My GT7 Log: Last Showdown

The Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Challenger are set to be euthanized by year's end and here in Gran Turismo 7, it's time to have one last drive with these two soon-to-be-euthanized muscles.

The sixth-generation Camaro and the third-generation Challenger were proven to be worthy adversaries to the Ford Mustang. With their time almost up, it appears that the Ford Mustang will have no one to compete with until the future Dodge Charger. As the world prepares to say goodbye to these two, let's have a quick look at these two.

Beginning with the Camaro ZL1 1LE, this is basically a Republican response to Porsche's 911 GT3 because the 1LE Package transformed the Camaro ZL1 into a potent track toy built to tackle not just on drag strips but on racetracks like a proper sports car. Although it's banned on European roads, it lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 7 minutes and 16.04 seconds. The secret to its track-honed performance is its large deflector, rear wing, diffuser, bespoke suspension setup, Michelin tires built for this car, and a 650HP 6.2L supercharged V8 engine mated to a 6-speed manual.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is the biggest upset Dodge delivered when it made a world premiere in 2018. Limited to 3,300 units, the Dodge Challenger Demon's supercharged 6.2L V8 engine produces a monstrous 840HP of power on 100 or higher-octane fuel, capable of hitting 0-62mph in 2.3 seconds, faster than any supercar it faces against. It's so fast, that the NHRA banned this vehicle.

Having gotten to know these two muscle cars that are soon to be heading to the great junkyard of the sky, it's time to have one last drive with the Camaro and the Challenger around the Daytona road track and unleash the soon-to-be-legendary performance that made them stand out. I expect this to be close.

 (SPOILER ALERT: It is)

Let's roll the tape.

And now, the results...

Camaro ZL1 - 1m58.602s

Challenger Demon - 1m59.620s

From the track-honed performance of the Camaro ZL1 1LE to the "Run Like Hell" attitude of the Challenger SRT Demon, these two muscle cars proved their worth until the last drop, and now that they've served their purpose spectacularly, I can't think of a word to describe these two Mustang fighters who fought bravely to the end.

Still, I will credit the Challenger for being the biggest upset to the modern muscle era and the Demon is like the biggest comeback to Dodge. As for the Camaro, it's racing pedigree from NASCAR to Le Mans (thank you, Garage 56) will go down in history as one of the all-time greats.

The sun sets in the sky. Camaro and Challenger, say goodbye.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!

My FH5 Log: Hellcat's Paradise

The advent of the Hellcats proved that Dodge unleashed its gates of hell and devoured the competition alive with its fastest breed of monster machines on the road. In the world of horsepower wars, it seems that Dodge made it easy to win.

As the era of hell-raising V8 power is coming to an end, it's time to take a thrust back in time for a little quick dive on Dodge's monster machines that emerged from the circles of hell.

Beginning with the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, the muscle car that upset the competition alive. Powered by a supercharged Hellcat 6.2L HEMI V8 engine. It's the most powerful engine ever made by FCA (now Stellantis). Dodge claims it can produce over six hundred horsepower but it's been verified to produce 707HP, the most powerful V8 engine ever made in a production car.

With the red key fob engaged, all of the power output from its supercharged V8 engine is released. To survive the monstrous power output, a specially-made 8-speed automatic gearbox is developed to handle the extra power and torque.

Thanks to its powerful engine, the SRT Hellcat is capable of reaching 0-60mph in less than four seconds and onwards to 199mph.

The Charger SRT Hellcat inherits the same Hellcat 6.2L HEMI V8 engine as the Challenger, resulting in up to 707HP of power output with the red key fob at bay, making it the most powerful four-door saloon ever made when it was launched. With this power, the Hellcat-powered Charger is able to do an NHRA-verified quarter mile time of 11 seconds and 204mph of top speed.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is a special-edition Challenger SRT that made supercars cowered in fear because of the supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 engine producing up to 840HP of power and the fastest 0-60mph time of any production sportscar, 2.3 seconds to be precise. It was well known to break every world record in history, especially the fact that being the first production car in the world that can do the longest wheelie as verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

With the trio of hell-raising Dodges getting their word, it's time to take them to one segment of the Badlands I like to refer to as "Hell's Paradise". Get it? This Hell's Paradise is called Devil's Pass and it's the perfect place to let these "super devils" rev their monstrous V8 engines to their "it's over 9000" strengths. See what I did? Anyway, with the gates of hell opened, these V8-powered knights of the apocalypse are ready to settle the score, figuring out which one is the real demon lord.

