2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 Is A 1,025 Horsepower Goodbye To A Muscle Car Icon
Although goodbyes can be painful, when a performer takes things to the highest possible level before they bow out, it takes some of the sting away. That's what Dodge has done with the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170. The Demon is the most powerful muscle car ever to roll off a production line. It boasts a face-melting 1,025 horsepower, will go from zero to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds, and will subject anyone who puts their foot down to a hefty 2.004 gs as it accelerates.
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 is the final "Last Call" special edition the company is producing. We've already had the Hellcat, Jailbreak, Redeye, Scat Pack, and Shaker trims, and the Demon rounds off the set. Shortly, the company's iconic Charger and Challenger lines, which have dominated the muscle car world for decades, will be retired. It's a controversial move, but it's one that Dodge feels is necessary as it embraces its electric future.
Still, the old gas-powered beast isn't going down without a fight. All of the power comes from a 6.2-liter high-output HEMI engine which has a 3.0-liter supercharger strapped to it. The driveline and prop shaft have been upgraded so they can handle all of the power and torque the SRT Demon 170 can produce. Despite being a road-legal production car, the rest of the vehicle has been optimized for the drag strip: 315/50R17 Mickey Thompson ET Street R drag radials have been fitted, the suspension has been optimized to include an increased contact patch, and the Patent-pending TransBrake 2.0 makes torque shaping possible.
This could be Dodge's apology to its fanbase
There was a significant amount of outcry when Dodge said it was retiring the gas-powered Challengers and Chargers in favor of a more eco-friendly route. So, to balance things out, the company has created a vehicle capable of bumping Earth's average temperature by a degree or two every time someone lightly brushes the accelerator pedal.
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 doesn't drink gas, it simply removes it from existence. Its fuel injection system is capable of spraying an almost unfathomable 164 gallons of fuel into the engine per hour. As Dodge boasts, that's more liquid than "the average U.S. shower head" can shift. If Dodge's decision really upset you, you can probably buy one of these and offset its entire planned EV output for the next few decades.
If you put your foot down in the Charger, you won't just upset those with environmental concerns. The NHRA has "banned" the vehicle from competing due to its ability to crank out a quarter mile in fewer than nine seconds — it tends to get upset when cars go too fast without a parachute and roll cage, as a previous incarnation of the Demon found out.
They're going to be hard to get hold of
Unsurprisingly, an example of the Dodge Challenger's last stand is going to be pretty difficult to get hold of. If you want to get your hands on a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, you'll need a hefty bank balance and a good amount of luck. A maximum of 3,300 units are set to be produced, with around 3,000 set for the U.S. market and 300 being sold in Canada. However, the final number of vehicles could be significantly lower. The total number that will actually exist is limited by Dodge's production capacity, so we won't know how close things are to the limit until the last one rolls off the production line.
The vehicle's MSRP stands at an expectedly demonic $96,666, and orders can be placed from March 27, 2023. Unlike the SRT Hellcat, the SRT Demon 170 can't be tamed. Dodge has said it will only be issuing "red keys" with the vehicle, which means there isn't a hard cap on its power. Instead, the vehicle's output depends on the amount of ethanol present in the fuel. A tank full of E10 will produce 900 horsepower and 810 lb.-ft. of torque. Opt for E85, and you get the full 1,025 horsepower and 945 Ib.-ft. of torque that the SRT Demon 170 is capable of producing.