https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkU0OECQuKE
Since the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon was first introduced, it's been known to be one of the best performing factory vehicles to take down the drag strip. That's simply because it was designed to be a drag car, so between the massive power it creates, the wide drag slicks that come with it, and the electronic assistance, this muscle car is extremely fast in a straight-line race down the quarter mile. But, it was only a matter of time before something gave this car a run for its money.
Well, many of you are probably up-to-speed on the release of the all-new 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette, with its mid-engine design and all. The question is, does this new Chevy have what it takes to beat the Dodge Demon in a race? Luckily for us, Throttle House decided to answer that question, and the results might actually surprise you. They even got video of the race, so you can see first hand how each of these coupes performed. Check out the wild drag race in the video above.
Before we get into the details of the racing, let's look over some of the specs on these sports cars, so we can see how they match up on paper. The widebody Dodge Challenger Demon has a massive supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine, which produces just over 800 horsepower and 770 ft-lbs of torque on 100-octane race fuel. Its 0-60 time on a prepped track surface is an astonishing 2.1 seconds. For a car that weighs 4,280 pounds, it can still manage to hit a top speed just over 200 MPH.
The Chevrolet Corvette C8 is equipped with the Z51 performance package. That brings the power to 495 horsepower, and 470 ft-lbs of torque. The 0-60 time is still extremely fast at 2.9 seconds. The car has a much lighter weight at 3,622 pounds, and it tops out at around 196 MPH. You might think that this Corvette doesn't stand a chance when racing against the powerful Demon, but let's run through what happens during the actual racing.
They line the cars up for their first attempt down the strip. This race is done from a dead stop, so each of the performance cars has a chance to utilize their launch control systems. While the Demon did have a better 0-60 time, it struggled with containing the wheel spin on a surface that was not prepped. It's hard not to blow the tires off with that much power going to the ground all at once. The Chevy Corvette C8, however, nails its launch perfectly, because of the extra weight toward the rear, due to the mid-engine placement. Because of that, the Corvette jumps into the lead, with the Demon slowly reeling it in. They ran out of room though, and the C8 takes the win for the first race.
For the second quarter-mile race, they decided to do a roll race instead. This would essentially eliminate the struggle for the Demon to grip up from a dead stop. Once they start the race, the Dodge really shows the power that it has under the hood. It jumps out in front, and the Corvette screams in an attempt to close the gap. It just wasn't enough, though, and the Challenger gets the win for the second race.
While I don't really believe that the C8 would be able to hang on an actual prepped drag strip, it does prove to be extremely consistent on street-type pavement. The same cannot be said about the Demon. It's clear that the car was designed to specifically operate on a smooth drag strip with lots of sticky pavement. Without that, there's not a chance that the car can actually grip up. Your launch is huge in drag racing, so I wouldn't recommend using the Dodge if you're attending any no-prep racing events. It was still awesome to see these two iconic cars being put against one another.