The Ultimate Last Call: The Dodge SRT Demon 170 Delivers One Last Blast for this Muscle Car Lineup
Tabatha Chovanetz
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Calling all Dodge muscle car fans.
If performance cars are your thing and you’re looking ahead at the future and Dodge’s vision of going all electric, don’t fret yet. Dodge is taking its gas-powered lineup of muscle cars out with a blast of all time best Dodge Charger and Challenger models as we know them. To send this era out in style, Dodge has created a “last call” lineup of its best muscle cars ever from the HEMI muscle car era.
There are a total of seven vehicles in the ‘Last Call’ series and each is unique in their own right: limited production, best ever performance, heritage details and a loud, distinctive gas-powered growl.
Here are the first six:
- Dodge Challenger Shakedown
- Dodge Charger Super Bee
- Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Swinger
- Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack Swinger
- Dodge Charger King Daytona
- Dodge Challenger Black Ghost
Related: 2023 News From Chrysler and Dodge Is Creating Quite the Buzz
A profile few of the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170. Photo: Dodge
And then… there was one.
Dodge just announced the 7th and final of the ‘Last Call’ series…. it’s fast, it’s loud, it is the most powerful muscle car in the world, and it is quite the record breaker,…… and if you are a Dodge muscle car fan you’ll want this highly collectible car, as they will be made in limited number. So…..drum roll please…..
Introducing the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170. The unveiling took place (appropriately) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the Roadkill Nights Vegas performance festival.
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, with a price just a shade under $100K, unique yellow-eye Demon icon, a limited production of 3,300 units and the “170” designation as a nod to the high-powered corn-based fuel that will accommodate all that power, has been labeled “the most powerful muscle car in the world.” With 1,025 horsepower, this is quite a feat for a gas-powered production car (and, to be frank, we’re starting to see new electric cars and trucks with that much horsepower, making the electric era much more promising for performance car fans).
Related: Performance Driving on a Track: You Simply MUST DO THIS!
The Most Powerful Dodge Ever
This power puts the Dodge SRT Demon 170 in the company of, and more powerful than, many super high-end performance cars – more than Ferrari or Lamborghini and on par with the Tesla S Plaid, one of the most powerful production cars on the road. And it’s set new unheard of performance benchmarks, reaching 60 mph in just 1.66 seconds and features the highest g-force acceleration of any production car at 2.004 Gs.
And it’s the 1st ever 8-second muscle car?
The Dodge SRT Demon 170 can run a quarter mile drag strip in a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)-certified 8.91 seconds at 151 mph. That’s rocket-like performance.
A “Ban” letter?!
All that performance requires safety precautions when it’s put to the test on a drag strip. And since these cars are intended for street driving, they don’t come with safety cages and parachutes. Dodge is no stranger when it comes to receiving “ban” letters from the NHRA, and you guessed it, they received the “ban” letter for the Demon SRT 170 for running that quarter mile with no safety cage or parachute, following in the footsteps of the original Demon, which was also banned from NHRA quarter miles. Buyers will have to sign a waiver that they, too, understand that the SRT Demon 170 is intended for street driving and is not equipped with racing safety equipment.
Related: Billie Eilish’s Dodge Challenger: A Teenage Dream
And that famous Red key, indicative of sheer power?
If you buy this car you’ll get the red key, because … also banned? Black keys. In the past, Dodge has produced two keys for it’s super powered cars: a black key that only allows the car to operate at reduced power (still, a lot of power), and one red key that unleashes all the muscle the engine can produce. As the fastest Dodge Challenger ever, the SRT Demon 170 will be delivered only with red key fobs.
The rear end of the 2023 Dodge SRT Challenger Demon 170 belies the power under the hood. Photo: Dodge
The end of an era…..
Since this is the end of the HEMI muscle car era, Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer, Stellantis, said the goal was to “reach a new level, a new benchmark of ‘factory-crazy’ production car performance.”
