggestion that a big, four-door sedan can be a muscle car. Fortunately, the Charger packs all of the other credentials of a muscle car, including an assortment of Hemi V8s. We talk a great deal about the 707-horsepower Hellcat, but the Scat Pack is arguably the best performance bargain in today’s market.
The 2020 Charger Scat Pack starts at $39,995 and delivers 485 horsepower. That much power at that price point is unrivaled in the sport sedan world, and there are few two-door models that offer more bang for the buck. However, it is a big sedan, so how well will it stand up to the bestselling performance car in America? Fortunately, this week’s Track Time Tuesday video from the Wheels YouTube channel answers that question.
Charger Scat Pack Versus Mustang GT
The details on the competitors in the video above are limited to the fact that one car is a Charger Scat Pack and the other is a Mustang GT. There is no mod list for either car. The video doesn’t even give the model years, but we can make plenty of guesses based on what we see in the racing footage.
The Dodge Charger Scat Pack appears to be Octane Red, which was introduced for the 2017 model year. It does not have the “nostril” grille, so it has to be from 2017 or 2018. In either case, it is powered by a 392-cubic inch Hemi that sends 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque towards the rear wheels by means of an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. This car appears to be riding on the stock 20-inch wheels, so we are going to guess that it has stock tires as well. In fact, based on the elapsed times, we are going to make the reasonable assumption that the car is completely stock.
As for the Mustang, it is from the S550 era, but it does not have the newest front end, so it is from 2015, 2016 or 2017. It also has stock wheels, so we are guessing that it has street tires, and we know that it has a 6-speed manual transmission. The Mustang GT from that era “only” had 435 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, but at roughly 3,700 pounds, the Ford is around 700 pounds lighter than the big Dodge sedan.
Hitting the Track
The video shows us three runs between this Hemi-powered Dodge Charger and the Coyote-powered Ford Mustang GT. On the first run, both cars spin at the line, but the Mustang takes a small early lead. The Charger quickly passes and rolls to victory, running a 13.76 at 104.55 miles per hour to the Ford’s 14.34 at 104.96 miles per hour.
Keep in mind that these races are run at the drag strip in Las Vegas, so between the temperatures and the 2,000-foot elevation, the density altitude might have been poor during these runs. That would explain the slower-than-normal times by both cars.
On the second run, the Mustang gets a solid launch and the Charger struggles at the line, falling far behind to start the race. The Scat Pack appears to close the gap a bit, but it isn’t enough. The Mustang gets the win with a 13.92 at 105 while the Dodge ran a 14.17 at 103.75.
On the final run, the Mustang gets a great launch and a big early lead, but the driver appears to miss a gear right away, allowing the Charger to catch up and pass. From there, the Hemi-powered sedan rolls to victory with a 13.59 to the Mustang’s 14.81.
Crank up your speakers and enjoy!
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