by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Hellcat emblem has become synonymous with speed and horsepower. Hellcat engines work hard and play harder. In 2015 the Dodge Challenger got a Hellcat engine, and the nameplate was changed forever. The supercharged 6.2-liter SRT Hellcat engine made 707 horsepower. Hellcats have been a performance hot topic ever since.

How powerful is a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat?

The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is one of the most powerful muscle cars on the market. It also happens to be one of the fastest muscle cars of all time. The Dodge Challenger debuted in 1970 as a muscle car that could compete with the likes of the popular 1964 Ford Mustang.

Over the years, the rivalry between Ford and Dodge only grew stronger as the American automakers competed for best muscle car. Ford Mustangs are iconic, but Dodge Challengers and Dodge Chargers have earned their place in history as well. A custom 1968 Hellcat-powered Dodge Charger is featured in the newest Fast and Furious film. This proves that Dodge’s handiwork is universally acknowledged, and its famous nameplates aren’t going anywhere.

Which muscle car is faster, the Challenger Hellcat or Charger Hellcat?

We know Dodge produces some great muscle cars, but the real question is, which is its fastest muscle car? The short answer is, it’s difficult to say. The 2021 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat can make up to 807 horsepower at its highest trim level. The 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat makes 797 horsepower at its highest trim level. The muscle cars both use a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine.

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat takes 3.5 seconds to go from 0-60 miles per hour. The Dodge Challenger SRT does 0-60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds. 0.2 of a second may not mean much to most consumers, but many would argue this means the Charger SRT Hellcat is the faster muscle car. Many police departments use Dodge Chargers as their patrol vehicles. Unfortunately for them, SRT Hellcats aren’t exactly in the budget.

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcats destroy Dodge Charger on drag strip

While Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats may be able to compete with Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcats, regular old Dodge Chargers are completely outclassed. The difference in horsepower is at least 400 horses, but according to Motor1, some folks had to experience the difference in speed for themselves. A police Charger drag raced a Challenger SRT Hellcat and SRT Hellcat Redeye.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye completed the quarter-mile over four seconds faster than the Dodge Charger and its non-Hellcat engine. The Challenger SRT Hellcat completed the quarter-mile slightly over two seconds faster than the charger. Dodge makes great muscle cars all around, but this drag race proved that Hellcats are just entirely different animals than the rest of Dodge’s lineup.

The Hellcat engine is one of the most exciting engines in modern times. Try as they may, other engines usually can’t come anywhere close to it. A Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye rarely meets a challenge it can’t overcome.

RELATED: Dodge Challenger Hellcat Flips Chevy Silverado In a Stunning Display of Stupidity

The post Dodge Challenger Hellcats Smoke Police Dodge Charger on Drag Strip appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Each time you slide behind the wheel, you’re supposed to do everything in your power to ensure you follow car safety rules so that your actions don’t endanger others. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the highway or off-roading — you must follow the rules and remain alert for both human and animal life to avoid accidents. A single bad choice behind the wheel can trigger devastating consequences.

A perfect example of this recently took place in a National Park. A driver decided to ignore the fact that a beach that’s part of the National Park system was off-limits to off-roading. Their actions cost an endangered sea turtle her life.

The off-roading accident that led to the death of an endangered turtle

KIRO 7 recently reported the sad news that one of the sea turtles that use the beach that makes up part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore was recently found lying, deceased, on the sand. Evidence strongly suggests that the turtle was struck and run over by a vehicle that was off-roading on the beach.

It’s always heartbreaking when a turtle is hit and killed. They’re a peaceful animal that lacks the speed and agility needed to avoid motorists. Making this story even sadder is that this was a loggerhead sea turtle, an endangered species that had crawled out of the sea to lay eggs. Because this is the time of year that the loggerhead sea turtles always lay their eggs, that section of the beach had been closed off to traffic in an attempt to provide the turtles with some much-needed privacy and protection. Clearly, someone ignored the signs and decided to go off-roading on the beach. 

What is so special about loggerhead sea turtles?

Loggerhead turtles take their name from the fact that they have powerful jaws and heads that appear massive compared to their shelled body. While loggerhead turtles are the most commonly found sea turtles in the Atlantic Ocean waters that border the Eastern United States, the population has been in a state of rapid decline. Ocean pollution, destruction of nesting habitats, and fishing habits have decimated the loggerhead turtle population. 

What’s really alarming about the decline in loggerhead numbers is that they are considered a keystone species that plays a pivotal role in the Atlantic Ocean’s ecosystem.

The Loggerhead is considered a “keystone species,” meaning that other animals in its ecosystem depend on it for survival,” Joel Sartore wrote in a National Geographic article. “These turtles feed on invertebrates, whose shells pass through their digestive systems and, upon excretion, fall back to the bottom of the ocean for other animals to eat as a calcium source. Predators also rely on loggerhead hatchlings for food, while more than a hundred species of animals — including barnacles, crabs, and algae — live on their shells.

National Geographic

According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the loggerhead turtle was originally put on the Endangered and Threatened Species List on July 28, 1978.

The truth about off-roading on federal land

While off-roading isn’t exactly prohibited on Federal land, there are strict rules drivers are expected to follow. If you want to go off-roading in one of the national parks, you must understand that while some areas allow you to off-road, the National Park Service (NPS) also has several areas where off-roading is banned.

If you want to go off-roading in a national park, the first thing you have to do is purchase a permit from the NPS. The second order of business is directly contacting the park’s management team that you’re visiting. Don’t be surprised if you’re told that the park staff doesn’t allow you to take your vehicle off-road in any part of the park. Most national parks aren’t equipped to deal with the damage off-roading does to the wildlife and flora. The few national parks that allow you to go off-roading have particular areas where you’re allowed to drive and usually limit the number of drivers who can enjoy the experience.

Failing to follow the rules the NPS has regarding off-roading in parks will result in severe consequences. The driver who chose to ignore the signs about not driving on the beach where the turtles were nesting faces a $5,000 fine and a possible six-month jail sentence for driving in a restricted area. An additional $5,000 fine and six months of jail time could be added if they’re also found guilty of violations to wildlife/plants/natural features. Since their actions directly resulted in the death of an endangered species, they could be convicted of violating the Endangered Species Act, which includes a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $50,000 fine. Additional civil penalties that add up to $25,000 could be attached.

When you look at how much a guilty conviction could cost the drivers, the few minutes of fun they may have experienced while driving on the beach doesn’t seem worthwhile.

RELATED: Where You Can Take Your Boat to See the Best Marine Wildlife

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