Some say that muscle cars are only good for one thing: a drag race. We totally agree with that sentiment. Today, modern muscle cars are much better at handling corners than they were back in the 70s. The current Ford Mustang is quite capable on just about any road course in the world. The same can be said for the current Chevrolet Camaro which (depending on trim) comes with a magnetic ride system that allows the car to adjust its dampening on the fly.

Despite all of the current advancements in these cars that make them much more road course-friendly, we can’t argue with the fact that after all these decades, muscle cars are still really good at drag racing. Lining two muscle cars side by side in a drag race is the foundation of the greatest rivalries in American pop culture. 

That being said, what about lining three iconic American muscle cars together for one drag race? That is what the UK YouTube channel carwow did in a recent video.

The crew sourced a supercharged Ford Mustang King Cobra, a supercharged Chevrolet Camaro, and a Dodge Challenger SRT Scat pack that also has a supercharger on it. Are you detecting a theme here? Who is your pick for the winner of this all-American drag race? First, let’s take a closer look at the competitors.

Ford Mustang “King Cobra” 

The first competitor is an unofficial resurrection of a limited edition Mustang variant from the 70s called the “King Cobra.” The original King Cobra was meant to be a car that could easily do double-duty as a street car and drag racer. This particular King Cobra certainly fits that description.

Under the hood is a 5.0 liter supercharged V8 engine that makes 735 horsepower and 508 ft-lbs of torque. The power goes through a Hurst 6-speed automatic transmission and is put to the floor with a set of drag radial tires in the rear. This ‘stang will be a major threat in this drag race.

Chevrolet Camaro

The Chevrolet Camaro in this three-way battle is another custom-tuned vehicle with a short but impactful spec sheet. This Camaro is equipped with a 6.2 liter V8 engine so it already has a displacement advantage over the Mustang. The Camaro has a centrifugal supercharger bolted on which boosts it to 650 horsepower and about 508 ft-lbs of torque.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via the stock 8-speed automatic transmission. The Camaro does not seem to have drag race radial tires attached and is running on high-performance street tires instead.

Dodge Challenger SRT Scat pack

The carwow video states that the Dodge Challenger in this drag race is an SRT model but also has the “Scat Pack.” Technically speaking the SRT is a separate trim from the Scat Pack and both trims cannot be combined from the factory. However, since the Scat Pack is mostly a collection of subtle performance and aesthetic modifications, it is not impossible for a buyer to add the Scat Pack to an SRT model after purchase.

Either way, the important thing about this Challenger is the fact that it has a 600 horsepower supercharged 6.4-liter V8 engine with 440 ft-lbs of torque.

Drag Race: Mustang vs. Camaro vs. Challenger which one wins?

This is a tough call to make. All three muscle cars have similar power figures and discrepancies are addressed in other areas. For example, the Camaro has less power than the Mustang but it is also the lightest car of the trio. The Challenger is the heaviest car and has the lowest power and torque figure so it appears to be at a major disadvantage. Though, numbers do not always translate to asphalt.

It is an interesting drag race to watch and the results may not be what you expect. We recommend making a prediction and then watching the carwow video above to see if your guesses pan out.