2022 C8 Corvette vs. Dodge Challenger Hellcat: Which is Faster?
2022 Dodge Challenger Hellcat vs. 2022 C8 Chevrolet Corvette performance comparison highlights:
- The C8 Corvette is faster than the 2022 Dodge Challenger Hellcat thanks to lower weight and faster shifts
- The upcoming 2023 Corvette Z06 should be faster than the Challenger Hellcat Redeye and Super Stock
- From a rolling start the Challenger might catch the Corvette in top speed
As one chapter of American performance ends, another begins. The Dodge Challenger Hellcat is about to send its last supercharged burnout. Meanwhile, the C8 Corvette turned Chevrolet’s sports car into a mid-engine supercar. And the Z06 promises even better performance. But before the Dodge muscle car’s last roar, there’s time for one last duel.
The 2022 C8 Corvette is faster than the Dodge Challenger Hellcat
| 2022 C8 Chevrolet Corvette | 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat | |
| Engine | 6.2-liter ‘LT2’ V8 | 6.2-liter supercharged V8 |
| Horsepower | 490 hp (base) 495 hp (with Z51 Performance Package) | 717 hp |
| Torque | 465 lb-ft (base) 470 lb-ft (with Z51 Performance Package) | 656 lb-ft |
| Transmission | Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic | Eight-speed automatic |
| Curb weight | 3366 lbs (dry, coupe) 3467 lbs (dry, convertible) 3665 lbs (wet, coupe, Car and Driver) | 4429 lbs |
| 0-60 mph time | 2.8 seconds (Car and Driver) | 3.6 seconds (Car and Driver) |
| 1/4-mile time and trap speed | 11.2 seconds @ 122 mph (Car and Driver) | 11.7 seconds @ 126 mph (Car and Driver) |
At least for now, the Dodge Challenger Hellcat has ditched its manual. Furthermore, the C8 Corvette doesn’t offer a manual, and likely never will. However, even an automatic Hellcat isn’t enough to make it faster than the C8 Corvette. Simply put, the 2022 C8 Corvette is reliably faster than the standard Challenger Hellcat.
How the Corvette is faster than the Hellcat with less horsepower
Although it has a 220-odd horsepower deficit, the 2022 Corvette makes up for that in several ways. Firstly, the C8 Corvette is over 1,000 pounds lighter than the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Secondly, the Hellcat struggles to put its power down effectively on regular pavement. The Corvette’s more modest output is easier to deal with in comparison.
Thirdly, the C8 Corvette’s DCT snaps off shifts faster than the Hellcat’s torque-converter automatic. That means less downtime in power delivery to its rear drive wheels. And speaking of, the C8’s mid-engine layout facilitates weight transfer to its rear wheels under acceleration. That’s true in the Challenger as well, but the mid-engine layout puts more of the Corvette’s weight over the rear tires to start with. Percentage-wise, the Corvette has more weight in the rear when you floor it, which means more traction and less wheelspin.
The 2023 C8 Corvette Z06 looks faster than Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye and Super Stock
| 2023 C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 | 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye | 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock | |
| Engine | 5.5-liter ‘LT6’ V8 | 6.2-liter supercharged V8 | 6.2-liter supercharged V8 |
| Horsepower | 670 hp | 797 hp | 807 hp |
| Torque | 460 lb-ft | 707 lb-ft | 707 lb-ft |
| Transmission | Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic | Eight-speed automatic | Eight-speed automatic |
| Curb weight | 3434 lbs (dry, Z07 Package and carbon-fiber wheels) | 4445 lbs | 4467 lbs |
| 0-60 mph time | 2.6 seconds (claimed) | 3.7 seconds (Car and Driver) | 3.25 seconds (claimed) |
| 1/4-mile time and trap speed | Not yet tested | 11.8 seconds @ 125 mph (Car and Driver) | 10.5 seconds @ 131 mph (claimed) |
Technically, the Dodge Challenger Super Stock doesn’t have ‘Hellcat’ in its name. But since it uses the Hellcat V8, it belongs in this comparison. Namely, the comparison between the ultimate C8 and ultimate Challenger.
As of this writing, Jay Leno is the only person outside of GM that’s driven the C8 Corvette Z06. And so far, no one’s been able to verify Chevrolet’s 0-60 mph claims or run a ¼-mile test. However, it remains both lighter and better balanced than its Dodge competitors, even the Hellcat Redeye and Super Stock. In fact, the differences are even more stark. Simply put, the Z06 is lighter, more powerful, and has a faster-shifting version of the standard DCT.
Is the Dodge Challenger Super Stock a drag car for the street?
In addition, while the Challenger Super Stock is fast on a prepped surface, it’s not as fast on normal roads. When Throttle House tested the Super Stock on a conventional surface, the hosts only managed a 12.07-second ¼-mile run. Admittedly, the muscle car’s grippier tires, shorter axle ratio, and modified adaptive Bilstein suspension tuning likely make the 3.25-second 0-60 claim plausible, Car and Driver muses. But even so, the Z06 has a bigger advantage in equal conditions.
And as for the Challenger Hellcat Redeye, it can’t even keep up with the base C8 Corvette.
High-speed roll racing might give a different result, though
So, is there a way for Dodge Challenger Hellcat owners to outrun a 2022 C8 Corvette? Well, Dodge’s new Direct Connection kits can boost the base Hellcat up to 757 hp and the Redeye up to 885 hp. Yup, you can get a factory-approved Challenger that’s more powerful than the Demon—and it’s 50-state emissions-legal, too.
However, adding more power to the Challenger won’t necessarily help it on normal roads. Remember, even with 797 hp, the Hellcat Redeye isn’t as quick as the Corvette. More horsepower might close the gap slightly, but you’ll still have traction issues.
The Challenger Hellcat can beat the C8 Corvette in a roll race
But there is a way for a Hellcat to zoom past the C8: a roll race. It takes traction out of the equation and focuses purely on power and power delivery. And that’s where Dodge’s supercharged muscle cars shine. From a standing start, even the Demon couldn’t keep up with the C8 in Throttle House’s hands. Yet from a rolling start, the Demon zoomed by.
Still, unless you’re at a racetrack or a dragstrip, the Challenger Hellcat can’t roar past the Corvette.
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