Let Battle Commence!

After our favorite V8-powered knights of the apocalypse survive Hell's Paradise, here are the results;

Challenger Hellcat - 3m56.553s

Charger Hellcat - 3m56.003s

Challenger Demon - 3m46.543s

No doubt about it, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon truly is the demon king of Dodge after all because of its unrivaled V8 power that butchered every single supercar it came across in a straight line. Although the NHRA banned the Demon from participating in sanctioned drag-racing events, this demon lord is feared and respected by speedo boys everywhere.

As the demon lord proved his strength, the time has come to showcase his...metamorphosis.

What you're looking at here is my version of what the world referred to as the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, the last of the Last Call special edition models made in honor of the Charger and Challenger's end of production at the end of 2023. Of course, I tried matching up to the most powerful Challenger Demon's specifications but I went over. Way over. Still, I am very pleased to re-enact the ultimate Challenger that can butcher the world's fastest supercars into red meat and then feed it to its hellcat minions.

With Hell's Paradise still with us, it's time to take my version of the ultimate Challenger Demon on a sprint run against the other muscle car convicts fighting their way to survive Hell's Paradise. Sorry, boys. There can be only one...

Hell's Paradise. You're right. It really is the hottest inferno in the world.

As the world braces for electrification, Dodge's days of unleashing hell on earth with their Hellcat monsters came to a hell-raising end. From the advent of the Challenger SRT Hellcat to the rise of the ultimate Challenger Demon, Dodge truly is the motoring industry's knight of the apocalypse and as it's set to enter the electrified era, rest assured that its devilish antics will never be forgotten because they are the ones that rewrote the rules of performance with their blood and race fuel.

Thanks for the hell-raising memories, Dodge. And with that...

See you in hell, Dodge.

That takes care of the cremation.

My FH5 Log: American Muscle Powerhouse

While Americans are busy with their grills and fireworks, here in FH5, it's time to honor America with a quick comparison between the three American muscle powerhouses.

America truly is the home of muscle cars and even in the new normal, Gen Z people still want to have a blast of the past by settling the debate over which muscle car is the best, and here are the three competitors;

First up is the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, a track-focused version of the Camaro ZL1. The normal Camaro ZL1 is powered by a supercharged 6.2L V8 engine, it produces 650HP of power and the same amount of torque while mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The 1LE offers the same amount of performance as the ZL1 but with the added track performance to make it capable on the track. From its track-focused aerodynamics, Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve dampers, Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R tires built specifically for this car, and weighing 60lbs less than the normal ZL1, the ZL1 1LE is the ultimate Camaro built for the most elite drivers everywhere.

Next up is the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, the sixth-generation Mustang on steroids. Dubbed as the most powerful Mustang ever made, the GT500's 5.2L Supercharged Cross Plane Crank V8 engine produces 760hp of power output and 625ft-lb of torque. Mated to a TREMEC 7-speed Dual Clutch gearbox, it's capable of hitting the 0-60mph mark in the mid-three second mark and a quarter-mile in less than 11 seconds. The GT500 runs on the near-similar aerodynamics as the GT4 racecar as well as the optional carbon fiber pack for lesser weight and a more enjoyable driving experience. It features next-gen magnetic dampers that allow the GT500 to have the best lateral acceleration of any Mustang experienced.

And finally, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, which is still revered as the ultimate muscle car. The Demon is a special-edition Challenger SRT that made supercars cowered in fear because of the supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 engine producing up to 840HP of power and the fastest 0-60mph time of any production sportscar, 2.3 seconds to be precise. It was well known to break every world record in history, especially the fact that being the first production car in the world that can do the longest wheelie as verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

With the trio of ultimate American muscle cars set, it's time to settle once and for all which of these three is the greatest, and with that, let's use the hill climb course located somewhere near the caldera. It's like the Mexican version of the famed Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in my mind and the hill climb is the perfect discipline for the trio to flex their steroid-induced muscles as they attempt to drive their way to the top. Let's find out which one came out on top, shall we? Roll the tape!

