Camaro ZL1 vs Challenger SRT Demon: muscle car extremes

The last generation of American muscle cars produced two very different flagships. The sixth-generation Camaro ZL1 arrived for the 2017 model year at the top of the Camaro range and was built until the end of Camaro production at Lansing Grand River on 14 December 2023. It was designed to go round corners as well as in a straight line.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon was built for one thing: the drag strip. Production started in summer 2017 at Brampton in Canada, and only 3,300 cars were made before the last left the line on 31 May 2018. In 2023 Dodge brought the idea back as the Demon 170, and the very last Challenger, built on 22 December 2023, was one of them.

Camaro ZL1 vs Challenger Demon: power, weight and purpose

Two supercharged V8s

Both cars use a supercharged 6.2-litre V8. Chevrolet's LT4 gives the ZL1 485 kW (650 hp) and 881 N·m. The Demon's Hemi, fed by a 2.7-litre supercharger, makes 603 kW (808 hp) and 972 N·m on 91-octane pump fuel; with 100-octane fuel and the red key it reaches 626 kW (840 hp) and 1,044 N·m. The Demon 170 of 2023 goes further still, to 764 kW (1,025 hp) and 1,281 N·m.

Weight and power-to-weight

The ZL1 weighs 1,760 kg, so each kW moves about 3.6 kg. The Demon is heavier at 1,930 kg, yet with 626 kW it carries only about 3.1 kg per kW. Dodge saved weight by fitting only a driver's seat as standard; the passenger seat could be added back for one US dollar.

Straight line

The numbers show the Demon's purpose. It covers the quarter mile in 9.65 seconds at 225 km/h and reaches 60 mph in 2.3 seconds; it was also described as the first production car to lift its front wheels in a wheelie. The NHRA banned it from its tracks because a car this quick needs a certified roll cage. The ZL1 needs 11.4 seconds for the quarter mile, about 1.75 seconds more, and 3.5 seconds to 60 mph.

Corners and top speed

The Camaro sits on GM's Alpha platform, shared with the Cadillac ATS and CTS, and can be had with a six-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic. Its official top speed is 319 km/h. The ZL1 1LE package adds aerodynamic parts that produce 136 kg of downforce at 241 km/h, Multimatic dampers and 19-inch instead of 20-inch wheels; it lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:16.04. The Demon uses an eight-speed ZF automatic and Nitto drag radials of 315/40R18 at each corner.