A lightly modded S650 Ford Mustang GT beats a Dodge Challenger Hellcat in a shocking quarter-mile showdown in New Jersey.
In a surprising twist on the drag strip, a seemingly modest 2024 Ford Mustang GT has claimed victory over a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat—despite the odds favoring the latter’s supercharged power.
Captured by the racing-focused ImportRace YouTube channel at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, the showdown pitted Ford’s seventh-generation S650 Mustang against one of Dodge’s most powerful production muscle cars. Both cars launched side by side with matching reaction times, but the race didn’t unfold as expected.
On paper, the Challenger Hellcat’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8, known for producing upwards of 700 horsepower, should have left the Mustang’s 5.0-liter naturally aspirated Coyote V8 in the dust. But as seasoned drag racing fans know, quarter-mile contests aren’t won on paper—they’re won with traction, timing, and execution.
Midway down the track, the Hellcat appeared to veer dangerously close to the Mustang’s lane, briefly losing focus and momentum. That was all the opportunity the silver S650 needed. Taking advantage of the momentary slip, the Mustang surged ahead and held the lead through the finish.
The final times told the tale: the Mustang clocked in at 11.48 seconds at 128 mph, while the Hellcat followed with 11.63 seconds at 131 mph—faster in speed, but just a beat too late.
The race is a striking example of how modern Mustangs, even without forced induction, can still deliver knockout performance with the right setup and driver. Yet the moment comes as muscle cars face an uncertain future. Dodge has ended production of the Challenger as of 2023, and Ford saw record-low Mustang sales in 2024.
Still, rumors of a new Shelby GT500 variant persist, suggesting that Ford isn’t ready to send the Mustang to the great garage in the sky just yet. As long as quarter-miles are being run, the pony car wars are far from over.
