A Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat proves its place atop the high performance sedan world by stomping a Mercedes-Benz C63S AMG in a pair of roll races.
The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is the quickest, fastest and most powerful performance sedan in the world. However, critics of the Mopar super-sedan point out that with a curb weight of more than 4,500 pounds, it is within reach of less-powerful cars. This AMG driver learns in a hurry that the Charger’s weight doesn’t make enough of a difference to allow the Benz to take down the Big Cat.
The Competitors
The video above comes to us from the YouTube channel of SGTR and it features a pair of high-speed highway roll races between a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and a Mercedes-Benz C63S AMG. The Hellcat is, of course, powered by the supercharged 6.2L Hemi with 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. The AMG C63S is powered by a twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 delivering 503 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels.
The key difference is that the C63S has a curb weight of 3,850 pounds while the Charger tips the scales at roughly 4,575 pounds – giving the AMG a weight advantage of some 725 pounds. That is a significant weight advantage for the Mercedes, but will it be enough to overcome the difference in power?
No. Not at all.
The Head-to-Head Battles
The Hellcat Charger and the AMG C63S go head-to-head twice in a couple of highway roll races. We don’t know the starting speed, but as they cruise side-by-side, the two take off on the third honk of the Benz’s horn. The C63S jumps out to an early lead as the Charger spins the tires, but within a few seconds, the Hellcat Hemi is putting full power to the ground. The big Dodge rockets past the Mercedes and takes the win.
In the second race, the Charger stays right with the C63S on the start and within a few seconds of the start of the race – it is over. The Hellcat stomps the AMG in this second race, leaving no question as to which is the stronger performance car on the open road.
0-140 Pull
Finally, after the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat beats down the Mercedes-Benz C63S twice in a row, we get to ride along as the Mopar super-sedan blasts from a stop up to 140 miles per hour.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