After flexing their muscles on the hill climb, here are the results;

ZL1 1LE - 3:15.596

GT500 -  3:11.225

Demon - 3:29.109

What a shocking result! The most powerful muscle car in the world got beaten by a Mustang that is nearly a hundred less! Looks like Ford is the winner because their new GT500 not only is powerful full-stop but also capable of handling through the track like a European sports car, which is the GT500's breakfast, lunch, and tea. 

It's a shame that despite the Demon is the most powerful of the three, it ended up dead last in my little hill climb experiment with the trio. Well, I got to say, despite whatever happened, these muscle car powerhouses did make America great for good times and bad times, whatever the reason.

Whether you're representing the General, the Blue Oval, or Mopar, it's a real privilege to experience the ultimate American muscle cars. Although they may not be forever, their legacies will be forever remembered just by the smell of the high-performance race fuel exhumed from their tailpipes and the burnouts they've pulled.

Welcome to America!

Forza Horizon 4: American beefcakes

As America blows up the summer skies with its fireworks, the world of Forza has its own take on what others know as the American trinity. The Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Camaro, and the Dodge Challenger are the real American trinity that delivers life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for speedo boys everywhere. These three have been flexing their beefcakes for several years with the aging Challenger trumping both because of the limited-edition Demon that scared away even the most European supercars on the road.







Drawing reference from a certain Grand Tour episode, the muscle car trio consisting of the current-generation ZL1, the now-legendary Challenger SRT Demon, and the RTR Mustang Spec 5, are flexing their muscles to see which muscle car has the bearing of "E Pluribus Unum", which means "out of many, one".

First up, is the ZL1. Powered by a supercharged 6.2L V8 engine, it produces 650HP of power and the same amount of torque while mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic gearbox. While this is the most powerful Camaro ever made, dynamics are still one of the ZL1's priorities especially when it comes to the Magnetic Ride Control suspension and standard electronic Limited-Slip Differential. As a high-performance muscle car that balances power and dynamics on the road and on the track, the new ZL1 is all business or so they say.

The Demon, on the other hand, is a special edition Challenger that made supercars cowered in fear because of the supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 engine producing up to 840HP of power and the fastest 0-60mph time of any production sportscar, 2.3 seconds to be precise. It was well known to break every world record in history, especially the fact that being the first production car in the world that can do the longest wheelie as verified by the Guinness Book of World Records. So record-breaking, drag-racing organizers won't let the Demon join the party, some say.

Lastly, the RTR Spec 5 is a tuning package for the facelifted Ford Mustang by RTR with a specially-made body kit and upgrades underneath. Customers can opt for more power upgrades when they want, of course.







Just like in one episode of The Grand Tour, the muscle car trio are lapping around an abandoned car factory to see which one is the fastest and here in Forza Horizon 4, I found an abandoned rail yard to pit these three for a quick lap to see which one is "out of many, one". Waving the American flag, the quick lap shootout is on to find out which of the three muscle cars is the best.

In the end, here are the results;

ZL1 - 0:43.844
Demon - 0:41.842
RTR Spec 5 - 0:45.412



So, this is the clear winner. Although the Demon is stodgy, old, and went out of production, it's still hell-raising quick, and even with the Demon now in the pages of history, it's proof that Dodge really is the E Pluribus Unum because of their class-leading horsepower and performance that makes Europeans running scared. They're right. The Europeans should rethink before taking these Hellcats on.

Anyway, enjoy the fireworks, America!

Enjoy the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness you've been looking for all the years!

Forza Motorsport 7: 'Merica, baby.

While the rest of America enjoyed some of their patriotic tribute with some grills and fireworks, I had something even better than those and that means, I'm heading to that one place in Texas where speed talks. I'm talking about Circuit of the Americas in Austin and I've summon three of the best muscle cars ever assembled to do more than just fireworks.







As you can see, I've summoned some of our old friends from the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. Here's the Dodge Demon...as seen from The Fate of the Furious. Then, there's the Ford Mustang GT350, and finally, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, one of the most capable track-focused muscle cars ever to be assembled from off the coast. As you can see, these three told me something that these muscle cars wanted to flex their muscles and see which one stands tall. Since this is America, best to be riding cowboy and find out.







