Dodge Challenger Forum banner

Top speeds

28K views 119 replies 58 participants last post by  Rocket Man 
#1 ·
Hey guys. So I am curious to know the top speed of everyone’s challengers. I have a 2017 r/t manual 6 speed and an unlocked pcm. With the stock pcm top speed was 140 before it would shut down. Tonight I wanted to push it a little further and got 160 in 5th gear. It was still steadily climbing but I backed out because my exit was coming up. Are these cars capable of 180+ with stock everything besides and unlocked pcm like mine?
 
#6 · (Edited)
Not sure if you heard about this or not but there is a road in Ohio I think(found it, Sun Valley Road Rally. Have no idea where that is.) where they have top speed runs every year. there is one EB that has gone 240+ and several super cars that have gone 225+ there. They have people sit on the banks of the hills above the hiway and some guy with a loudspeaker shouts the speed as they go flying by.
That is a public hiway and that would not be a crime during that time obviously.
Watched the runs on you tube, for the last 2 years. The same car won fasted speed for both of them.
I only have a 5.7 and even governed at 169 I dont think it would hit that speed stock. The computer says the highest speed was 154 but I never had it close to that and at about 150 it pretty much stops excellerating. To get the 180+ you need a lot more than the stock 5.7 has. A scat may come close to that though.

Ron
 
#9 ·
If you know how to drive and pick your roads wisely you don’t have to worry about killing anyone. It’s not like I’m doing 160 all the time or on crowded highways. And it only took me a little under a mile to get to 160 so also it’s not like I’m swerving in and out of traffic. But thanks for your concern. And I fail to believe you need a lot more than a stock 5.7 to see speeds of 180. Like I said in my original post. My challenger is stock besides the unlocked pcm and I can hit 160 in 5th gear. Still had all of 6th gear left and it was steadily climbing.
 
#12 ·
Not into top speeds with my Scatpack. Have no idea why someone would want to do 180 - you blow a tire a those speeds and your history. Just not my thing.
 
#13 ·
From what I remember reading, the 392 equipped Challengers are capable of about 185mph and the 5.7 Challengers are around 170, maybe 175mph. I certainly would discourage anyone from testing that on anything besides a controlled environment with the appropriate safety equipment installed (e.g. roll cage).
 
#14 ·
Mine can go 70 mph on rt. 380 here in PA.
 
#15 ·
I have never seen those speeds in car. I have been on motorcycles and hit speeds in the 150 range, on a track. I must say I would be surprised if a 375hp vehicle could take a 4000+lb vehicle to or over 180mph.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 11srt8
#17 ·
156.4 mph in standing start mile at the Arkansas Mile last year. It was still pulling strong at the mile but I would guess it would take another mile to hit 175-180. Stock 2015 SPS 6M.

I paid for the sanctioned closed course because if you get caught at those speeds you don't get just a ticket. Arrested, most likely charged with reckless driving, car towed, quality time with other miscreants in the holding tank, which may or may not be interesting or painful, and license suspended anywhere from 30 days to a year.

Not too old to wanna go fast, but certainly too old to get caught.
 
#19 ·
Okay so for all you guys that are against testing your car... why even buy a sports car? Just to go 80 on the highway? I’m not saying we should be going 100+ everywhere we go but some of you are acting like I’m the devil because I want to see what my $40,000 sports car can do. I’m all for driving the speed limits in 95% of my driving but if that’s all you want to do why did you buy a challenger? Mid life crisis? Trying to impress someone? I don’t understand.
 
#20 ·
No worries mate to each his own. If I had a controlled track and proper safety gear I'd push it all day long. I just know at those speeds if you blow a tire your in deep kaka!
 
#24 ·
99 times no problem, that 1 time something unexpected. There's a reason the penalties at those speeds are so high, it's criminal. I don't want someone going 160 on a road I could be on. A Guy
 
#25 ·
Interesting how people get this holier than thou attitude. I would hazard a guess that anyone who has driven has sped at some point. Some people do it safely and some don't. The simple question was what has been your top speed. Mine has been 214kms per hour whatever miles per hour that works out to be in miles.

What's more wrong for people....driving over 100 mph on a open road highway with no other cars around or driving 5 mph over the speed limit in a school zone? Both illegal! Come on you know you've done it!
 
#27 ·
It's about 133 mph. My fastest is 120 mph... on the Autobahn in Germany. BTW, one should never assume anything. I'm sure I've upset a couple of three people doing the legal speed limit in my Challenger; including my wife. :saythat:
 
#35 ·
There's no "division" or debate here. If you're driving at those kinds of speeds on highways that have other people on them, you're a menace to society and belong behind bars. If you want to drive like a race-car driver, that needs to take place on a closed track. Driving in excess of 100 MPH on a desolate stretch of highway may seem "safe" and by only putting the life of the driver at risk....but unless you have a fully functional crystal ball, you have no way of knowing who's pulling out from where on a public road. And unfortunately, if you smash into a mini-van with a family in it at 100, 120, 140 whatever MPH, you won't be around to go to jail to pay for the people you killed.

We all know what's a reasonable amount over the posted speed limit that you can drive (and the police do too). Don't be the jerk that's going 90 in a 55 when all of the traffic is going 65-70. You're gonna get someone killed.
 
#33 ·
This is one of those things that people will be divided about. I have been at high rates of speed on the street on a motorcycle, however never close to 160+. The right road at the right time and the risk is minimal and that risk is really to my well being.


On a road at a 160mph a person would cover 2.66 miles per minute. That is almost 1/4 of a mile every 5 seconds. Most people can not observe a threat, orientate, decide, act and reevaluate the situation in those sorts of times, without loads of experience and practice. Proper reactions to a situation are slowed or not made when people become stressed due to lack of experience/practice by what is going on. In the motorcycle world this often leads to the "death grip" on the throttle. Riders going faster than their abilities see something ahead, like a car pulling out, become stressed, tense up and as a result grip the throttle harder and increase speed which compounds the issue. Hence in the motorcycle world the PACE is preached to riders, that is ride at the 70% of your abilities to always have the fudge factor on your side.


Enjoy your ride. Be smart. Be safe and keep our fellow humans safe as well. I hope to see you all someday at MOPAR event or coffee and car night.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SpeedShift
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top