Quickest American Car Ever: Demon 170 vs Lucid Sapphire VHT & Asphalt — Cammisa Ultimate Drag Race

Let’s settle the debate on regular pavement and VHT: which is the quickest accelerating American car in history, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demom 170 or the Lucid Air Sapphire?

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In this episode, we race the two most powerful American production cars in history, the 1234-hp Lucid Air Sapphire and the 1025-hp Dodge Challenger SRT D170.

The first race takes place on regular asphalt, with our standard weather-corrected numbers. With the help of veteran drag racer, we achieve the quickest 0-60 and ¼-mile times ever seen from a Challenger. But is that enough to beat the Sapphire?

Either way, the Demon’s Mickey Thompson drag radials aren’t meant for an unprepped surface, so we leave Willow Springs and head to the Famoso Drag Strip to race on “glue” — the VHT-prepped surface.

Here, Tom Bailey’s experience launching the Challenger pays dividends as we try to recreate Dodge’s claimed 8.91-second quarter-mile run and dethrone the Lucid. Will it work?

Let’s fight about it.

Chapters:
0:00 America Divided: ICE vs EV
1:16 The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 Specs
2:43 The Lucid Air Sapphire Specs
4:21 Asphalt Race: Demon 170 vs Lucid Sapphire
5:04 Drag Race Replay: What Happened?
8:53 Results and Willow Springs Conclusion
9:27 Moving to Famoso Drag Strip
9:42 What is VHT?
10:29 What is Rollout?
11:07 How do the Timing Lights Work?
12:55 Demon vs Sapphire race on VHT
14:53 Conclusion and Results

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Performance Testing Results:

Lucid Air Sapphire
0-60: 2.1 seconds
¼-mile: 9.2 sec @ 158 mph

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170
0-60: 3.7 seconds
¼-mile: 11.2 sec @ 139 mph

VHT Prepped Surface Results:
Lucid Air Sapphire: 9.002 sec @ 155.57 mph (0-60 in 1.92 sec)
Dodge SRT Demon 170: 9.721 sec @ 143.72 mph

[EngineeringExplained]

To my knowledge, this is the only proper third-party test of the Dodge Demon on a drag strip - hat's off Jason & co for making this happen!! Also, makes the 8.9s Dodge claim *really* hard to believe. RWD is hard!

[danieltanuwijaya]

The 170 in its name refers to how many runs needed to achieve the advertised 8.9 second 1/4 mile time

[ArsalanKhan-tyvq]

Screw the cars, who edited this masterpiece. The production on this video is incredible. 👍👍👍

[sungkim]

What people fail to mention is that the Lucid doesn't even have drag tires or a parachute.

[BrendanEvan]

I never understood rollout before. This show is pure education

[joemama]

The Lucid disappearing when comparing it to a 1000hp drag car is insane

[audiwankenobi]

Have never had "Rollout" explained to me so clearly. Thanks and this is incredibly entertaining.

[bradleyland]

The Lucid looks like CGI when it shoots off the line on VHT. Absolutely insane.

[bowtiebonanza]

Whoever came up with, "Grandy Pobst" is a got dang genius. That was hilarious.

[brainwithani]

Let me just say this show is an absolute model of editing, music, hosting, everything is perfect. I aspire to be this good one day.

[MH-onol]

Lucid is for real and haters will hate. The car is bad ass. I drove an Air GT and it was 1050 HP and was wicked fast. Whoever is doing your film editing is absolute top of the game well done folks.

[bigmikeg]

If that's the best launch Tom Bailey can do, it's the best launch period.

[ROBMACDUI]

Wow, that 170 looked like a monster but the way that Lucid just disappeared was absurd!

[austinkulju]

Those lucids are absolutely incredible. I went and worked as a rental for another company, and we were working at thunderhill Raceway in Willows CA. There were people working on their lucids then taking them out and drifting them, and thats what introduced me to what a lucid even was. It was so sick seeing these lucids that were so quick hitting the nicest drifts. There was even 2 of those 4 door electric Porsches out there with them.

[stacybehrens]

It’s kind of ridiculous that drag strips don’t use an overhead sensor to establish when the car starts moving. This is trivial and very mature technology.

[goskidmark]

Jason Cammisa is the face of the Hagerty media group. Period. He needs a raise.

[mrb]

The cars, the production quality, the information, the narration, as well as how you left no stones unturned and no potential complaints unaddressed, this was one of the most incredible Automotive Journalism experiences ever. And the others are also videos of yours.

[RahulRahul-mnjr]

No matter what happens I still love dodge challengers still. And also no matter how fast the electric cars I still also love regular gas powered engine cars ❤️

[DroneStrike]

Everything stops when Cammisa drops a video.

[vladimirmirkovic]

I sincerely hope that Hagerty realizes that you’re arrangement with them, is producing by far the best written and produced gear-head shows on YouTube. I actually wait with anticipation for every new show. Please keep up the fantastic work.