Dodge Viper and Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Face Off
Before America bids adieu to the Viper this year, some people wanted to know which of Dodge’s best two performance cars would be the best? Would it be the Dodge Viper, a compact aerodynamic sports car or would it be the most powerful American muscle car available, Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat?
Engine
Though the Viper and Challenger SRT Hellcat are both fast and made by the same company, they are quite different. The Viper comes equipped with a huge 8.4-liter V10 engine that produces 645 horsepower and 600 lb. ft of torque, which is the most torque of any naturally aspirated sports car engine in the world.
The Challenger SRT Hellcat has a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI SRT Hellcat V8 engine and it produces 707 horsepower and 650 lb. ft of torque. So, although the Viper has a bigger engine, the Challenger SRT Hellcat is actually more powerful.
Track Times
Speed is no test for the Viper and Hellcat. The Viper’s long and stylish curves lets buyers know that this beast doesn’t mess around. With top speeds at 199 mph, the Viper accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds – sweet baby Jesus — but the Challenger SRT Hellcat is not too far behind. In manual drive, the Challenger SRT Hellcat goes from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds and in automatic, it goes 0-60 in 3.6 seconds. Talk about power…
Specs
Both the Challenger SRT Hellcat and Viper come standard with an 8.4-inch touchscreen with Uconnect 8.4. Uconnect includes: hands-free calling, voice command, streaming audio and available navigation with 3D graphics.
Both vehicles are coupes, but getting out of the Viper is, at the very least, less than graceful. With a cramped cockpit seating, taller drivers might have some difficulties exiting the vehicle. Fortunately, the Challenger SRT Hellcat is bigger and it accommodates six-footers with their large doors for easy entry and exit.
Safety
With two cars as fast as the Challenger SRT Hellcat and Dodge Viper, safety is of the utmost importance. Standard safety features for all 2017 Vipers include antilock brakes, stability control, side-door-mounted airbags and a rearview camera. Because of the Hellcats wide-body build, the handling on the car may be somewhat compromised. However, there’s still enough grip to have an enjoyable drive. The Viper and Hellcat have similar safety features with the exception of overhead airbags and anti-whiplash.
So which is the right vehicle for you? Unfortunately there aren’t many new Dodge Viper models remaining since Dodge discontinued production, but University Dodge does have a large selection of SRT models, so come test drive the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat today, we’re sure you will love it and you can view our inventory online here.
Photo Credit: SRT Forums