‘Last call’ version of the legendary American muscle car dispatches the 0-60mph sprint in world-record 1.66sec
Dodge is bidding a final farewell to its venerable 6.2-litre supercharged V8 with a new variant of the Challenger muscle car so rapid that it has been banned from drag racing in its factory configuration.
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 hosts a series of upgrades for the Hemi engine, boosting its outputs to 764kW and 1281Nm when running on E85 fuel.
The switch to E85 – which comprises 85% ethanol and 15% unleaded petrol – is alone responsible for a significant proportion of the boost, with outputs dipping to 671kW and 1098Nm when running on conventional E10.
The supercharger has also been reworked with a larger intake and a smaller 3.02-inch pulley, giving a 40% increase in boost pressure to 21.3psi. A ‘power chiller’ system also diverts the air-conditioning system to the supercharger, helping it to maintain optimal temperatures.
Such is the might of the Demon 170 that it can cover a quarter-mile drag strip in just 8.91sec, reaching 151.17mph (243.28kph). This makes it the first factory-produced muscle car capable of an 8.0sec quarter-mile, claims Dodge, earning it a ban from National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag races at full speed without a roll cage and a parachute.
The huge output also makes the Demon 170 the world’s fastest production car in the 0-60mph (0-97km/h) sprint, completing it in just 1.66sec. For reference, the previous title holder, the Aspark Owl, claims 1.7sec; the Rimac Nevera clocks 1.95sec; and the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 2.4sec (to 100km/h).
“To celebrate the end of the Hemi muscle car era, we pulled off all the governors to reach a new level, a new benchmark of factory-crazy production car performance,” said Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis.
However, the engine – mammoth as it is – isn’t solely responsible for such pace. New 315mm-wide Mickey Thompson radial tyres and a new Drag suspension mode help to transmit that power to the road.
The rear end of the car has also been upgraded, with a new axle 53% stronger than that on 2018’s Challenger SRT Demon, as well as a new propshaft that’s 30% more robust.
The exterior changes are more subtle, including the deletion of the front wheel-arch extensions, saving 7kg, and optional carbonfibre wheels manufactured by Lacks Enterprises.
Otherwise, the only demarcations are ‘170’ badges, ‘alcohol injected’ etching on the bonnet and an optional satin-black finish on either the bonnet alone or the entire top side of the car.
Inside, buyers can choose to have the car fitted with only the driver’s seat. ‘Demon’ badging is fitted as standard, also detailing the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN).
The Demon 170 will be limited to just 3300 examples, all reserved for North American buyers. Some 3000 will be sold in the US, with the remainder earmarked for Canada.
Fittingly, the Demon 170 is priced from USD $96,666 – an apparent reference to the biblical number of The Beast.