Home / Dodge News, Pricing and Reviews
hellcat tesla shootout screen shot
Patrick Rall's picture
By Patrick Rall Apr 29 2015 - 5:59pm

Dodge Charger Hellcat Beats Tesla P85D in Motor Trend Shootout (Video)

The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and the 2015 Tesla Model S P85D sedan are two of the best performing sedans on sale today and the folks at Motor Trend have just rolled out a great new video showing these two very different American super-sedans duking it out in a variety of tests and – surprisingly – the Charger gets the nod from MT as the baddest sedan on the block.
Advertisement

Today, Motor Trend’s Head 2 Head Episode 65 debuted online and this newest shootout compares the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and the 2015 Tesla Model S P85D in a collection of high performance tests. Host Jonny Lieberman walks us through the ins and outs of the two super-sedans, talking about the features that make each of them so awesome, but in such different ways that both lead to very impressive performance cars.

The MT Charger-v-P85D Battle
If you are unfamiliar with a Motor Trend performance car comparison, the Hellcat Charger and Tesla P85D were both put through a variety of tests. This includes 0-60, 60-0 braking, lateral acceleration, the MT Figure 8 and, of course, the quarter mile, with host Jonny Lieberman giving us his rundown of these two awesome machines along the way.

Even though the Charger is a big, heavy sedan that is perceived as being far more comfortable on a drag strip than a road course, the 707 horsepower Dodge did very well against the all-wheel drive P85D in the handling competitions. The Hellcat stopped from 60 miles per hour in the same 104 feet, while beating the Model S on the skid pad by a little and on the MT Figure 8 by a lot. For a car that doesn’t get any respect for its handling abilities, the Hellcat Charger put down good numbers in braking and cornering compared to the Tesla.

Where the Tesla Model S P85D shines is in acceleration, as the instant torque of the electric drivetrain and the advance all-wheel drive system afford this electric sedan incredible low end performance numbers with a 3.2 second 0-60 time in the Motor Trend test. This was a half second quicker than the Hellcat Charger and when the two went head to head in a quarter mile drag race, the Tesla beat the Dodge by 1 tenth of a second with the Charger running a significantly faster trap speed.

The Tesla P85D won this drag race, but with a time of just 11.8, the Charger was much, much slower than what it is capable of in the hands of someone who has time to learn the car – or to buy sticky tires. Based on that, I would expect a real world drag race between the Charger and the Model S to go very similarly to what we have seen when the Hellcat Challenger races a P85D. However, in this MT shootout, the Model S got to the quarter mile finish line first.

After it was all said and done, the folks at Motor Trend picked the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat as the better of the two high performance sedans. While I have touched on some of the key numbers from the Motor Trend shootout, this video is an awesome example of American performance at its best so grab a drink and a snack, kick back and spend 17 minutes watching the Motor Trend crew put these two beasts to the test. Seriously – this video is great, whether you like the Charger, the Tesla or any other go-fast sedan, as it shows just how far the 4-door performance world has come…and it has lots of burnouts.

Image Source: The Motor Trend video embedded above

Automotive News
Electric Vehicle News, Reviews and Analysis
Performance Vehicles
Dodge News, Pricing and Reviews
Tesla News and Updates

Subscribe to Torque News on YouTube.
Follow Torque News on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

Comments

Mahn wrote on April 29, 2015 - 6:49pm
The Tesla is like Jiro's Sushi, executed in perfection and cleanliness. The hellcat is like your sloppy joe, a complete slobbering mess.
Skeptic wrote on April 30, 2015 - 10:41pm
The Tesla is, like, $110K tested form. The Charger is half that. It also performs better on the Autobahn, as the Tesla goes into restricted mode to prevent damage to the battery pack after less than ten minutes at moderate Autobahn speeds (110mph). The Tesla gets better gas mileage. $65,000 buys a lot of gas
mike w wrote on May 1, 2015 - 7:14pm
In Germany your comments might be valid but since there are NO Autobans in North America, driving at 110 MPH for extended periods of time is not a likely scenario. As you stated the fuel costs for the Tesla are about $15,000 less (for 100,000 miles) than the gasser and the Tesla requires only minimal maintenance. Most of the Dodge dealers around here a charging $85K for their hellcats because they can get it. With questionable resale value of the gas car it looks to me that the Tesla is way way way cheaper car to own, not to buy but to own. Big difference.
Weapon wrote on April 29, 2015 - 7:13pm
When did they film this? Prior to the 3.1 seconds 0-60 update or after? And it would probably get better once Tesla releases the top end update. As far as stickier tires, both cars would benefit.
mike w wrote on April 30, 2015 - 4:56pm
I watched this video on another site and it clearly shows the Tesla beating the Hellcat in the quarter mile run. I don't understand how the author can claim the hellcat beat the Tesla.
Shun wrote on June 7, 2015 - 1:02am
To make a long story short,,,, why would I purchase an HIGH Maintenance Hybrib Electric Motor For When Im Trying to make money last for this ANNOYING ECONOMY??? The Fire Department Already STATED BY SAYING IF THIS DAM CAR CATCHES ON FIRE,,, THEY NOT GOING NEAR IT TO PUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ELECTRIC FIRE OUT!!!!!! Use Your Head,,,, Get'a FIAT FOUR DOOR 500L or 500X!!!!! It's a Solid Four Door German Car That Drink's LESSER GAS!!!!! 50 HWY, 46 STREET and ITS NOT AN HYBRID OR ELECTRIC CRAP!!!!! If you want a TRUE CAST IRON BLOCK, SOLID HEAVY STEEL FRAME METAL AROUND YOU (((IN CASE AN ASS HOLE HIT YOU TEXTING))), you'll come out smiling with Insurance, he'll come out dead or CRIPPLED for hitting a REAL GOOD DAM SOLID MADE LOW MAINTENANCED NEVER UNDER VALUE GOOD CAR!!!!!! Go Mopar or Go HYBRID ELECTRIC WITH AN HEADACHE!!!!! My Money Toward Factual,,, Not Electric ;-)