The launch event of the new Dodge SRT Demon 170 was just as important as the legacy of the muscle car. Its straight-line acceleration is baffling
The wait is over. Dodge has finally introduced the 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170, the fastest factory muscle car in the world. This 1,025 hp Last Call special edition managed the quarter-mile in an NHRA-certified 8.91 seconds at 151.17 mph, making it the world’s first 8-second factory muscle car to be produced. It looks like Dodge is driving into the sunset in style with an ICE engine before it takes on the all-electric route.
The HEMI engine produces 945 lb-ft of torque while sprinting to 60 mph in a blazing 1.66 seconds and is claimed to have the highest G-force acceleration of any production car at 2.004 Gs. On E10 fuel, the SRT Demon 170 can produce up to 900 hp and 810 lb-ft of torque.
In fact, the new Demon 170 is so wickedly powerful it’s been banned from NHRA quarter miles like the original Demon was. Since this is the fastest Dodge Challenger ever, it will be delivered to its customers exclusively with red key fobs and not the black ones the first Demon came with. The last ‘Last Call’ Dodge is muscle car supremacy at its best!
2023 Dodge Challenger Demon 170 HEMI Engine Is Special
Let’s focus on the engine for a while. All the major engine power components have received multiple upgrades, except the camshaft. The 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI engine shares DNA with the Direct Connection Hellephant C170 crate engine (which is where it gets the ‘170’ from in its name).
Some of the upgrades include a 3.0-liter supercharger, a supercharger pulley, fuel injectors, a 105 mm diameter throttle body, valve train, cylinder head/clam load, main bearing caps/clamp load, cylinder pressure, main rod/bearings, connecting rod, block machining, crank damper, and spark plugs. Paired to the high-performance engine of the SRT Demon 170 is the tried-and-trusted TorqueFlite 8HP90 8-speed automatic transmission.
2023 Dodge Demon 170 Is An Unadulterated Muscle Car
The SRT Demon 170 is the first factory production car made with staggered drag radial tires and flared fenders. It gives a strong stance when seen launching at a drag strip. Credit goes to Mickey Thompson tires for having worked closely with Dodge to develop these exclusively for the Dodge muscle car.
These tires help with maximum traction under intense acceleration. These 17-by-11-inch rear tires are also taller, wider, and higher in profile. Up-ahead, it gets smaller 18-by-18-inch front wheels that keep the weight and rolling resistance to a minimum. The front fenders are standard, unlike the ones at the back.
Dodge Demon 170 Features Line Lock & Launch Control
A feature that first debuted on the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon has been updated for the Demon 170. Called TransBrake 2.0, it allows drivers to configure and select various launch-torque profiles to match engine power delivery; a technology that is used in drag racing. The TransBrake Performance page can be accessed via the main display screen.
Launch and shift torque settings can be dialed in through a memory function, which can be altered to suit various grip surfaces. TransBrake will work alongside the Torque Reserve feature, which helps maintain supercharger airflow, provides faster engine torque response, and enhances acceleration, further creating a deep exhaust sound.
Dodge Challenger 170 Comes With Cool Drive Modes
The Last Call edition Demon comes with three drive modes: Drag, Custom, and Auto. These customize a menu of performance parameters that include the suspension, steering, traction control, paddle shifters, and gearbox.
Anyone hitting the drag strip will be impressed with the SRT Performance Pages that give the driver data on reaction times, 0–60 times, G-force numbers, performance info, torque stats, and dynamometer horsepower.
There are quite a number of lightweight parts that have reduced the overall weight by 157 lbs. The hollow sway bars, a passenger and rear seat delete, an NVH pad delete, and the removal of flared fenders at the front are some examples.
Dodge Demon 170 Versus Other Muscle Cars
The Shelby Mustang GT500 packs a punch at 750 hp from its 5.2-liter supercharged cross-plane V8. But the Shelby GT500 Code Red produces 1,200 hp and close to 1,000 lb-ft of torque, which is far more than the Demon 170. But the Code Red Mustang is more of a track car, and it’s a limited-production model from Shelby.
The outgoing Chevy Camaro ZL1, with its 6.2-liter LT4 supercharged V8, makes 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, the least impressive of the lot. The Demon 170 is a significant model for Dodge and one that will go down in the history books as one of the most powerful Dodge cars with an internal combustion engine. The upcoming fully-electric Dodge Charger will rewrite the rule book forever.
Sources: Stellantis, Ford, Chevrolet
