Roush-Tuned Ford Mustang Dogs Challenger Hellcat On the Strip
Even with its superior power-to-weight ratio, the result of the five races was a 2-2 tie.
Sam CarLegion’s video of a Dodge Challenger Hellcat and a Roush Performance tuned Ford Mustang taking on each other on a drag strip is an adrenaline-fuelled ride. Surprisingly enough (or not), the two muscle cars were evenly matched for the most part. Two of the most popular offerings in the muscle car segment took part in five races to see which one ranked better.
A 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine powers the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. The motor produces 707 hp of maximum power and 650 lb-ft of peak torque. The powerplant is hooked up to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. On the other hand, the Roush-tuned Mustang uses a 5.0-liter, V8 Coyote engine. The tuner adds a supercharger that leads to 750 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, which is harnessed via a 10-speed automatic transmission.
At 4,448 lbs, Dodge Challenger is 266 pounds heavier than the 4,182 lbs Mustang. As a result of this, the Ford Mustang had an advantage with a power-to-weight ratio of 0.180 hp/lb. However, despite the difference in weight, the result of the five races was a 2-2 tie.
Toe-to-Toe
Both cars competed in Sport modes for the first race. The two cars were neck and neck as they set off, but the Mustang managed to pull ahead. Even though the Challenger caught up, it could not cross the line before Ford’s pony car. The Mustang again took the lead for the second race but lost to the Challenger because of a transmission glitch.
For the third run, the contenders raced in manual mode. The 10-speed gearbox helped the Mustang take lead. Even though the Challenger wasn’t too far behind, it could not finish before the Roush-tuned pony. Up next, the two cars were set in Sport/Manual setting, from 31 mph (50 kph). This ended up in a tie. Although the Mustang was quick to pull ahead, yet again, the Challenger caught up.
“That was so close in many ways like you can’t tell which one is faster,” said Sam. He further added, “I’m impressed with this thing and you know what it’s not as bad as I thought because I had that fear of like I’m gonna get killed with this, but it didn’t feel like that. It actually feels very stable, and if you know how to drive this, if you know how to launch it, you can get a lot of grip out of it.”
The race finished with both cars crossing the finishing line almost at the same time. Even the slo-mo replays could not help decide which of the two racers crossed the line first. As fun as it sounds, words don’t do justice to the race. Catch the Sam CarLegion’s video to see these two fight it out on the drag strip.
Image Source: Sam CarLegion