One for the Road
Here it is, the gas fueled Hemi V8 is on a countdown to December 31st, 2023 when the last one will leave the production line and head straight to the nearest Barrett Jackson auction. But before that, we celebrated with one round before closing time, and Dodge did not disappoint with a light pour. On March 20th, 2023, Dodge unveiled its seventh son, the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, the last of the Last Call edition V8s.
Dodge’s Seventh Son
The 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 follows the Mopar code to the tee. It is MO-PARwe! Delivering 1,025 horsepower and 925 lb.-ft of torque, burning 170-proof E85 ethanol mix fuel. Its new flex of power comes from what you expect, more. SRT engineers gave this 6.2-liter Hemi V8 new stronger internal components, a larger three-liter supercharger, and a bright yellow coat of paint. Feeding it 91 octane fuel will still deliver a healthy 900 hp and 810 lb.-ft of torque.
At the unveiling, the SRT Demon 170 laid down an 8-second quarter mile time running at 151 mph on a prepped track surface. Nevertheless, the SRT Demon 170 is a factory 8-second capable production car. It’s Dodge saying, “come at me,” over a game of Monopoly after buying a hotel for Boardwalk and Park Place. Game over.
Like its Max Wedge super stock ancestors, the Challenger SRT Demon 170 is a drag car with a license plate. Standard equipment includes one driver seat (cloth) and two audio speakers because luxury adds weight. Buyers can opt for the passenger and rear seats and other creature comforts. To better sink its claws and grip the road, the SRT Demon 170 comes standard with Mickey Thompson ET Street R drag radicals rubber measuring 245/55 R-18 at the front and 315/50R-17 rubber at the rear.
Gas mileage for the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 is estimated at 13 mpg city and 21 mpg on the highway for a combined 15 mpg average (but who cares about that?).
Starting price for the Challenger SRT Demon 170 is 100 grand, and that’s not including taxes and dealer markup. Production of SRT Demon 170 will not exceed 3,300 units. So, when production starts in July, Dodge will crank them out until they reach 3,300 or try to get close to it before pulling the plug on December 31st.
The Hemi Hangover
If you’re like me, you get a faint but sharp feeling in the center of your chest whenever you read a headline about a car manufacturer declaring the “last V8” on one of the most beloved models or nameplates. It’s normal to feel sad and maybe experience signs of grief. Change, for better or worse, is a process. Fans of Dodge’s fire breathing, tire smoke blenching supercharged eight-fists of fury V8s are celebrating the achievement of the SRT Demon 170. However, once 2024 starts, a lot of us will be experiencing the Hemi hangover after so many Last Call celebrations. I’ll be the first to admit that I am still in denial about a world without a Hemi V8, and I’ll need time to go through the five stages of grief before accepting it.
Why? Because I was 16 years old when Dodge brought back the retro-styled Challenger. The first ever track day experience and first media car I sat behind the wheel as a baby-faced 23-year-old automotive writer was a 2016 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat at Texas Motor Speedway. I’ve been fortunate enough to test drive nearly every variant of the Hellcat Hemi from the Trackhawk to the Durango SRT, the monstrous Ram TRX, the 392 Hemi-powered Jeep Wrangler, and even a Redeye-equipped Charger.
These engines have been a constant in my life and career, so I’m reasonably emotional to know that this chapter is ending like watching your pet grow old and knowing the end is near. Of course, you’ll eventually accept it, but nobody says you have to like it.
Jesus Behind the Wheel 