Chevrolet Chevelle SS
IN the silver corner, we have this gorgeous early 70s Chevelle that has a big block 454 V-8 under the hood that puts out 450 ponies and 500 lb-ft of torque, sending it all to the rear wheels
In the silver corner, we have a classic Chevelle from the early 70s. The Chevelle was made between 1968 and 1971 and was, in fact, Chevy’s foray into the muscle car world, enough to give the Pontiac GTO a tough time.
The SS or Super Sport saw the addition of a huge 454 cubic inch (7.5-liter) big block under the hood that put out 450 ponies and 500 pound-feet of torque. You had the option of either a three or a four-speed auto, with power sent to the rear wheels. The Chevy tips the scales at 3,520 lbs. Now, those are some impressive numbers even by modern standards.
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT
Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, we have this sinister family hauler that’s rocking a 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 that puts out 470 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque with AWD traction
At the other end of the spectrum, we have what today’s generation calls a performance vehicle. Yes yes, it is of course the SUV. These humble workhorses that you’d typically see on a school run are now beginning to show up at the drag strip as well.
Under the hood of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT lies a 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 that puts out 470 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to all four-wheel via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Jeep weighs 5194 lbs. Now that we’ve looked at the numbers, let’s see how they pan out on track.
The Race
Once the Christmas lights went out, it looked like it was all over for the driver in the muscle corner
The lights on the Christmas tree go out and within the first few feet, owing to the poor RT of the driver in the Chevelle, the SRT was already ahead by about a car length within the first few yards. But, don’t dismiss the Chevy just yet because the best was yet to come as it unleashed its raw power. Not only did it manage to catch up with the Jeep, but it got to the 1/4 mile first with a stonkingly quick time of 12.18 seconds as opposed to the SRT’s 13.5 seconds.
Its lighter weight helped it claw back and take the lead with a 1/4 mile time of 12.18 seconds as opposed to the SRT’s 13.5 seconds
In the following round, the Chevy went up against a more up-to-date SRT and it didn’t fare that well. The Jeep was quicker this time around with a 1/4 mile time of 11.57 seconds.
Bonus Round
The final clip in the video saw a classic Camaro SS take on a modern-day Challenger Hellcat
The final clip in the video saw a Classic Camaro SS go up against a modern-day Dodge Challenger Hellcat. The Dodge pulled a clean 9.99 second 1/4 mile pass with the Chevy completing the same distance in 11.84 seconds.
You can watch these cars go head to head in the video below