Stellantis, the parent company of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group, has announced the release of the 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170, which will be Dodge’s last gas-powered muscle car.
The car will reportedly be the fastest production car ever, capable of going from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 1.66 seconds. The car generates an impressive 1,025 horsepower from its 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine, per Stellantis.
The Challenger SRT Demon 170 will be available in a limited run of 3,300 units, retailing at $96,666 each.
The car will come with racing tires that are not street-legal. Customers can purchase smaller, more street-friendly wheels and tires for daily driving.
While the car’s performance is impressive, the gas mileage may not be. The car will get an estimated 13 miles per gallon in the city and 21 on the highway. The Environmental Protection Agency recently reported that Stellantis had the highest average carbon dioxide emissions and lowest average fuel economy of all major automakers, at 21.3 miles per gallon, per AP News.
Once production finishes on December 31, Dodge will have produced two million gas-powered muscle cars since its inception. Tim Kuniskis, CEO of the Dodge brand, expects the Demon 170 to become a collector’s item due to its extreme performance and unique design.
“If you look at some of the cars that we’ve had in our past, it’s pretty easy to tell which ones people want to collect,” he said, per the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (NADG). “A lot of times it’s the lower [sales] volume, extreme examples, whether its extreme looks or extreme performance. Well, this one happens to have both.”
The car’s release marks the end of an era for muscle cars as Stellantis will cease production of gas versions of the Dodge Challenger, Charger, and Chrysler 300 by the end of the year. The Canadian factory responsible for producing the three models will be transformed into a facility for electric car production.
Kuniskis says he is excited about developing electric performance vehicles that deliver power and driving experience.
“It’s the end of an era, for sure,” said Kuniskis on Monday, per NADG. “Electric products, they’re very fast. Muscle cars, one of the primary ingredients is to be a fast accelerating car. So I’ve automatically got the power. Now I’ve just got to figure out ways to bring all the other elements in of the excitement of the driving experience.”
