Dodge’s latest muscle car, the Demon 170, was unveiled on Monday and is expected to go into production next year. According to Dodge, the vehicle’s acceleration delivers the highest g-force of any production car, and can run the quarter-mile in 8.91 seconds at 151.17 mph, making it the first-ever eight-second factory muscle car. The car’s engine produces 900 horsepower and 810 pound-feet of torque on E10, which runs on ethanol that produces 45% less carbon than gasoline. The Demon 170 also comes with 14 exterior colors available and a Satin Black painted roof and decklid. Prices are expected to start at around $150,000. Dodge is planning to produce a limited number of vehicles, with owners of the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon able to match the same vehicle identification number as their original Demon for the Demon 170.
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 is the ‘New Pinnacle of Factory-Backed Crazy’ in the Brand’s ‘Last Call’.
Dodge has launched its seventh and final special edition muscle car under the Stellantis NV brand’s “Last Call” lineup. For $96,666 plus fees and a notarized disclosure, speed enthusiasts can get their hands on the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, which boasts up to 1,025 horsepower and can travel the quarter-mile in under nine seconds. It’s worth noting that buyers will need to sign a waiver to purchase this vehicle.
Dodge CEO, Tim Kuniskis, said, “We are going to celebrate the end with what is now going to be the new pinnacle of factory-backed crazy,” in a briefing ahead of the Monday night reveal.
Allocation to dealers is now visible on the Dodge Horsepower Locator tool, which launched in October to help customers get their hands on the 2023 model. Orders for the Demon 170 will open on March 27 and close on May 15, with production launching in July. Dodge will prioritize those who order the vehicle at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price over those who charge more in a recovering-inventory environment from a global microchip shortage.
Dodge aims to build at least 2,500 models, with a possibility of up to 3,000 for the United States and 300 for Canada, depending on microchip availability, according to Kuniskis.
The production of the Challenger and Charger will end in December at Ontario’s Brampton Assembly Plant, marking the end of the Hemi-powered muscle car as the brand moves into a new era of performance. Dodge is expected to launch an all-electric muscle car in 2024, and dealers will learn more about it and the next five years for the brand at Stellantis’ dealer meeting, its first since 2015.
Kuniskis didn’t disclose how the Demon with a fully rebuilt powertrain will compare to the performance figures of the top-of-the-line Banshee trim, the battery-powered replacement for the Hellcat in Dodge’s EV era. However, on the middle 400-volt trim, factory-backed, aftersales Direct Connection kits will boost the future EV to 500 kilowatts with 670 horsepower. The Banshee will carry an 800-volt system with “a lot more” power, Kuniskis has promised, and history proves Dodge loves to outdo itself.
Dodge Challenger and Charger Sales Figures and Future Plans for the Brand
According to the Dodge Horsepower Locator tool, there were over 63,000 2023 Challengers and Chargers available to order before the reveal of the Demon 170 on Monday. Dodge declined to predict production or sales numbers for 2023. Based on the limited runs of the six other previously shared special edition muscle cars paying homage to Dodge’s history, over 4,000 are still available to order in the United States, which is nearly 91% of the production run for North America.
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis has described the reception to the year-long allocation strategy as “mixed,” stating that “it’s more good than bad, and the bad only comes in when people get frustrated that they can’t find the exact car that they want. But to be honest with you, that was going to happen anyways. It was just going to be a delayed reaction because eventually they were going to try to buy, try to buy, try to buy, try to buy it, and we’re going to get to the end of the year, and they would have never found it. At least this way, I told you: ‘Here’s every car. Here’s where they’re going. Here’s how to get it.”
The Demon 170 is a product of a clandestine meeting with 40 people during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the parking lot of the SRT building. The Demon had been meant to be the final chapter for the current-generation muscle cars, Kuniskis finally admitted, but the pandemic and the transatlantic merger that created Stellantis from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and French rival Groupe PSA delayed the next iterations. From the new company, Kuniskis made a request for the special project — one of only three from Dodge in his memory, including the original Demon.
Dodge is looking for flexibility in production, especially with Chargers for the commercial side of sales. The brand hopes that the production of the Challenger and Charger will carry it until the launch of the electric muscle car about a year from now. Dealers have reported brisk business, with Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram projecting that March sales will be its best in the past three months, and “the vast majority we have been allocated has sold,” according to a representative from the dealership.
