2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170 Ends Dodge's Era of Excess with 1025-HP V-8

• The 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 is a 1025-hp street-legal drag-strip special that signals the end of the brand's V-8 muscle cars.

• Its four-digit horsepower figure requires E85 gasoline, and with that Dodge claims a quarter-mile time of 8.91 seconds at 151 mph on a prepared surface.

• The Demon 170 will cost $100,361 when production starts this July, but only 2500 to 3000 U.S. copies are planned through December 31. It's curtains on V-8 Hellcats after that.

Dodge doesn't believe in the words of Ricky Bobby's daddy: "If you ain't first, you're last."

The storied muscle-car maker has chased taillights throughout its 100-plus-year history. Dodge introduced the original 1970 Challenger well after the 1964.5 Ford Mustang and 1967 Chevy Camaro got the pony-car party started. Compared with those two, the Challenger's production life was cut short. The first generation only lasted until 1974. The second existed from 1978 to 1983, but it was a rebadged Mitsubishi Galant that Mopar purists prefer to forget.

The Challenger's third go-around came in 2008, when it was reinvented with retro styling and a contemporary Hemi V-8. While it initially kept pace with similarly themed Camaros and Mustangs of the day, Dodge fell behind as Chevy and Ford kept investing in their respective machines, making them more modern and better at racing around a track.

With the big-bodied Challenger in danger of being resigned to last place, Dodge did an about-face and embraced a different performance philosophy. The brand focused on its rich heritage, doubling down on old-school priorities such as huge horsepower numbers and quick quarter-mile times.

A History of Hellraisers

Dodge's diabolical plan began with the 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat. Packing a headline-grabbing 707-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, it instantly hijacked the power crown from its mightiest crosstown rivals: the 580-hp Camaro ZL1 and the 662-hp Mustang Shelby GT500.

In our hands, the blown Challenger hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and raced 1320 feet in 11.6 ticks at 126 mph. Starting at roughly $60,000, its hypercar-rivaling horsepower was a relative bargain. Its arrival also coincided with a thorough refresh for all Challengers that included cosmetic tweaks, updated powertrains, and an improved interior. Most notably, the Hellcat set the stage for even crazier SRT variants.

The 2018 Demon came next. Limited to a one-year production run of 3300 copies, it was purpose-built for drag racing. It could also be driven on the street and included a factory warranty—all for basically $86K. Not only did its enhanced Hellcat V-8 make 840 hp when burning 100-octane race fuel, but the thing could pop a friggin' wheelie. Dodge claimed a quarter-mile time of 9.65 seconds at 140 mph on a perfectly prepped surface. This led to an NHRA ban that Dodge eagerly publicized.

The Hellcat Redeye arrived for 2019, offering Charger and Challenger variants. While the engine inherited parts from the Demon, its race-fuel intolerance and reduced airflow capped output at 797 horsepower. The Challenger version we tested hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 11.8 ticks at 125 mph. However, both metrics mirrored non-Redeyes that cost $11,000 less—proof that tires can only do so much.

In 2020, Dodge introduced the 807-hp Super Stock, essentially the Demon reincarnated (minus the transmission brake and race-fuel tune). It featured four 315-section-width Nitto NTO5R drag radials and a suspension set up for rear load transfer. The SS stickered for $82,790, with Dodge claiming a quarter-mile time of 10.5 seconds at 131 mph—again, on a prepped surface.

Fast forward to 2023. It's the year Dodge fanatics have been dreading, as it marks the end of the brand's era of excess. Sadly, the Hellcat V-8 will be laid to rest after nearly a decade of duty in many memorable Chargers and Challengers. Both models also reach the end of the production line after this year to make way for electric muscle cars.

During the death march, Dodge has been saying goodbye to its beloved beasts with a seven-part "Last Call" series of special editions that began last August. Now the seventh and final car is revealed, and it's the craziest street-legal creation ever to come out of the SRT lab. Not only is it outrageous, but it's also a metaphorical middle finger to critics who've called Dodge's Hellcats one-dimensional.

1-0-2-5 Horsepower

For the brand that rewrote the book on muscle-car horsepower, it would've been a disappointment if the pinnacle of the Hellcat V-8 didn't crack four digits. Thankfully, when it comes to power figure, Dodge isn't in the business of disappointing. That's also why for the grand finale it resurrected the Demon moniker and built the ultimate streetable dragster.

Enter the 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170. It summons an otherworldly 1025 horsepower and 945 pound-feet of torque from its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. Unlocking the new Demon's full fury requires E85 gasoline, and that 170-proof ethanol fuel mixture inspires its name. Even with pump gas, the new engine makes 900 horsepower and 810 pound-feet of torque.