- Dodge is resurrecting its controversial muscle car model, the Challenger SRT Demon, with one final special edition of the vehicle before production of the brand’s current V8 motorcars ends later this year.
- Dodge says the new car will deliver 1,025 horsepower, 945 foot-pounds of torque and hit 60 mph from a rolling start in 1.66 seconds.
- The 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 will start at $96,666 but can top $120,000 with fees, options and accessories, according to Dodge.
2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170
Evade
DETROIT – Dodge is resurrecting its controversial muscle car model, the Challenger SRT Demon, as the final special edition vehicle before production of the brand’s current V8 motorcars ends later this year.
The limited edition drag racer will be the fastest and most powerful version of the Dodge Challenger ever produced by the automaker. It’s based on a 2018 Challenger SRT Demon model that some criticized for being overpowered and barely road legal.
Dodge says the new car will deliver 1,025 horsepower and 945 ft-lbs of torque on E85 ethanol blend fuel. It can reach 60 mph from a rolling start in 1.66 seconds. The vehicle’s performance falls off slightly when using fuel with lower levels of ethanol, but even running on regular E10 fuel it boasts 900 horsepower and 810 ft-lbs of torque.
The 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 will start at a devilishly impressive price of $96,666 — the last three numbers refer to the devil — but according to Dodge, it can top $120,000 or more with fees, options, and accessories . Ordering for the vehicle opens on March 27th.
Dodge, owned by Stellantis, only plans to build up to 3,000 of the vehicles for the US and 300 for Canada pending parts availability and supply chain issues. That would be similar to the production of the 2018 model.
2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170
Evade
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis declined to disclose the capital investment for the vehicle, which was unveiled Monday, or its expected profit margins.
“These cars end on a high,” said Kuniskis. He called the Demon 170 “the new pinnacle of factory madness.”
When asked about the vehicle’s fuel economy, he said “it’s terrible,” but later called the car “environmental” because high-ethanol fuel runs cleaner than regular gasoline while also burning faster. The car is subject to a mandatory $2,100 gas guzzler tax.
The nickname “170” refers to a high alcohol content due to the car’s ability to run on ethanol fuel. Each owner also receives a special glass carafe when purchasing their vehicle.
2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170
Evade
The new car will be able to pop wheelies, where the vehicle’s front tires lift off the ground due to the power coming from the rear wheels.
Dodge was supposed to unveil the car earlier this year, but engineers “exploded” engines to squeeze as much performance as possible out of the car, Kuniskis said. The problems prompted engineers to develop a new supercharged engine for the vehicle.
The 2023 Demon SRT is the seventh special edition muscle car for Dodge, celebrating the upcoming end of production of the current Challenger and Charger muscle cars. Dodge has sold more than 2 million of these vehicles since their introduction more than a decade ago.
“You need to celebrate this ending,” Kuniskis told CNBC, adding that the Challenger serves as a “halo” model for the brand and will attract the attention of customers who will later purchase other vehicles. “We make crazy better than anyone.”
2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170
Evade