The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat has long been one of the quickest cars down the quarter-mile this side of a quarter-million dollar supercar but as EVs become more and more common, the Hellcat’s performance features are no longer as impressive as they once were. This is demonstrated quite clearly by a pair of drag races involving a Challenger Hellcat and a Rivian R1T.
The key reason why the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is such a formidable force down the quarter-mile is because of its 6.2-liter supercharged V8. In standard form, this engine is good for 707 hp and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque, figures that were particularly extraordinary when the car was first introduced in 2015. Nowadays, those numbers aren’t as impressive as they once were, particularly compared to an EV like the R1T.
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Given that Rivian only recently commenced production of the dual-motor R1T, the example featured in this clip must be one of its quad-motor variants. This powertrain delivers a combined 835 hp and more than 900 lb-ft (1,220 Nm) of torque, easily out-muscling the Dodge. However, the Rivian does weigh significantly more so don’t write off the Challenger just yet.
In the first race, it is the Dodge that gets the better launch and it is able to maintain its lead for the whole race, ultimately running the quarter-mile in 11.07 seconds at 128.65 mph (207 km/h) compared to the 11.78 seconds at 110.94 mph (178.5 km/h) of the Rivian.
The results of the second race are very similar with the Dodge recording an 11.12-second time at 127.9 mph (205.8 km/h) while the Rivian needed 11.79 seconds at 110.6 mph (178 km/h). However, it seems as though the Rivian was held back by its 112-mph (180 km/h) speed limiter.