Hennessey Performance slotted their big HPE650 Chevy Tahoe against a stock 2018 Ford Mustang GT in a drag race.
We love big SUV drag races, but this has to be easily the biggest SUV we’ve ever seen race. The Chevrolet Tahoe RST is GM’s big full-size SUV that’s based on the same platform as the Silverado pickup. In stock form, it comes with a 6.2-L EcoTec3 V8 engine producing 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. Zero to sixty is done in the high 5-second range with a limited top speed of 113 mph.
But that’s before Hennessey’s engineers get a hold of it. Once fitted with the HPE650 upgrade, the Tahoe gains a 2.9-L supercharger, a stainless steel catback exhaust, and a brand new high-flow intercooler. These new additions push the Tahoe to 650 hp and 658 lb-ft of torque.
We don’t know what this does to the SUV’s zero to sixty time, but we’re guessing that it shortens it to a considerable degree. But will it be enough to beat a Ford Mustang GT?
The GT isn’t the fastest Mustang around, but it’s certainly fast enough with a 5.0-L Coyote V8 and 460 hp on tap. Zero to sixty is typically around 4 seconds with a limited top speed of 157 mph. This particular model has a 6-speed manual transmission, but a 10-speed automatic is also available for much better fuel economy.
Not that we care about fuel economy in a drag race.
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The Tahoe weighs in a 5,752 lbs compared to the GT’s 3,705 lbs, which means the Tahoe is carrying around half again as much car as the Mustang. But then, it also has half again as much power.
Despite a fantastic start from the Mustang, the Tahoe claws its way into the lead and manages to get a full car length ahead before the finish line. This one goes to the Tahoe, but if this race lasted a little longer you get the sense that the Mustang would have been able to inch ahead eventually.