Dodge is bringing back its contentious muscle car model, the Challenger SRT Demon, as a limited edition before the manufacture of the brand’s current V8 engine automobiles stops later this year.
The limited-edition drag racing vehicle will be the automaker’s quickest and most powerful Dodge Challenger ever made. It is based on the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon, which was criticized by some for being overly strong and barely street-legal.
Dodge revives its controversial muscle vehicle.
On E85 ethanol mix gasoline, the new Dodge will produce 1,025 horsepower and 945 foot-pounds of torque, according to the automaker. In 1.66 seconds, it can hit 60 mph from a rolling start. The vehicle’s performance decreases somewhat when using fuel with lower levels of ethanol, but it still produces 900 horsepower and 810 pound-feet of torque while operating on ordinary E10 fuel.
According to Dodge, the base price of the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 will be a diabolically evocative $96,666; the final three digits are a reference to the devil. Nevertheless, levies, options, and accessories can increase the price to $120,000 or more. The vehicle’s ordering period begins on March 27.
Dodge, which is owned by Stellantis, only aims to produce up to 3,000 vehicles for the United States and 300 for Canada, contingent upon the availability of parts and supply chain issues. That would be comparable to the manufacturing of the 2018 model.
The new car will deliver 1,025 total horsepower, and 945 foot-pounds of torque, and reach 60 mph from a rolling start in 1.66 seconds.
Tim Kuniskis, the chief executive officer of Dodge, declined to share the vehicle’s Monday-revealed capital expenditures or anticipated profit margins.
Kuniskis stated, “These vehicles are ending on a high note.” He described the Demon 170 as “the new peak of manufacturing madness.”
When queried about the vehicle’s fuel economy, he responded, “It’s terrible,” but then referred to it as “eco-friendly” since fuel with high ethanol content burns cleaner and faster than conventional gasoline. The vehicle is subject to a statutory $2,100 gas-guzzler tax.
The 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 starts at $96,666 and may reach $120,000 with fees, options, and extras.
The designation “170” is a reference to a high proof of alcohol, since the vehicle is capable of running on ethanol fuel. Also, each owner will receive a unique glass decanter with the purchase of a vehicle.
The new automobile will be able to do wheelies, a maneuver in which the vehicle’s front tires rise off the ground as a result of the amount of force transmitted to the back wheels.
Kuniskis stated that Dodge was anticipated to unveil the vehicle earlier this year, but engineers were “blowing up” engines in an effort to extract as much performance as possible from the vehicle. The issues prompted the development of a new supercharged engine for the vehicle.
Dodge’s eighth special-edition muscle vehicle, the 2023 Demon SRT, commemorates the imminent end of manufacturing for the existing Challenger and Charger muscle cars. Since its launch over a decade ago, Dodge has sold more than 2 million of these automobiles.
“You must celebrate this end,” Kuniskis told CNBC, adding that the Challenger acts as a “halo” model for the company, luring buyers who go on to purchase further vehicles. “We do crazy better than anybody.”