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Hellcat Charger and 2016 Cadillac CTSV
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By Patrick Rall Dec 28 2015 - 11:32am

Hellcat Dodge Charger Beats 2016 Cadillac CTS-V Over and Over

A video has surfaced showing a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat racing against a new 2016 Cadillac CTS-V and in almost every match, the supercharged Mopar beat the supercharged Caddy – often doing so in impressive fashion.
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The two most powerful sedans in dealerships around the United States are the 2015/2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V. The Hellcat Charger, as we all know, packs a supercharged 6.2L Hellcat Hemi with an official rating of 707 horsepower and 650lb-ft of torque. The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V is powered by a similar supercharged 6.2L LT4 V8 to that in the C7 Corvette Z06, but in the Caddy, the LT4 “only” delivers 640 horsepower and 630lb-ft of torque according to the official specs.

Based on those numbers alone, many would expect that the Hellcat Charger would hand the new CTS-V a beating in a head to head race, but we need to keep in mind that there is a fairly substantial weight difference between the two. The supercharged Charger has a curb weight of 4,575lbs while the Cadillac curb weight is listed at 4,134lbs, so when the two cars are sitting empty, the Dodge is around 441 pounds heavier than the CTS-V.

That weight differential has given GM fans hope that the most powerful Cadillac and the most powerful GM sedan of all time would be able to tackle the Hellcat Dodge, but based on the video below showing the two going head to head – the Hellcat Charger is still the king of the US sport sedan segment.

Hellcat Charger VS CTS-V
The video below shows a factory stock Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat going head to head with an also factory stock 2016 Cadillac CTS-V. The Charger has the driver and at least one passenger, so we can tack on an extra 300lbs to the Dodge, but it is unclear whether or not the Cadillac has more than one person in the car.

At first, the Hellcat Charger and the new Cadillac CTS-V go at it from a stop, and the supercharged Dodge crushed the Caddy. The Charger gets a good launch and jumps ahead right as the two leave the line and from there, the Hellcat just pulls away. On the second run from a stop, the Cadillac is given the slight head start and when the Charger spins the tires, the CTS-V gets out to a massive lead. The Charger begins to close, but the Caddy lifts after taking that second dig race.

The rest of the video shows the Hellcat Charger and the new Cadillac CTS-V racing from a roll – generally 40 miles per hour. In some cases, the Cadillac hops out to a quick lead right as the race begins, but in every case, the Hellcat Charger quickly catches, passes and walks away from the supercharged Caddy.

In the end, when the Charger got traction, it took the new Cadillac to task in every race so if this is the car that GM fans were expecting to best the mighty Hellcat – they are going to have to keep waiting. While the weight advantage might give the Caddy a slight advantage at the beginning of a roll race (or on a road course), the big power of the Hellcat Hemi appears to be too much for the LT4 at higher speeds.

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Comments

Uncle Tony wrote on December 28, 2015 - 6:03pm
Charger driver is slow on the takeoff and Cadiboy is redlighting lol
Randy Miller wrote on December 29, 2015 - 3:08am
Cadillac builds a world class sports sedan that is built to be powerful AND handle well, and people are worried about whether it beats a dodge charger in a drag race?
Kenny wrote on December 29, 2015 - 6:10am
The caddy is not JUST a dragster. It's an all around bad ass luxury sedan. Throw in some actual corners to go around and see how the two compare. The caddy is so far beyond this car that it's laughable that they are even being compared.
RacerX wrote on December 29, 2015 - 8:05am
Yes the hellcat is a monster and I can see it crushing a CTS-V or most anything else off the factory floor...as long as you don't...uh...have to turn a corner. You see, REAL racing involves having to turn the wheel, preferably left and right. Don't get me wrong, I cut my teeth on the drag strip and the street when I was young. But one day I grew up and discovered the wonders of handling a powerful car through the twists and turns. Put the Hellcat and the CTS-V on a good road course. Instead of Hellcat, it will be called "The Lawnmower". :)
Derek wrote on December 29, 2015 - 5:47pm
Ok yeah.. so not surprised. Now what would most people rather own if offered both cars for free.. Cheap beer or a fine aged merlot? If those desire more hp any either car SC's its not hard. Hmm A Cadillac world class sports sedan that beats up on Europe's best or a Dodge... hmmm.
Abel wrote on December 30, 2015 - 8:16am
I've seen a Honda Civic outrun a Dodge Viper in a staight line but that doesn't mean I would take the civic over the viper. The Cadillac is twice the car the charger is!
Jman wrote on December 31, 2015 - 8:16am
The new Cadillac looks like a Chevy volt inside.
Derek wrote on December 31, 2015 - 7:18pm
It's gorgeous inside. That's technology. All higher end car are going that way with the instrument cluster lcd and infotainment. Volt does not have CUE nor look like a CTS-V inside. What do you drive? Ignorant comments from people that don't know their facts! :)
RYAN wrote on January 7, 2016 - 1:30pm
Anybody notice that in the first few videos it looks like that guy in the Cts v is trying to manually shift it. From everything that I've read they say to leave it in auto and its faster than trying to manually shift it. I believe the Cadillac would have had a better chance of staying ahead if he would have just left it in automatic.
John Boyega wrote on October 10, 2018 - 12:53pm
If you truly compare the 2 your paying for a better suspension on the CTS-V and the luxury factor. People don't necessarily buy muscle cars for luxury. If you consider the fact that the Charger Hellcat is about 30k or more less than the CTS-V and a suspension mod of about $1500 will greatly increase cornering, its a better overall value.