The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon has been revived for the final year of muscle cars

DETROIT — Dodge is reviving its controversial model, the Challenger SRT Demon, as the final special edition of the car before production of the brand’s current V8-powered cars ends later this year.

The limited-edition race car will be the fastest, most powerful Dodge Challenger the automaker has ever produced. It’s based on the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon that some have criticized for being too powerful and barely street-legal.

Dodge says the new car will deliver 1,025 horsepower and 945 pound-feet of torque on E85 ethanol blend fuel. It can achieve 60 mph from a graded start in 1.66 seconds. The car’s performance drops slightly on less ethanol-fueled fuel, but even with regular E10 fuel, it boasts 900 horsepower and 810 lb-ft of torque.

The 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 will start at an evocative $96,666—the last three digits are a nod to the Demon—but can top $120,000 or more in fees, options, and accessories, according to Dodge. The car order opens on March 27th.

Dodge, which is owned by Stellantis, only plans to build up to 3,000 vehicles for the United States and 300 for Canada, pending parts availability and supply chain issues. That would be similar to the production 2018 model.

Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis declined to disclose the vehicle’s capital investment, which was revealed Monday, or expected profit margins.

“These cars finish on a high,” Kuniskis said. He referred to Devil 170 as “the new pinnacle of Mad Factory”.

When asked about the car’s fuel economy, he said “It’s awful,” but later called the car “green” because fuel with high levels of ethanol runs cleaner than conventional gasoline while also burning more quickly. The vehicle will be subject to a mandatory $2,100 gas consumption tax.

The “170” moniker indicates a high alcohol proof, as the car can run on ethanol fuel. Each owner will also receive a special glass decanter when they purchase their car.

The new car will be able to pop wheels, where the front tires of the car lift off the ground due to the amount of power coming from the rear wheels.

Kuniskis said Dodge was expected to unveil the car earlier this year, but engineers have been “blasting” the engines in an effort to get as much performance as possible out of the car. The problems led engineers to develop a new supercharged engine for the car.

The 2023 Demon SRT is the seventh edition of Dodge’s special muscle car as it celebrates the end of production for the current Challenger and Charger. Dodge has sold more than 2 million of these vehicles since their introduction more than a decade ago.

“You have to celebrate that end,” Kuniskis told CNBC, adding that the Challenger serves as the “halo” model for the brand, drawing the attention of customers seeking to buy other vehicles. “We are insanely better than everyone else.”