Each passing holiday season marks the steady march toward the end of America's modern muscle car era. Electric cars may be the here-and-now already for city commuters but enough holdouts who love big gasoline engines still demand fun toys to serve as daily drivers—and none helped to inaugurate the current climate more than the Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Camaro.But Dodge now seems incomprehensibly intent on leading the charge towards e-muscle and Chevrolet will surely follow suit soon, which makes both the high-spec Challenger Hellcat and Camaro ZL1 something of dying breeds. That's exactly why Freedom Street Garage pulled out one of each for two raffle-style sweepstakes closing early in 2023 but first, invited me to take both to the track at Willow Springs Raceway to show potential winners what the two beefy muscle cars can do.
Two Muscle Car Sweepstakes
Freedom Street joins the likes of Omaze, Dream Giveaway, and various car clubs across the country by offering cars in sweepstakes-style raffles. Based in San Diego, the same team also operates RestoMods and Forged 4x4 in similar fashion, running the gamut from built off-roaders to vintage classics and modern muscle. The opportunity to win a mildly modified Challenger Hellcat or Camaro ZL1 might seem less exciting than a fully prepped four-wheeler or classic because Dodge and Chevy sell these cars at dealerships right now—but remembering today's ridiculous disconnects between MSRP and actual purchase price, not to mention shortages and delivery delays, makes the raffle model all the more appealing to many (in addition to the chance to win without spending nearly as much, with a bit of luck). And of course, Freedom Street throws in cash on top of the prize to help cover potential tax liabilities (or future modification, depending on how you look at it).
The Epic Dodge Challenger Hellcat
As much as Dodge wants to lead Detroit into an e-muscle era, fans of the current Challenger and Charger probably want to hold on to the current cars for as long as possible. Really, the recipe remains unchanged since around the time of the last financial crisis: retro styling with big, brutish engines, especially those equipped with higher-spec Hellcat Hemis. The Demon might have only lasted a single model year but a "base" Challenger SRT Hellcat still cranks out an absolutely absurd 717 horsepower and 656 lb-ft of torque, while the Redeye ups that figure to 797 horses or 807 when equipped with the optional Jailbreak package.
A Hellcat Hemi With Some Light Mods
Rather than opting for a higher-spec factory Challenger, FSG decided to make some light modifications to the package, in popular form. A carbon-fiber Corsa intake and air filter setup now feeds the supercharger, matched by a Corsa cat-back exhaust to boost output up to around 740 or 750 ponies. And even if the Hellcat impressed me in stock form throughout a brutal week at Radford Racing School, this Challenger also gets a set of Eibach lowering springs and new Vossen Evo 5R Monoblock wheels to help control body roll and improve handling on the track. The mods might void the factory Dodge warranty, though, so FSG also covered that base with an aftermarket warranty in addition to the $10,000 cash prize the sweepstakes winner receives on top of the car itself.
Sticking With The Stock Camaro
The Camaro ZL1, meanwhile, remains entirely stock in the hopes of retaining the Chevy factory warranty. And FSG apparently believes few modifications will actually make enough of a difference to justify any potential changes, given the 6.2-liter LT4's already potent 650 horsepower and matching torque figure. That's largely because the Camaro weighs around 500 pounds less than the Hellcat, while also benefiting from better aerodynamics and a 10-speed automatic transmission compared to the Hellcat's eight-speed ZF automatic.
Out On The Track
Out on the track for some back-to-back laps, I hopped into the Hellcat first hoping to acquaint myself with the big track at Willow Springs. At Radford, I learned how much the Challenger's heft immediately exposes any driver errors, from the expected extra effort required to stop and corner but also reinforcing the importance of selecting the right line and timing for easing back onto the throttle. Of course, big-time supercharger whine will distract anybody but to my ear, sounded even further accentuated by the Corsa exhaust. And even at around 4,400 pounds, the Hellcat held on during low-speed turns and higher-speed sweepers surprisingly well—probably somewhat thanks to the Eibach springs and Goodyear Eagle F1 tires (which I never pushed hard enough to truly test, given the fact that FSG needs to give these cars away in the near future!). Next, I hopped into the Camaro.
An Apples-To-Oranges Comparison
Having never driven any Camaro from any era, I climbed behind the wheel with absolutely no context for what to expect. Sure, I knew the Chevy weighed less and pumped out a bit less power but how similar might two of the best-selling modern muscles actually handle laps at Willow Springs. Well, to the surprise of probably no one, the Camaro immediately revealed a much more track-focused demeanor, with tighter steering in a tauter package, the benefit of improved gear ratios and snappier shifts from the 10-speed, and even what felt like speedier acceleration until the highest speeds brought wind resistance into the picture. The Camaro also employs magnetic suspension and Brembo brakes so really, even comparing the two cars—despite the Hellcat's modifications—quickly became an apples-to-oranges job.
Always Fun At The Track
These two drives also marked my first time out on the big track at Willow Springs, so I probably needed some time to acclimate to a wild course that includes far more elevation change than I expected from videos online, plus a series of blind corners and long sweepers at over triple-digit speeds. And yet, in contrast to the smaller Streets of Willow nearby, Big Willow definitely provided the perfect opportunity to test the Hellcat and Camaro ZL1 at the end of the muscle car era.Personally, if I needed a track toy, the Camaro ZL1 is the obvious choice of the two. And yet, I can't hate on the big Hellcat bruiser, especially as the days of the supercharged V8 come to a close. The Camaro giveaway ends first, on January 8 of next year, so anyone who needs to feel the rush of potentially winning either car needs to buy raffle tickets or earn entries by purchasing swag or a membership on FSG's website soon. The Hellcat sits next on deck, ready and waiting for anyone who simply needs the beefier Challenger instead of a Camaro—or who lost out on the Camaro sweepstakes in the meantime.Sources: freedomstreetgarage.com, willowspringsraceway.com, youtube.com, restomods.com, and forged4x4.com.