2023 Dodge Challenger Demon 170

Dodge is celebrating the Challenger with an alcohol-fueled farewell.

The Dodge Challenger is still dead. The folks at Dodge know that when the clock strikes midnight on December 31, 2023, its LX-platform Challenger will shuffle out of its Brampton, Ontario, factory for good. Celebrating the Challenger's 15-year production run, the folks at Dodge are leaning into the brand's heritage with some special, limited-production "Last Call" models.

The final "Last Call" model was originally scheduled to debut at the SEMA show last year, but it struggled in validation testing. Well, it's finally here. Effectively based on the already rare Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, this Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 takes the Mopar insanity to new heights.

The heart of this farewell model is under the hood. While this supercharged V8 still displaces 6.2 liters, that's about where the similarities end. According to Dodge, this hopped-up Hemi sports a bespoke block to help it handle the absurd 1025 hp and 945 lb-ft of torque.

Dodge also upgraded this engine's connecting rods, pistons, and bearings. Rounding up the bottom end, Dodge opted for billet main caps to help keep the rotating assembly as rigid as possible. The camshaft and valvetrain are both effectively carried over from Dodge's Demon program.

On the top half of the engine, things get even more exciting. Helping keep the cylinder pressure inside the combustion chambers, Dodge equipped this Hemi with cylinder head studs. The pivot to studs is to help maintain the adequate clamping force when 2500 pounds of force is stuffed inside each cylinder, which is a 32% bump over a Hellcat Redeye Widebody. The extra cylinder pressure comes, in part, from a 3.0-liter supercharger that breathes through a 105-mm throttle body.

Making all of this possible, the engineers opted for an alternative to traditional gasoline. While the Demon had an additional engine controller, which was tuned for high-octane race gas, this Challenger Demon 170 uses E85. This alcohol-based fuel is one of the reasons for the big performance jump.

Combining the relatively high octane with the charge-cooling nature of E85, the folks at Dodge pushed their final Challenger into a four-figure drag racer. Due to the unreliable nature of gas-station E85, the team at Dodge equipped this alcohol-drinking muscle car with a sensor to judge the alcohol content of the fuel, and adjust the vehicle's performance accordingly. For instance, on regular E10 premium pump gas, the Demon 170 only makes 900 hp.

All that power has to go somewhere. It travels through the same eight-speed transmission as the previous Demon, with one major exception: the transmission brake. The engineers revised the trans brake to make launching this machine even easier. From there, the power travels through a revised driveshaft and into an even beefier differential than on the Demon. Dodge says the rear end is 50% stronger than the Demon's, which should be good news for those planning to bring this to a prepared surface.

Power reaches the pavement through a set of aluminum wheels or an optional set of carbon-fiber rims and to a set of standard 315/50R17 Mickey Thompson ET R drag radials. This traction improvement helps give the Demon 170 more bite from a standing start. At the front, you’ll see both options of wheels as well but wrapped with Mickey Thompson 245/55R18 rubber.

Taking advantage of this drag radial rubber, the team at Dodge revised the suspension accordingly. Dodge softened the springs and sway bars at both ends to help with weight transfer. Taking care of the shock, Dodge went with adjustable Bilstein dampers that are tuned specifically to help with launching this machine.

This all works together to help rocket the Demon 170 down the asphalt aisle in a scant 8.91 seconds. That's right, Dodge is selling a production car that is certified in the eights. That's quick. This also means you might have to add a parachute (a receiver for the parachute mount is built into the car) and a roll cage to meet NHRA safety requirements if you happen to run that quick at a sanctioned race track, which is something to consider when running through the beams.

Helping you get to that absurd 8.91-second ET, Dodge revised the tuning of its Drag driving mode from the Demon. The Demon 170's Drag mode is customizable and lets you control your shift points, steering feel, traction, and suspension. You can also adjust your power output to better adapt to a poorly prepped surface.

Of course, the Demon 170 is more than just a drag car. If you just want that, there's no shortage of shells to get you down the strip. The Demon 170 does double duty as a normal, fully compliant street machine. The cabin has all the appointments you’d expect from a daily driver, like two front seats. There are four interior options available: cloth, black leather, or red leather. The last? Well, a cloth interior sans the passenger seat, rear seat, and carpet. Okay, it can be kind of like a race car.

Instead of a Demon Crate with an extra set of wheels, ECU, and toolset, this Demon 170 is leaning into its name. When you snag your Demon 170, Dodge will include a special, personalized Demon decanter set with coasters and a pair of glasses.

While this isn't as wild as the Demon Crate, it's a fun play on the Demon 170's steady diet of alcohol. The "170" in this new Demon's name isn't the governed top speed, but a play on its E85 fuel choice. Like alcohol you might drink, Dodge played with the ideal proof of E85, and came up with 170.

Yes, this is going to be expensive, starting at $96,666 before destination, delivery, and gas guzzler fees. That price also excludes options like carbon-fiber wheels and different interior choices. Most importantly, that price excludes the likely dealer market adjustment, although there is a ray of sunlight for Mopar fans. Unlike other "Last Call" models, Dodge hopes to make a lot of these Demons— some 3000 examples for the US and 300 for Canada. But these figures are based on production capacity, and the assembly line stops when the clock strikes midnight on December 31, 2023.

Dodge will open orders for the Demon 170 on March 27 and close them on May 15. Chances are, Dodge won't have to wait that long to shoot well beyond 3000 potential customers. Adding some relief for buyers, Dodge says dealers shipping these at MSRP will get priority scheduling. Dodge says current Demon owners who get an allocation will have an opportunity to get a matching serial number for their new Demon 170.

It was expected that Dodge would do something absurd with its final "Last Call" models, and it's safe to say that Dodge delivered. While this might be a farewell to the current Challenger—and a brilliant one at that—it's not the end to Dodge's performance pedigree. The looming Dodge electric muscle car is just around the corner and might be wild enough to impress Mopar devotees.

Do you think this is a proper farewell for the Challenger? Please share your thoughts below.

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