Dodge had to best it’s own performance. The company astonished the world in 2015 with the 707 HP Hellcat, and again in 2018 with the 840 HP Demon. So the final last call is not a total surprise, but it is a complete delight to see the HEMI engine powered era end with the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170.
Power demands responsibility… and the SRT Demon 170 is equipped
To accommodate that 1,025 HP, additional features are necessary to assist in harnessing all that power. Extensive component upgrades include: oversized drag racing wheels designed with Mickey Thompson Tires, (crucial to the car achieving maximum traction under extreme acceleration), a system designed to use high performance ethanol fuel, stronger differential housing using aerospace-grade materials, uniquely tuned valves for drag mode suspension, and an improved Supercharger snout.
Another distinctive part of the design is the staggered widebody. This is the first-ever factory production car built with staggered drag radial tires and fender flares. And it looks completely badass.
The unique Demon badge that owners will find on the car and on an exclusive decanter collection. Photo: Dodge
How does the SRT Demon 170 perform?
There are three drive modes for the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170: along with Custom and Auto (Street) Mode options, there is a Drag Mode. The former allows drivers to change or customize a full menu of vehicle performance parameters, including the transmission, shift paddles, traction control, suspension and steering. In Drag Mode, drivers control a range of features that allow it to launch on a drag strip (under safe, closed conditions, of course):
- Power: full power is enabled based on ethanol content in fuel
- Transmission: Fastest possible shift speeds engaged with the highest comfort trade off
- Paddles: Steering wheel paddle shifters are engaged
- Traction: Dialed in for drag race applications
- Suspension: Promotes optimized weight transfer for best launch traction
- Steering: Greatest amount of steering feel and steering effort is delivered
- 14 Color Options to Choose From
And then, of course, there’s color. 14 exterior color options to be exact, from returning heritage colors B5 Blue, Plum Crazy purple, Sublime green and the popular Destroyer Grey, the SRT Demon 170 will also be available with an optional unique Satin Black painted hood or a Satin Black painted hood, roof and trunk. The Demon icon reimagines the original Demon badge with a “170” neck tattoo and a new E85-representative yellow Demon’s eye on the front side fenders.
An SRT badge adorns the grille. Under the hood, a Demon-themed supercharger badge announces the vehicle’s spirit, and as with all 2023 Challenger models, it boasts a special commemorative “Last Call” plaque.
Inside, a yellow and red Demon instrument panel badge calls out the four-digit vehicle VIN number. A new Challenger SRT Demon 170-specific cluster screen shares a red gauge design, with a red Demon 170 main cluster graphic. The Alcantara performance steering wheel carries an LED “SRT” logo, and real carbon fiber bezels add to the performance feel of the interior. The Challenger SRT Demon 170 comes with a lightweight houndstooth cloth interior sporting the Demon 170 logo on the driver seat.
Orders are open… but get in line behind current owners
The plan is the produce a limited number of the Demons, 3,300 at most. 3,000 for the U.S. and 300 for Canada.
Current owners of the original 2018 Challenger SRT Demon who would like to secure a dealer allocation of the new 2023 Demon will be given a unique opportunity to match their same vehicle identification number as their original Demon when finalizing their order.
Will I need to sell my first-born?
Manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 will be $96,666 (excluding destination and fees).
Dodge is enhancing the ownership experience by delivering the Challenger SRT Demon 170 with customized, limited edition and serialized features. Owners will also receive a commemorative Demon decanter set that will have an engraving of the owner’s name and VIN on the back, Demon badged coasters and whiskey cubes, Rock glasses, and badge cover. A custom instrument panel badge will be included and ordered by the customer after delivery of their SRT Demon 170. Owning your Demon will add even more personalization to your SRT Demon 170 experience.
Decisions, Decisions……
Available in both a the four-door Charger and the two-door Challenger, whichever SRT Demon 170 muscle car you choose, you’ll walk away with the satisfaction of owning a piece of history. And, your inner ‘Demon’ will cause the neighbors to sin just a bit as they stare longingly each time you pull down the street.