Hennessy Performance Engineering pitted two highly performant vehicles against each other in a drag race: a Ferrari 812 GTS and a brand-new Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170. The 812 GTS is a supercar featuring a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine in the front and rear-wheel drive, while the Challenger SRT Demon 170 is a powerhouse with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine.
The challenge took place on an unprepared surface, mimicking a street acceleration race. One immediately noticeable aspect was the American muscle car’s struggle to find traction.
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170: the new muscle car challenges a Ferrari 812 GTS
This is unsurprising, given its immense power and the fact that it is primarily designed for prepared drag strips. On the other hand, the Maranello supercar offers more progressive and controllable power. To fully exploit all its horsepower, it needs to be pushed to the highest revs, but once done, the acceleration is impressive.
Hennessy Performance tried several stationary starts to see if the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 could catch up with warmer tires. Then, they decided to switch tactics and move to a rolling race to see if the Demon could have an advantage in this type of challenge.
After several tests, the conclusion was that the Ferrari 812 GTS is simply extraordinary. There’s nothing negative to say about this car: it has a removable roof, a luxurious cabin, rear-wheel drive, and, of course, the glorious V12.
As for the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, it’s clear that this car needs a prepared drag strip to show its true potential. The famous Texas tuner has revealed plans to take the Stellantis muscle car to a suitable track to see what it’s capable of.