Even before the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon premiered, Hennessey launched its very own drag-focused road car, dubbed ‘The Exorcist‘ and based around the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
On paper, The Exorcist certainly has the upper hand over the Dodge. Whereas the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 of the Demon delivers 840 hp, Hennessey’s extreme Camaro pumps out a healthy 1014 hp and 1197 Nm of torque.
However, unlike Hennessey, Dodge’s engineers invested a serious amount of time and money into overhauling numerous chassis components of the Challenger to ensure optimum straight-line performance.
After months of teasing, it was time for Hennessey Performance to put up or shut up. It has done just that and shown that in ideal conditions, The Exorcist can beat the Demon on its home ground.
During a recent run down the quarter mile, The Exorcist achieved a time of 9.57 seconds at 236 km/h, a fraction quicker than the 9.65 second time publicized for the Demon.
Immediately off the line, The Exorcist also has the upper hand and rocketed from a standstill to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 2.1 seconds, 0.2 seconds quicker than the Demon. Naught to 161 km/h (100 mph) came by in just 4.7 seconds, a decent bit quicker than the 5.1 seconds required by the Demon.
Which would you rather drive?