The Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Corvette C8 couldn’t be more different, but those differences disappear when they’re lined up at the drag strip. Dodge offers its four-door family sedan with a potent V8 powertrain that puts it on par with lighter two-door sports cars like the Corvette. A new Wheels YouTube video shows how the pair compare in a drag race.
Powering the Corvette is a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter engine that can produce up to 495 horsepower (369 kilowatts) and 470 pound-feet (637 Newton-meters) of torque. That’s not as much as the Dodge, but the Corvette is a lot lighter. The Hellcat gets its motivation from a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces 717 hp (534 kW) and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque.
Gallery: 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
It only took the Corvette 12.77 seconds to complete the quarter-mile, crossing the finish line at 116.21 miles per hour (187.02 kilometers per hour). However, the Dodge was a bit quicker, completing the quarter-mile race in 12.43 seconds at 118.78 mph (191.16 kph). The weight difference between to two equalized the two cars, with the Chevrolet weighing about 3,535 pounds (1,603 kilograms) compared to the Dodge’s 4,586-lb (2,080-kg) curb weight.
The next race saw a Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye line up alongside a mid-2010s Ram 1500 R/T. Under the truck’s hood should be a 5.7-liter V8 producing 395 hp (294 kW) and 410 lb-ft (555 Nm) of torque. The Redeye hides a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 under its hood, which delivers 797 hp (594 kW) and 707 lb-ft (958 Nm) of torque to the rear wheels.
The Redeye’s extra oomph allowed it to blast ahead of the Ram, completing the quarter-mile in 11.41 seconds at 123.81 mph (199.25 kph). The Ram lost, but not by a lot, crossing the line in a respectable 13.67 seconds at 97.02 mph (156.14 kph).
The Dodge brand embraced its performance roots over the last several years, introducing high-powered coupes, sedans, and a dedicated road-legal drag car called the Demon. It’s a future Dodge hopes to retain as it shifts to electric vehicles. There are rumors that Dodge will launch an electric muscle car this August, and we know the automaker is revealing something during the Woodward Dream Cruise.
