Is The Dodge Challenger Faster Than The Charger? Top Speed And Acceleration, Compared

Dodge made its mark on the muscle car era of the 1960s and 1970s with models like the Challenger and Charger, which both got modern redesigns in more recent years. Both the Charger and Challenger were discontinued in 2023, though the former has already returned as both the new Dodge Charger Daytona EV. Prior to that, a number of powerful engines were used in the Challenger and Charger, including the 6.4-liter 392 Hemi.

The Charger came first in 1966, and the Challenger followed for the 1970 model year. The first generation of that model ended a few years later, just as the muscle car craze was fading in the face of new emissions and fuel economy regulations. Both models have gone through several generational updates, and both disappeared for about two decades between the mid-'80s and the mid-2000s. The Challenger and Charger also both historically came in SRT variants, Chrysler's label for high-performance cars that stands for "Street and Racing Technology." So, of the recent versions of the Charger and Challenger, which one is faster? 

Dodge advertised the 2023 Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye as the "world's fastest four-door muscle car." Car and Driver tested its 0-60 time at 3.5 seconds and its quarter-mile time as 11.5 seconds at 126 miles per hour. That's relatively pedestrian when compared to the 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170, though. According to Dodge Garage, that car's 1,025-horsepower Hemi engine can get the special-edition Challenger to 60 miles-per-hour in an astonishing 1.66 seconds and down a quarter-mile dragstrip in under 9 seconds at over 150 miles per hour. It also has a slightly higher top speed at 215 mph.

While both cars are faster than most, the Challenger's performance is truly elite and compares to that of the Tesla Model S Plaid, which was banned by the National Hot Rod Association for being too fast. The fastest Challenger met the same fate after the NHRA found it to be so fast that it required additional safety equipment like a roll cage, window net, and driveshaft restraining loop. As far as the top speed of the two models is concerned, both can earn you plenty of speeding tickets. The 2023 Charger Hellcat Redeye can get up to 203 mph, according to the manufacturer's specs, and Dodge claims that the Challenger SRT Demon can go as fast as 215 mph.