Tuners have a penchant for claiming that, once swapped to a modern enough engine and (sometimes) transmission, old-timers can take on modern supercars on the drag strip. While the tech exists to make it true, it requires serious expertise and expenditure. As the YouTuber named RestoMods shows in his latest video, this 1971 Dodge Challenger lacked the go to accompany its show.
Going up against the retro car is its modern successor, the 2022MY Hellcat. A cursory glance at the list of changes can convince you that the tuned ride has everything going for it with Hotchkiss suspension, six-piston Wilwood calipers at the front end, a modern Silversport transmission and a 5.7-liter Hemi engine under the hood. The exact output is not stated, but it usually lies within the range of 350-400 horsepower, which is quite adequate given the modest weight of the car.
The latest Hellcat lacks aftermarket improvements, but brings its 6.2-liter supercharger V8 to the table with 727 PS (717 hp / 535 hp). Surely it won’t be able to get that engine going on a quarter-mile drag strip, right?
As it turns out, wrong. The restomod gets a great start and puts some distance between itself and its rival, but the latter soon takes over and proceeds to win the race almost effortlessly. But hey, at least the old-timer looks great!
