ZR1 Takes 900 HP Challenger Hellcat to the Woodshed in ‘Mexico’

No matter what the Redeye’s owner does to make his car competitive, the big brute simply can’t keep up with the mighty Corvette.

The ZR1 is everything you could want in a hardcore Corvette. It’s got a big, supercharged V8, a choice of big wings, and still can be dailied like any other Corvette while being able to turn it up whenever and wherever necessary.

For example, what would you do with a ZR1 if some dude in a Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye says he can beat you with his heavy metal? If you’re Mike Holt, (a.k.a. Street Speed 717), you accept his challenge, knowing full well you can beat the pants off him, no matter what he does.

“Let’s a take a little trip to ‘Mexico’ with the ZR1, a little ‘Mexico’ action,” said Holt. “This time, we’re facing off against a pretty fast Hellcat Redeye.”

The green Redeye, owned by fellow YouTuber Corey Benoit (a.k.a., Driveway Demons, is not a bad car in its own right, but it is quite the porker compared to Holt’s ZR1. Even Holt says he digs the green Mopar’s style, if only because it’s a coupe and not a sedan.

The tale of the tape shows that while the Redeye has 887 ponies at the crank over the ZR1’s 755 horses, the Dodge also weighs 4,400 pounds, compared to the ‘Vette’s 3,700 pounds. Benoit even asks Holt if the big amount of power in is car is enough to overcome the huge weight disadvantage. Holt believes it might.

ALSO SEE: 2019 Corvette ZR1 Drive Review: 755 Horsepower of American Excess

“I might be in trouble, not gonna like,” said Holt. “Obviously, bone-stock, 755 at the crank, around 640-650 wheel-ish… I don’t think I’ll have enough. With your extra power, honestly, I think I’m gonna get cooked.”

On the first run (a 50-mph roll), the Redeye nudges ahead just a bit before the ZR1 pulls away. On the second run, the Mopar spun its wheels, giving the ‘Vette the back-to-back win. The third time, Benoit missed a shift, allowing Holt to net a hat trick on the big green behemoth. The fourth time, traffic held up the Challenger, while the fifth time, a removed spoiler did nothing to improve the Mopar’s chances. And for the cherry on top, the ZR1 beat the McLaren 570S seen earlier in the video in the final run of the day.

“Definitely a surprise,” said Holt. “I really thought I was gonna lose. When I think of the ZR1, I think of it as being heavy because, in my mind, I’m always comparing it to a McLaren. But compared to another regular vehicle, it’s actually pretty light. So, I don’t think I was giving the ZR1 enough credit. It was light enough to offset the 150-horsepower difference with the big Redeye over here.”

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