Although this Demon came out from The Fate of the Furious, this is still the same Dodge Challenger Demon that rocked the world of sportscars with its supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 engine that blows away 840 all-American horsepower and a straight-line performance that upsets almost all of the expensive European exotics. I once tried that out a few moments ago since the game's launch and by a shock result, the less-powerful but track-honed and now-extinct Dodge Viper ACR punched the Demon like an elbow blow, a sheer sign that a hyper muscle car with drag tires wasn't fit for track duty, although the man from Cafe Leblanc showed us how it's down.

The Camaro ZL1 may not match the Demon's terrifying straight-line performance but because of its track-honed capabilities after years of Nurburgring sessions, it has transformed into a leaner and sharper muscle car that combines big power from its Corvette Z06-derived supercharged 6.2L V8 engine and unbiased dynamics only the free and the brave can salivate through its rather dynamic character. Its NASCAR derivative maybe making headlines through the months but rest assured that the ZL1's dynamics won't go unnoticed for a car that looks good on the straights and the curves.

The GT350R maybe the least powerful of the three, probably because of its naturally aspirated 5.2L V8 engine that produces 526HP of power, but because it's the lightest of the three and the most track-focused of them all, it doesn't really matter how fast this car can go. What matters the most that the GT350 tries to make driving great again for the drivers. There goes that dinner table conversation.

With that conversation over, time to see which of these muscle cars is the best round the Austin Grand Prix venue and with that, time to grab some beer and nachos because it's time to roll the tape.



After many laps of making grills and fireworks with these three ultra-powerful muscle cars, here are the results;

ZL1 - 2:33.968
GT350R - 2:37.078
F8 Demon - 2:41.758



The muscle car wars between Dodge, Ford, and Chevrolet; with cars like the Mustang, Camaro, and the Challenger, Detroit's big three had been baffling each other since the beginning of the era. The Mustang has been the living legend in the muscle car craze that shows the world that they are still the king of muscle cars, although there's still time to wait until their biggest trump card will be unleashed, giving the rivals more time to rethink their strategies. The Camaro has been the second-rate copycat to the Mustang but with its unsung success through the years and movie star appeals, more and more people would consider the Camaro as their next muscle car for the weekends because they think they're cooler than the Mustang. The Challenger has been aged through the years and despite getting a little less attention from the crowd, this muscle car became the ultimate equalizer by showing things the opposition never had. The Demon is the finest example of what the Dodge Challenger does and the opposition really quaking their feet when they notice its rule-breaking performance that challenges the world above and beyond.

The Americans are so glad that through good times and bad times, cars like these still exists and even as this kind of era is about to pave way to zero emission and self-driving age, rest assure that the fun factor of these legends will never go in vain. That is the American way and these cars are what made America the home of the loudest and most powerful cut-price machines in the world.

Forza Motorsport 7: Opera, Art, and Doughnuts...sorta

As the world awaits the second season of Amazon Prime's original motoring program, The Grand Tour, how about a little flashback? Because Jeremy Clarkson's annoyed by the appearance of Richard Hammond and the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, he went to Mugello to teach Hammond a very painful lesson on speed. With Mugello back at Forza 7, how about I'll recreate that memorable Grand Tour moment from that certain episode?



First, let's talk about the cars first, starting with the Aston Martin DB11. Although the V12 engine is now smaller and turbocharged, the power output it produces is rather smooth indeed because this is how grand tourers do. 608HP of power, 700Nm of torque, 0-60mph in less than 3.9 seconds, 200mph top speed, the DB11 wasn't unfazed by its performance figures because all it matters for this car is to cruise around the open road on a bright sunshine and while it was heavily focused for comfortable driving in mind, it can be downright decent on the track making this beauty a beast to behold in the eyes of the driver.



The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat maybe based on the old Chrysler 300C underneath, which is based on the 1990's Mercedes E-Class, but putting a 707HP supercharged V8 engine on it is a complete madness. Although it was superseded by the limited-edition Challenger Demon by about a hundred and thirty-three, the Hellcat remains one of the most outrageous muscle cars ever to come out from the world's most powerful country that is now ran by an orangutan and his minions. So, outrageous, it can make a trip through historic places in Italy into a complete disaster because the roar of the supercharged engine and the endless squealing of tires. I know, this happened on that episode and you can't hide from the Hellcat's fury. Saturdays will be completely ruined thanks to the Hellcat.





