Just How Quick is a 9.65 Elapsed Time?
If you’re not a fan of drag racing, the announcement that the 2018 Dodge Challenger Demon can run a 9.65-second ¼-mile at 140mph might not be easy to put into perspective. That kind of acceleration isn’t common even among exotic cars. We’ve picked five cars that span the price and performance spectrum to shed some light on just how impressive the 2018 Challenger Demon really is. Ready for a dose of bench-racing?
2017 Ford Escape 1.5L Turbo
It shouldn’t be a surprise that a four-cylinder crossover is slower than a Demon, it’s just how little a competition it would be if the two were to line up that makes the thought interesting. The turbo four pulls it along from 0-60mph in 9.6 seconds, exactly the time the Demon trips the lights in the ¼-mile at 140mph. We admit that this isn’t even fair for the Escape, as the 1.5L is its smallest powertrain. Let’s move up the food chain, way up.
Nissan GT-R Nismo
Can a twin-turbocharged, 600hp V6 and a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system make up for the Demon’s supercharged Hemi and slicks? No. Not even close. The GT-R Nismo is no slouch, it’s an 11-flat car and it’s impressive on the dragstrip given that’s not its intent. When it comes to launching at the strip, Godzilla is no match for the Demon. Next!
McLaren P1
The British hypercar had big shoes to fill as the spiritual successor to the beloved F1 as it sat atop their lineup of mid-engine sports and GT cars. Writing about driving the car in England, Motor Trend gushed about the car’s active aero, carbon fiber construction, and 904hp engine. It clocked the quickest instrumented ¼-mile in Motor Trend’s history with a 9.8-second ET at 148.9mph. Note the discrepancy in trap speed between the P1 and Demon, obviously the Demon’s launch tricks are the key to its drag strip domination.
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
No, the Bugatti Veyron isn’t a drag car. Comparing it to a Demon would be silly. We’ve never drag tested it, and our sister publication Motor Trend hasn’t either. Oh well, that’s not stopping us, because Bugatti gave a ¼ mile ET right on their own website and they claim a 9.7-second ET. Not bad, and in fact the Veyron would be catching the Demon just past the lights on the way to its ludicrous top speed. Speaking of. . .
Tesla Model S P100D
Earlier in 2017, Motor Trend tested the vaunted Tesla Model S P100D in its Ludicrous Mode, recording a 0-60 time of 2.275507139 seconds. Give or take. The $135,000 Tesla beat the likes of the LeFerrari, Porsche 918, and, well, everything else they’ve tested. Ever. At least up until 60mph. Still, that’s not bad for a plucky independent carmaker. The Demon runs 0-60 in 2.0 seconds. Even when you don’t account for the one-foot roll-out, the Demon runs it in 2.3 seconds. For the record, yes, the Tesla P100D was timed with a 1-foot rollout and it runs a 2.5 without it.
The post Five Cars that are Slower than the Dodge Demon appeared first on Hot Rod Network.