WALL ST. CHEAT SHEET
Nothing quite gets the blood pumping like getting behind the wheel of a genuine American-made muscle car. When it comes to Dodge, muscle and speed are what the company built its name upon.
One of the major American auto makers, Dodge has been pumping out fast, powerful vehicles for decades. Even with recent economic problems facing the company, they have continued to wow customers with their unique blend of sporty and muscular cars and trucks.
Dodge has a few legendary models that have dominated the discussion over the years, mostly centered around the Charger, the Challenger and the company’s supercar, the Viper.
Naturally, the list of the company’s fastest is loaded with different models and variants of those cars. The history for these cars goes way back, particularly for the Charger and the Challenger, and the recent generations have been able to keep pace with their forerunners.
Under the SRT label, which stands for Street & Racing Technology, many of Dodge’s fastest vehicles have been developed.
SRT is a high-performance group that works under Chrysler, Dodge’s parent company, and also fine-tunes vehicles for the company’s other brands. SRT actually spun out as its own separate brand for a couple years, including 2014, but is set to be reincorporated under the Dodge brand for 2015. Because of this, we’re including SRT Dodge models on this list.
Left off of the list are concept models, one-offs, and models that have been heavily modified by third parties, leaving production models and special editions.
Some notable exclusions include the Viper ACR-X and Viper GTS-R, a race car, along with other Viper variants. Other models came up just short, including the Charger Daytona, the Neon SRT-4 and the Spirit R/T.
But without further ado, here are the ten fastest Dodge models of all time.
10. Challenger R/T Scat Pack
To get things started, the Challenger R/T, a performance variant of the standard Challenger, enters the list at number ten. The R/T is one of several versions of the Challenger available, and the 2015 model, although not on the top of the heap, still brings some serious speed and muscle to the table.The R/T can make the dash from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds behind the power of a 6.4-liter V8 engine. The same engine packs a punch in the form of 485 horses, and 475 lb-ft of torque. The R/T variant is certainly powerful, and has the speed to keep up with the fastest Dodge has to offer.
9. Challenger 392
The most brutal and punishing form the Challenger model series takes is that of the 392. Newer generations of the 392 are able make the sprint from 0-60 in as little as 4.2 seconds, and reach a limited top speed of up to 178 miles per hour.That’s incredibly fast by any measure, but it still gets outdone by another Challenger iteration further down the list. Nonetheless, the 392 can churn out an earth-shattering 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque from a 6.4-liter HEMI engine. It’s fast and fearsome, and just about as impressive as it gets for the Challenger line.
8. Viper RT/10
The first of an onslaught of Viper models on the list, the Viper RT/10 checks in at number eight with a time of 4.1 seconds, rocketing from rest to 60 miles per hour. This is an older Viper model, but it still holds the staple engine of the Viper team: an 8.0-liter V10.It still doesn’t produce as much power as the more modern Challenger models, churning out 450 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque, but it does hold the advantage in aerodynamics and design. Since the RT/10, the Viper has seen drastic improvement, but it all comes back to the older generation’s engineering to lay the foundation.
7. Viper GT2
Perhaps the most exclusive Viper model on the list, the GT2 is, in fact, a fine-tuned version of the Viper GTS-R. The GT2 is a street-legal version of the GTS-R, as the GTS-R was used by racing teams and could not be driven legally on most roads. The GT2 had its hayday in the late 1990s, when 100 of them were produced and subsequently sold, and in quick fashion. The GT2 could make the trip to 60 miles per hour from zero in a flat four seconds. Like other Vipers, it gets there behind the power of an 8.0-liter V10 engine, which had been re-tuned to achieve 500 lb-ft of torque.
6. Viper SRT 10
Moving right along the Viper evolution change, the Viper SRT 10 is the first vehicle on the list able to break the four second barrier on the 0-60 run, clocking in at 3.9 seconds. The increase in quickness comes along with an increase in power, to the tune of 600 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque.This Viper is wickedly quick, but offers speed freaks one of the most enjoyable driving experiences available. The 8.4-liter V10 engine makes all the difference in helping the SRT 10 reach a little further than its predecessors.
Source: Eric Kilby, Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/ekilby/
5. Viper ACR
The ‘American Club Racer’ version of the Viper is one of the more menacing in appearance, and also one of the top five fastest Dodge models of all time. Boasting a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds, the Viper ACR can seemingly leave singe marks on the road with that kind of jump. The ACR houses an 8.4-liter V10 engine, capable of blasting out 600 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque, making it as ferociously powerful as it is fast. The ACR uses its aerodynamic and design tweaks to break past most other Viper variants, including suspension modifications and a sizable carbon fiber spoiler.
4. Challenger Hellcat
With a name like Hellcat, you know this car is going to be fast. In fact, the Challenger Hellcat is the fastest muscle car of all time. How fast? How’s 199 miles per hour at its top speed, and acceleration from 0-60 miles per hour at 3.5 seconds? Naturally, these are times not akin to muscle cars, but usually reserved for the likes of the Viper or its supercar competitors. But the Hellcat perseveres, and can outperform most others. The downside? It burns through a whopping gallon and a half of fuel every minute. But with performance stats like this, it’s worth it.
3. SRT Viper GTS
Now we’re getting into the nitty-gritty, the fastest of the fast, the top performers that Dodge has ever put together, and the SRT Viper GTS is right up there near the top. Reaching a terminal speed of 206 miles per hour, and hitting 60 miles per hour from a standstill in 3.3 seconds is only the beginning. Like other Vipers, the GTS houses an 8.4-liter V10 engine under the hood, producing 640 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. However, all that power comes with a price, as the base model of the GTS starts at over $100,000.
2. SRT Viper
Holy moley. With performance stats identical to that of the SRT Viper GTS, the SRT Viper can also hit a top speed of 206 miles per hour, and post a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds. Again, 640 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque are produced from the 8.4-liter, ten-cylinder motor, giving it the ability to scream down the street like nobody’s business. The GTS may come with a little more frills and spice, but the standard version still holds up to its brother where it counts: on the road.
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