According to Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights for auto information website Edmunds.com Inc., the brand is also still selling down its 2022 model year vehicles. Model year 2023 vehicles represented 44% of Dodge sales in February compared with 86% for the industry overall. Kuniskis did not disclose how the Demon with a fully rebuilt powertrain will compare to the performance figures of the top-of-the-line Banshee trim, the battery-powered replacement for the Hellcat in Dodge’s EV era.
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170: Born Out of Spite and Insane Performance
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said during a briefing ahead of the Demon 170’s reveal that the brand’s positioning was “never born out of necessity, current or past. It was born probably a little bit more out of spite than anything else.” He added that when people said “SRT is dead, the factory of bat— crazy is closed,” Dodge responded by saying that “brick and mortar can’t contain crazy. SRT is in our DNA, and we can still do crazy better than anybody.”
The Demon 170 is the pinnacle of that “crazy.” Its goal was to achieve four-digit horsepower with 0-to-60 mph in under 2 seconds. The vehicle exceeded that goal with a speed of 1.66 seconds and 2.004 g-force acceleration, the highest of any production car, according to the brand.
Originally planned to debut at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas in November, the Demon 170 had issues with literally blowing up during testing. The team replaced parts until the only significant part of the original Demon’s engine was a camshaft. “This is literally a brand new car,” said Kuniskis. “It didn’t start out that way, but we ended that way. … We weren’t going to give up on four digits.”
The Demon 170 is powered by a 6.2-liter high output supercharged Hemi engine that traces its origins to the Direct Connection Hellephant C170 crate engine. Its best power performance comes on the E85 ethanol blend at 6,500 rotations per minute, producing 945 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. On E10, it produces 900 horsepower and 810 pound-feet of torque, and on gasoline, it produces 880 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque.
Because the vehicle runs on ethanol, which produces about 45% less carbon than gasoline, Kuniskis describes it as “the first eco-friendly, sustainable muscle car ever.” However, the fuel is 25% less power dense, so the fuel economy is “terrible,” though he did not provide an exact figure.
The Demon 170 can run the quarter-mile in 8.91 seconds at 151.17 mph, making it the first-ever eight-second factory muscle car, according to Dodge. However, without a safety cage or parachute, the National Hot Rod Association has banned it. Dodge will sell a parachute aftermarket through Direct Connection. The original Demon was also banned from quarter miles by the NHRA.
The Demon 170 comes with one key fob, and the percentage of ethanol fuel content determines its horsepower. The vehicle also features an incredibly advanced ignition system, according to Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars.com and an owner of the original Demon. The system measures real-time ethanol content, reducing the troublesome process of constantly measuring and mixing ethanol.
Dodge unveils the 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170
Dodge has unveiled its latest high-performance vehicle, the 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170. The Demon 170’s speed is 1.66 seconds, delivering 2.004 g-force, the highest g-force acceleration of any production car. It also boasts four-digit horsepower with 0-to-60 mph in under 2 seconds, making it the first-ever eight-second factory muscle car.
Design and Pricing
The vehicle comes in 14 exterior colors, including heritage B5 Blue, Plum Crazy purple, and Sublime green. Owners of the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon will be able to match the same vehicle identification number as their original Demon for the Demon 170. The 170 also comes with a commemorative decanter set with the owner’s name and VIN engraved.
The 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170 is priced at $155,000. It is significantly more expensive than the 2018 Demon, which was priced at $86,090. According to Tim Kuniskis, the vehicle is meant to be a halo and pricing closer to $150,000 could’ve turned off Dodge fans.
Engine and Performance
The 6.2-liter high output supercharged Hemi engine produces 900 horsepower and 810 pound-feet of torque on E10. Pumped gas produces 880 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque. Its best power performance comes on the E85 ethanol blend at 6,500 rotations per minute. At 4,200 rpm, it produces 945 pound-feet of torque.
It runs on ethanol that produces about 45% less carbon than gasoline, making it the “first eco-friendly, sustainable muscle car ever.” Although the fuel is 25% less power-dense, it provides great traction, which is a significant upgrade from its predecessor.
Safety and Experience
Owners also must sign a waiver acknowledging the risks of street-legal production drag car. The purchase includes a one-day SRT experience class at the Radford Racing School in Arizona.
Nyle Maxwell, chairman of the Stellantis national dealership council, said the seventh special edition is a fitting end. “It’s that halo effect,” he added.
The company promoted the Demon 170 with a weekly teaser featuring evil leprechauns. Dodge had planned to show the special edition in November at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas, but the vehicle had problems with literally blowing up during testing, causing the team to replace parts until the only remaining significant part of the original Demon’s engine was a camshaft.
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