The Dodge Durango was never intended to be a performance vehicle, but installing the Hellcat engine changed that perception. With supercharged power under the hood, it has proven capable of running alongside serious performance cars. To see how far that credibility really goes, the folks from The Fast Lane Car on YouTube lined it up against a C8 Corvette Z06 for a series of drag races.
At first glance, a Corvette Z06 versus a Durango Hellcat seems lopsided, but on a slick surface, the outcome wasn’t guaranteed. On paper, the Durango held the launch advantage. Its 710 horsepower, 645 lb-ft of torque, all-wheel drive, and supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi gave the three-row SUV brutal off-the-line potential. The Z06 answered with 670 horsepower from a naturally aspirated flat-plane-crank V8, rear-wheel drive, and a significant weight advantage.
From a standing start, the Durango delivered exactly as expected. Its AWD launch was violent, jumping out front and pinning the driver back. As speeds increased and traction evened out, the Corvette’s lighter chassis and high-revving V8 began to assert themselves. By the top end, the Z06 chased down the SUV and pulled clear.
Despite limited grip and high elevation, the Corvette recorded an 11.92-second quarter-mile at 118 mph, while the Durango ran a 12.54 at 110 mph. On the second pass, the Z06 went quicker still, laying down an 11.77-second run at 122 mph and reinforcing its advantage once underway.
A 30-mph roll race removed any remaining uncertainty. The Z06 pulled away immediately, with its dual-clutch gearbox and flat-plane V8 delivering sustained acceleration the heavier Durango simply couldn’t match.
