Dodge Durango Hellcat Embarrasses C8 Corvette in Drag Race
This exercise in power, weight, and traction shows just how incredibly quick the Dodge Durango Hellcat really is.
By now, everyone is acutely aware that the C8 Corvette is wicked quick. When equipped with the Z51 performance package, the mid-engine marvel is capable of doing 0-60 in less than three seconds, making it a true performance bargain with a starting MSRP of right at $60k. But what if you could buy something even quicker, with room for seven and the ability to tow 8,700 pounds? It may sound impossible, but such a thing does exist – the Dodge Durango Hellcat.
Hennessey Performance recently took delivery of a Durango Hellcat from a customer, and will soon be giving it their very first HPE1000 upgrade. But before that work is done, the Texas-based tuner decided to take it out to their test track and see how the big SUV compares to a stock C8 in a drag race. At first glance, this may seem like a total mismatch, but on paper, it kinda makes sense despite the obvious differences between these two vehicles.
The story here is truly a study of how power, weight, and traction affect performance. The Durango Hellcat is powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that produces an astounding 710 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque. All of that power also flows to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, which helps the SUV launch off the line incredibly quickly, in spite of its hefty 5,710-pound curb weight.
On the other side, we have the new Corvette, which is equipped with GM’s new naturally-aspirated LT2 6.2-liter V8 that produces as much as 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, which flows through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission to the rear wheels. That’s a lot less power than the Hellcat, of course, but it also has over 2,000 fewer pounds to move, too.
Both of these cars launch hard, but the Hellcat rockets off the line to an early lead in both drag races. It continues to pull away from the Corvette until the top end when GM’s iconic sports car begins to reel it in. However, the Durango crosses the finish line first in both races, which is a truly shocking result for pretty much everyone that watches this video – except for us Mopar fans, that is.
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