There are segments of the market where full electrification can’t arrive soon enough, such as city cars, where there’s little need for an all-engaging driving experience. Well, muscle cars probably make for the last class that should switch to battery power, as these American icons are all about feelings and emotions. And yet battery power is inevitable coming to the class. Some would argue Ford has already done it by slapping the Mustang name on the Mach-E crossover. However, instead of arguing, a YouTuber decided to go with the rule reinventing and drag raced such a Blue Oval against a Dodge Durango Hellcat!
Despite the badging controversy, a move Ford chose in a bid to make the inevitable transition to actual battery-powered muscle cars easier, the Mustang Mach-E is selling well. Last year, Ford moved 27,140 units of the all-electric crossover in the US, with this ranking third in the EV class, only behind the Tesla Model Y crossover and Model 3 sedan.
And while Ford has built a Mach-E 1400 prototype, whose name is accurate (think 1,400 hp), the unit we have here is the GT range-topping production model. Packing dual motors, this allows the driver to control 480 horsepower and 634 pound-feet (860 Nm) of torque. And since it packs a fixed-ratio tranny, there’s no gearshift time penalty during the quarter-mile adventure we have here.
Not a fair race, but a fun one nevertheless
While also being part of the crossover and SUV craze, the Dodge Durango Hellcat couldn’t be more different from the Mach-E. For one, this is a seven-seater SUV.
As for the Hellcat V8 part, the Mopar people only built this 710 hp and 645 lb-ft (875 Nm) monster for the 2021 model year (plus this previous Durango Hellcat Redeye prototype that’s currently being converted for full drag racing duties). The ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic gearbox of the AWD Dodge is the best in its class, so this is a proper choice for the drag strip.
YouTube StangMode recently spent some time with this Mach-E GT. And since a hefty part of his reputation has been built at the drag strip, he brought the electric Ford to such a location. Oh, and while we’re at it, we’ll mention the quarter-mile numbers of the two machines (in ideal conditions). The Ford can play the game in the mid-12s range, while the Dodge is a mid-to-high-11s machine.
Given the said figures, and perhaps as compensation for having a tune on his Hellcat-engined SUV, the driver of the Durango seems to have given the Ford the hit. Was this enough for the Mach-E to grab the W? Guess there’s only one way to find out (don’t worry, the timeslips are included in the clip below).
