The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is currently the most powerful SUV on the market, delivering 710 horsepower and 645 lb.-ft. of torque from the proven supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® Hellcat V8 engine. With a 0-60 mile-per-hour (mph) time of 3.5 seconds, a quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.5 seconds @ 118 mph as certified by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), and a top speed of 180 mph.
Hennessey Performance recently received a 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Black to upgrade for a customer and before doing any work to it, they decided to pin it up against one of the most powerful muscle cars on the market – the 2021 Ford Mustang GT500. The Ford Mustang GT500 cranks out 760 horsepower and 625 lb.-ft. of torque from a supercharged 5.2-liter Predator V8. The two American performance machines couldn’t be more different, one is a three-row large all-wheel-drive (AWD) SUV, and the other a two-door rear-wheel-drive coupe.
From a standing start, the Durango SRT Hellcat leaps off the line pulling out to three to four car lengths in front of the GT500 easily thanks to its AWD traction. It’s not until the top end of the track that the Mustang passes the Durango just before the quarter-mile is completed. Pretty good, drag race between the two vehicles, despite the almost 1,160 lbs. of weight difference.
| 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat vs 2021 Ford Mustang GT500 | ||
| 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat | 2021 Ford Mustang GT500 | |
| Engine Type: | supercharged and intercooled pushrod 16-valve V8, iron block & aluminum heads, port fuel injection | supercharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V8, aluminum block & heads, port fuel injection |
| Displacement: | 376 cu. in. (6,166 cc) | 315 cu. in. (5,163 cc) |
| Vehicle Type: | front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 6-passenger, 4-door wagon | front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe |
| Horsepower: | 710 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm | 760 horsepower @ 7,300 rpm |
| Torque: | 625 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm | 625 lb.-ft. @ 5,000 rpm |
| Transmission: | ZF 8HP95 8-speed automatic | Tremec TR-9070 7-speed dual-clutch transmission |
| Curb Weight: | 5,334 lb. | 4,171 lb. |
| Top Speed: | 180 mph | 180 mph (electronically limited) |
| 1/4-Mile Time: | 11.5 seconds @ 118 mph | 10.7 seconds @ 130 mph |
| U.S. MSRP: | $80,995 + $1,495 destination | $72,900 + $1,195 destination |
Nevertheless, the limited-production three-row SUV put up a good fight. We can’t wait to see the two battle it out again once their modifications are complete.
