2022 C8 Corvette vs. Dodge Challenger Hellcat: Which is Faster?

2022 Dodge Challenger Hellcat vs. 2022 C8 Chevrolet Corvette speed comparison article highlights:

• It’s not as powerful as the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, but the C8 Corvette is faster because it’s lighter, shifts faster, and has a traction-aiding mid-engine layout
• The upcoming 2023 Corvette Z06 should be faster than the Challenger Hellcat Redeye and Super Stock for similar reasons
• From a rolling start, though, the Challenger might catch the Corvette

As one chapter of American performance ends, another is in its opening acts. The Dodge Challenger Hellcat, in its current supercharged form at least, is about to send its last burnout. Meanwhile, the C8 Corvette turned Chevrolet’s sports car into a mid-engine supercar fighter. And the Z06 promises to be a full-on one. But there’s still time before the Dodge muscle car’s last roar for one last duel. So, between the C8 and the Hellcat, which is faster?

At a set of real-world stoplights, the 2022 C8 Corvette is faster than the Dodge Challenger Hellcat

At least for now, the Dodge Challenger Hellcat has ditched its manual, something the C8 Corvette doesn’t offer at all. However, even though an automatic Hellcat is faster than a stick-shift one, it won’t help its Corvette-fighting chances. Simply put, the 2022 C8 Corvette is faster both on paper and IRL than the standard Challenger Hellcat.

Although it has a 220-odd horsepower deficit, the 2022 Corvette makes up for that in several ways. Firstly, it weighs several hundred pounds less than the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Secondly, although it’s not as powerful as the Demon, 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 shorter power-delivery interruptions to its rear drive wheels. And speaking of, the C8’s mid-engine layout facilitates weight transfer to its rear wheels under acceleration. While the Challenger’s weight shifts rearward when you accelerate, too, it’s more nose-heavy than the C8 at rest. Percentage-wise, the Corvette has more weight in the rear when you floor it, which means more traction and thus less tire spin.

The 2023 C8 Corvette Z06 should be faster than the Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye and Super Stock

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, the same reasons why the base C8 is faster than the Challenger Hellcat apply to the Z06 vs. Hellcat Redeye and Super Stock argument. Only they’re amplified because the Z06 is lighter, more powerful, and has a faster-shifting version of the standard DCT.

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 will likely be quicker still.

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.

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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