By CB Staff
The Durango was only 0.6 seconds slower than the real deal.
Durango SRT Hellcat
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- Dodge
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- SUV
The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is an impressive performance SUV, boasting a powerful V8 motor, advanced suspension, and exceptional stopping power from its Brembo brakes, but can it beat a WRX on a snowy rally stage? The answer is no, but it gets incredibly close.
Under the hood, the Dodge has a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 that produces 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque. That's more than enough to get it sideways on any surface, but rallying is about more than simply applying opposite lock.
You also need to maintain momentum while doing so. The tall muscle car is surprisingly good at the art of rallying, as proven by Team O'Neil Rally Schools' YouTube channel.
The SUV was driven in Track Mode to allow it to slide a bit more. In this mode, the traction and stability control are turned off completely, so the car won't apply the brakes to keep it from rolling over.
Despite the icy conditions, initial impressions of the Durango SRT Hellcat were good. The SUV's superb handling could be attributed to its Bridgestone Blizzak tires, which gave it decent amounts of grip in these conditions.
It's an advantage the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro did not have when it did a hot lap around the same course.
Despite the SUV performing well, its touchy throttle was a point of contention. When you're going sideways on a rally stage, throttle control is as important as the steering wheel.
Even so, the Durango SRT Hellcat performed better than expected, as the SUV completed the course in 2:14.97. It's the second fastest car that Team O'Neil has tested in the winter (the Ski-Doo MXZ is a snowmobile). It was only 0.6 of a second slower than the Subaru WRX rally school car. For such a large and heavy vehicle, it's a mighty impressive time. The Durango was two seconds faster than a Ford Bronco Badlands on the same course.
Despite the nameplate's popularity, Dodge is letting go of the SUV, with Last Call Special Edition models rolling out until the end of the year.
