It’s in-EV-itable: the Dodge Charger is going electric… eventually. But before that happens, Dodge is going all out with the Charger Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak, combining almost demonic horsepower with a plethora of visual options. But even if the charger isn’t quite ready for its battery-powered future, that future is here. And it looks a lot like the 2022 Lucid Air GT Performance. So, can the old-school car still compete with the new-age car? YouTube team Throttle House decided to find out.
2022 Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak vs. 2022 Lucid Air GT Performance: The past and future of supercar-killing sedans
| 2022 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak | 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance | |
| Engine/engine setup | Front-mounted 6.2-liter supercharged V8 | Permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motors front and rear |
| PK | 807 hp | 1050 hp |
| Couple | 707 lb-ft | 921 lb-ft |
| Transfer | Eight-speed automatic | N/A (direct drive) |
| Battery capacity | N/A | 112.0 kWh |
| Empty weight | 4591 lbs | 5200-5250 lbs |
| 0-60 mph time | 3.5 seconds | 2.6 seconds |
By the time you’re done with “2022 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak,” the RWD sedan will hit 60 mph. But while the name is long, the premise is simple.
Mechanically it is a Charger Hellcat Redeye Widebody with 10 more horsepower. By comparison, that leaves it just one horsepower lower than the iconic Demon. Plus, that extra power comes in and out with some extra visual pop. That’s the ‘Jailbreak’ part: it gives the Dodge Charger access to previously denied color combinations. And that includes everything from the stripes to the seatbelts, brake calipers and floor mats.
Since the Demon is out of production, the Jailbreak is the pinnacle of the 2022 Dodge Charger lineup. That’s also what the Lucid Air GT (Grand Touring) Performance is for the California-based EV brand now that the Dream Edition is sold out. But while it sacrifices some power compared to the Dream Performance, the Air GT sacrifices little or no speed.
Lucid claims that the Air GT Performance can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds. At the time of writing, no independent source has verified that. However, when Car and Driver recently tested the 819bhp Grand Touring, which runs on all-season rather than summer tyres, the AWD EV reached 62mph in 3.0 seconds. Additionally, the 10.7 second ¼ mile time surpasses the 11.5 seconds of the non-jailbreak charger Hellcat Redeye.
But the Air still can’t worry about the Charger.
Can a supercharged muscle car really keep up with a Tesla-fighting EV?
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Throttle House’s head-to-head formula was simple. Both the Dodge Charger Jailbreak and the Lucid Air GT Performance ran two ¼-mile drag races. The first was from a standing start, while the second had a rolling start. The latter eliminates traction and launch control to focus solely on the cars’ powertrains. And it’s here where the charger could catch up.
See, EVs are off the line fast because they don’t have transmissions to shift or engines to rev. Instead, they have a maximum torque of 0 rpm. But that also means some start to wind down after the explosive launch. Unfortunately for the Charger, the Lucid Air GT Performance doesn’t taper quite as much. The non-Performance Grand Touring also defeated the Charger Hellcat Redeye in Car and Driver’s 0-100 and 0-150 tests.
However, from a rolling start, the Dodge Charger Jailbreak appears to be neck-and-neck with the EV. Car and driver recorded 5-60 identical times for both sedans: 3.7 seconds. And keep in mind that 5-60 times is more indicative of real world performance than 0-60 times.
In addition, the used drag strip Throttle House had just been repaved, meaning the surface had extra grip. Admittedly, that benefits the Air just as much as it does the Charger. But with fewer driven wheels, the Dodge’s performance could get a bigger boost by comparison. So the supercharged muscle sedan isn’t necessarily completely outclassed.
Which is faster, the 2022 Lucid Air GT Performance or the 2022 Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak?
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Unfortunately, or perhaps inevitably, the 2022 Dodge Charger Jailbreak can’t keep up with the Lucid Air GT Performance. Even with almost demonic power, the Charger was slower than the Air in both drag races. Compared to the Dodge, the Lucid EV took off like a silent rocket from both a standing start and a rolling start.
So for now, Dodge’s muscle cars are no match for the fastest EVs. But when the brand’s electric cars take cover, there’s a rematch between Lucid and Dodge.
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