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Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Goes Head 2 Head With The Dodge Challenger Hellcat: Video

Dodge’s 2015 Challenger Hellcat stirred the American muscle car pot like never before. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the Challenger was now the fastest of the United States’ three pony cars, but does that make it a better car than the Camaro and the Mustang? That’s what Motor Trend’s Johnny Lieberman hoped to find out in the latest episode of Head 2 Head.

Lieberman took the 707 horsepower Hellcat and the most powerful Camaro in production, the ZL1, up to Mount Tamalpais in California to see which is the better package. As Lieberman says, the ZL1 was considered king of its segment for a bit, with magnetic ride control, a usable 580 horsepower on tap, Brembo brakes and a well-sorted chassis. But these cars are all about fun, and by the end of the episode, he seems to think the Hellcat wins in that regard.

Can the ZL1 keep up with the new king of the horsepower throne? To find out, Motor Trend had the California Highway Patrol close off a section of road and sent both cars racing down it in a time-trial type race. Check out the video below for the result.

Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

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Comments

  1. The ZL1 is Bad-Ass, with a “measly” 580hp, it was right on the fat-cats butt, imagine the ZL1 with 700hp? (that was rhetorical, I know Hennessey has the HPE700 ZL1).

    Reply
  2. Good God, that ZL1 looks beautiful. And “Hellcat” is such an awesome name. But it just reminds me of all those people on FaceBook that rant all the time about everything in all caps because they have something to prove to the world.

    It’s like Bruce Wayne vs. Bane (the comic book/The Animated Series version). Bane is always screaming, challenging people and needing to make himself feel good about…himself. Bruce Wayne will always be more skilled, even if he’s not necessarily stronger. But he certainly isn’t weak.

    At the end of the night, even with all that muscle and all the loud screaming…Bane is the weak one.

    Reply
  3. The Hellcat is as you say a cry for attention. While a great engine the car can not use all that power because it is not the complete package. The big numbers and Smokey burnouts are attention getters but they lack in true results if you plan on turning left and right. The new Shelby will also do more with less too when it hits the track.

    Chrysler Fiat was caught in a spot where they have the number three car in sales and also have the oldest car in the segment. With GM and Ford having new cars what better way to attract media coverage and not get lost in the shuffle of new cars than to add an engine they had already had mostly worked out till they can get a new car out. It is a brilliant move for minimum cost but in the end the new Camaro and Mustang will still over shadow the car as they will be new and the complete package.

    Fiat had better make sure the new car is on time as the new engine here will only hold peoples attention so long till Ford and GM have their own higher performance versions out that will do it all and not just spin expensive tires.

    I would be willing to bet the Hellcat would be just as fast with 100 HP less as engine management may pull that much or more out to do what it is doing now.

    While a cool car Its time is limited. The others will again be back in the spot light in the next year. This segment is now becoming about being the complete package not just one dimensional performance.

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  4. This is why I hate journalism!! Nothing about this was objective. Pining over the engine, the sound, the burnouts, the interface, blah blah blah. I knew, in the end, he would give the nod to the Hellcat. As far as the Hellcat forcing everyone to go back to the drawing board? Dude, do you keep up with automotive news at all? The new Mustang is out, the new Camaro is very soon coming out. Ford and Chevy were off the drawing board before Dodge even got there. Put a 2016 CTS-V (since the Camaro hasn’t even been revealed yet) up against this thing and see what happens.

    My guess is Dodge had some sort of investment in this head to head.

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    1. You just can’t accept defeat and make up every type of excuse.

      Reply
  5. I don’t get it, the hellcat hype. A 15 min long video which just gushes over this engine, and a 2 second blurb: “oh yeah, before we forget, in REAL world tests they produce equal times within a few tenths of a second. But just LOOK at this HEMI, 700 horse powers !!!#!! “.

    If anything, it shows the weakness of the Dodge. It’s needs an extra 120 – 140 HP to just match the Chevy.

    Reply
  6. The big picture anymore is people for the most part expect the whole refined package. The days of just sticking a big engine in the car are over for most people as they have learned from driving some of the best cars the whole package is what make a great car. You can not get away anymore with just tossing a big engine in just any car and have a long lasting affect.

    In a case of the Hellcat you have a ok car with a great engine. That is kind of like doing surgery with a chainsaw. Sure it cuts but it does not do the job at hand.

    Cars and engines need to be like dance partners. You can not have a world class dance working with some one who can even keep time. They just do not work together well. If you have the two match to work well then the results are amazing.

    The fact is there is more to life than doing a burn out and people have learned that now and expect more for the most part.

    Ford knows this and Chevy knows this. Even Fiat knows this but they are behind in product and just needed something to attract attention. I expect they will get their new car right once they get one.

    Reply
  7. The ZL1 is very faster much powerful this video bullshit the hellcat is heavy ugly to much slow 7 months ago the ZL1 win the hellcat race test camaro for ever the ZL1 win first passes the ZL1

    Reply
  8. My 2015 challenger scat pack will walk on the zl1 on the street. Too many Chevy fanboys whining…boo hoo. Dodge been waxing that ass since back in the day.

    Reply

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