"So it's got 707 horsepower," the nay-sayers, um... say about the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. "It's still a land yacht. It can't be that fast in the quarter." Today, I'm happy to report that yes, yes it is indeed fast in the quarter — 10.8 seconds fast.
That's on street legal drag radials, according to this new video from Chrysler. Equipped thusly the Hellcat did the quarter mile in 10.86 seconds at 126 mph. The number has been NHRA certified.
Similarly, with its production tires, the Hellcat runs the quarter in 11.2 seconds at 125 mph, also certified. That's also fantastic.
Let's put that into context. The Ford Shelby GT500 did the quarter in 11.6 seconds; the Camaro ZL1 did it in 12.1; and even Dodge's own SRT Viper, a more dedicated sports car with a much larger engine, did it in 11.7 seconds.
So when they call this the fastest muscle car ever, I'm inclined to believe them.