Dodge unveiled its most powerful muscle car ever with the Challenger SRT Demon 170. This new Dodge demon is remarkable in many ways. The last version of the gas-powered Challenger is the most powerful and fastest production muscle car ever. Needless to say that this last of the 'Last Call' Challenger is a glorious tribute to what has been a hugely celebrated name in the history of pony cars.
The unveiling of the Dodge Demon 170 has ended an epic journey of the ‘Challenger’ nameplate. Going back in history, the Challenger never enjoyed the flying start it deserved. However, Dodge’s perseverance to make it great among all the muscle cars gradually made it an icon towards its end. This story of evolution from being a performer with one dull start to being an epic finisher makes the journey of Challenger quite inspirational in the automotive world.
The 1970 Dodge Challenger Was A Response To Camaro And Mustang
In the late 1960s, the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang were ruling the pony car segment, engaged in a battle of their own. It was when the first-ever Challenger arrived, for Dodge had nothing to compete with the two undisputed rulers of the pony car segment. In the fall of 1969, the first-ever Challenger came with the claims of being the most potent pony car of its time. The Challenger even competed with the more expensive pony cars like Pontiac Firebird and Mercury Cougar with its luxurious interior and larger dimensions.
While the first-generation Challenger was indeed a potent car, the problem was the timing of its launch. The 1970 Challenger came in when the demand for pony cars started dwindling. After a good start, the sales of the Challenger fell month-by-month, eventually leading to its demise in 1974.
A Late Comeback Of The Modern-Day Dodge Challenger
Fast-forward to 2008, when the Mustang and Camaro were again stealing the limelight with their performance, and muscle car looks, Dodge decided to arrive late to the party again. In 2008, the L-Series Challenger debuted, marking the comeback of the ‘Challenger’ nameplate. Compared to its direct competitors, the Challenger followed the original muscle car formula best, with its longer overhangs and a wider stance.
However, apart from coming late to the party, the Dodge Challenger SRT had its issues to deal with before shaking up the competition. Compared to the Camaro and the Mustang, the Challenger was heavier and underpowered. Despite its more muscular road presence, the performance numbers claimed by the 3.6-liter V6 and Hemi V8 in the initial days of the SRT Challenger were not up to mark. Due to these reasons, the Challenger started slower than expected, with sales and enthusiasm remaining below average for nearly half a decade.
Fortunes Of Challenger Turned Overnight With Hellcat And Demon
When everyone started counting out Dodge from the game of muscle cars, it pulled off a surprise with the SRT Hellcat Challenger. Launched as a replacement for the SRT8 trim in 2015, the arrival of the Challenger SRT Hellcat was an instant bounce-back for the company. The Dodge Hellcat SRT dialed up performance to 11 with its new 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8. Claiming 707 hp and 650 lb-ft, it became the new benchmark in straight-line performance among muscle cars.
While Dodge was riding high on the success of the Challenger SRT Hellcat, it found a new competitor to deal with – emission compliance for powertrains. Dodge knew that the days of the maniac Hemi V8 are numbered. However, it didn’t give up its attitude of leaving any stone unturned for the survival of the supercharged Hemi V8. With that attitude at its peak, Dodge unleashed an all-new beast in 2018, and it was befittingly named Challenger SRT Demon.
Based on the already-bonkers Hellcat Challenger, the SRT Demon arrived with a new 6.2-liter Hemi V8. This engine claimed 840 hp and 770 lb-ft with 100 octane fuel, thus shattering all the performance records for muscle cars. The fact that it weighed 215 lb lesser than the SRT Hellcat made it the fastest-accelerating production muscle car at its unveiling.
Final Call For Dodge Challenger With The SRT Demon 170
Even after six years, the Challenger Demon is the performance benchmark among factory muscle cars. In 2022, the Challenger even became the highest-selling muscle car. However, towards the end of 2022, Dodge finally decided to call off the curtains on the Challenger and Charger. However, in a typical never-give-up attitude of Dodge, seven different ‘Last Call’ limited-edition models were planned for the Charger and Challenger combined.
After unveiling six cars in the series, Dodge unveiled the last one, undisputedly the most ferocious muscle car ever made – the Challenger SRT Demon 170. With 1,025 hp and 940 lb-ft on tap, the SRT Demon 170 has pushed the benchmarks even higher. These numbers might never be matched by any gas-powered muscle car, making the Challenger SRT Demon 170 the most epic swansong by Dodge ever. Period.