The team at Hennessey Performance recently took delivery of a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, and both will soon be getting 1,000-horsepower upgrades.
However, before that happens, they set the two radically different, yet extremely fast rides loose for two drag races that reveal which one is quicker down the quarter-mile. By the time they crossed the finish line they were neck and neck, though one of them was a hair quicker.
Review: 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Is Blistering Fast But Can’t Hide Its Age
The most powerful street-legal Ford ever made, the Mustang Shelby GT500 has 760 HP and 625 pound-feet (847 Nm) of torque thanks to a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 that’s coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that drives the rear wheels. From 0 to 60 mph (0-96 km/h), it needs just 3.5 seconds, and flat-out, it will do 180 mph (290 km/h).
One of the fastest SUVs currently in production, the Durango SRT Hellcat has space for the entire family, standard all-wheel drive and a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine delivers 710 HP and 645 lb-ft (874 Nm), rocketing it to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 3.5 seconds and up to 180 mph (290 km/h), despite weighing more than two and a half tonnes.
If you paid attention to the performance numbers, you’ve seen that, on paper, they are equally fast, and that means that it can really be anyone’s game. So, can the AWD system of the highly powerful Durango give it an advantage over the RWD ‘Stang?