In that episode, Jeremy lapped the DB11 at 2:18.79 while Billy Bob Hammond's Hellcat did it in 2:35. All I have to do is to do better than the GT folks while witnessing the very moment that the DB11 taught the Hellcat a very painful lesson. Let's roll the tape.


At the end of the flying lap, here are the results of my Grand Tour reenactment on Forza 7...

Hellcat - 2:22.648
DB11 - 2:15.469



Hey, history repeats itself as the "brown" Aston minced the Hellcat like crazy, although that didn't stop Richard Hammond from doing ridiculous things with the Challenger Hellcat. Still, it's great to have Mugello back on Forza 7 because without it, I couldn't recreate that classic Grand Tour moment in honor of the upcoming season of Amazon Prime's original series. They may be evolving but they never growing up. Get it?

Forza Motorsport 7: Dom's Demon

When the Dodge Challenger Demon unveiled to the world, everyone's cowered in fear over the most powerful production car in the world. With its 840HP from its 6.2L HEMI V8 and the fastest 0-60mph time of any production sportscar, 2.3 seconds to be precise, no wonder every supercar in the world got choked by the Demon's incredible straight line speed and as Forza fans, we wanted to see the most powerful V8 car in the world to be there. However, we got this instead...





Yes, this is still the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon we are familiar with, the one that made Europe tremble in fear because of its monstrous power output that upsets almost every supercar in the world but don't be fooled because this particular Dodge Demon belongs to, well let's cut to the chase, Dom Toretto.

This is Dom's Demon and you can now play it on FM7 via The Fate of The Furious car pack. While Dom's Ice Charger overshadowed the Demon when it comes to star appeal, this demon of a machine should not be overlooked because this is the muscle car well known to break every world record in history, especially the fact that being the first production car in the world that can do the longest wheelie as verified by Guinness Book of World Records and because of The Fate of The Furious, every Mopar fanatic wants to have one in their collection and as a matter of fact, it's the numbers they should be worrying about because the Demon is strictly a limited-edition Challenger available only in the US and Canada and because it starts at 84,995 US Dollars, it's the most expensive Dodge to buy, although cheaper to buy than those European exotics the Demon sets its pitchforks at.

The Americans are as ballsy as the fat man in charge of the nation who wanted to build more nukes against his enemies but for a Dodge Demon, this is a definitive point how Americans are capable of, building stuff that are astronomical enough to crush their rivals into dust to show everyone that they are the greatest people in the world. I'm impressed to think that with all 840HP unleashed from its V8 engine, the Demon has evolved from muscle car into exotic in its own right and it's time for me to prove that theory.



Here we are at the Top Gear Test Track just to see if the Demon has grown into a proper supercar that can eat almost everyone, even in its compatriots like the Corvette and the Ford GT. Of course, with no one ever turned up to the party because I suspect, they've got intimidated by the Demon's power output, and instead someone popped up bravely.





Yes, this is the Dodge Viper ACR, the most hardcore Viper ever made and even though this is the last of the Vipers before its demise, probably because the Hellcats already devoured it like Titans in the forest, its GTS-R-inspired dynamics is what made the ACR a road-legal racecar and it lapped round the Top Gear Test Track in 1:15.1.

Time to get some beer and nachos because this will be the most interesting comparo of them all as the Viper ACR goes up against Dom Toretto's Demon from F8. Time to get this show rolling...


And now the results...

1:14.945 - Viper ACR
1:24.267 - Dom's Demon

And there we have it, ladies and gentlemen. Even though the Demon is over 200HP more than the Viper, it couldn't beat the Viper in a lap round the track and I think there's a clear reason for that. One, it's heavier than the ACR, and second, drag tires don't usually work on track days. Sure, it can be a blast to drive on the drag straights but on the track, it's very challenging indeed and looks like the Viper ACR, despite its demise, finally teached the Demon a very painful lesson on the track.



For me, it's been an honor to drive Dom's Demon on Forza Motorsport 7. Even though it's not as quick as the Viper ACR, this car makes me want to go Vin Diesel all the way because of its appearance in The Fate of The Furious. Those who saw the Dodge Demon would make them think that's the car Dom Toretto drove in the film and this Vin Diesel-approved muscle car is just one of the main reasons why we're into cars like these. The crazier they get, the awesomer they become and the Demon is just one of the Fast and Furious cars that get the job done. Now that's Fast & Furious to you.