Officially, the Dodge Demon is supposed to be a pinch quicker to cover a 1/4 mile than a stock McLaren 720S. According to Dodge, their fastest-accelerating car ever can run the distance in as little as 9.65 seconds, as long as everything is right with the world and the conditions are optimal.
The 720S on the other hand relies a lot more on aerodynamics (not that it doesn’t also have plenty of power), and has been known to dip below the 10-second mark on several occasions.
Earlier this year, we saw the two models race against each other from a rolling start, and the Demon struggled to keep up with the McLaren 720S’ hypercar-like pulling power. Could it be any different from a standstill though? Let’s find out.
First thing worth noticing is just how quickly the Demon gets up to speed. Even with its driver taking off before the lights turned green, you can still tell that the American muscle car is truly formidable, like an Olympic sprinter itching to blast off.
However, the numbers tell a slightly different story, as does the eye test, which shows the McLaren making up ground like a bat out of hell, eventually covering the 1/4 mile in well under 10 seconds flat – and doing so consistently mind you! The Demon just wasn’t as efficient, and short of a perfect run, it’s clear that the 720S is just too much to handle in a straight line.