DETROIT (AP) — Dodge’s last gas-powered muscle car doesn’t leave the road without a few hoots, thunder, and maddening speed.
The 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170 puts out 1,025 horsepower from a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine, and the automaker says it will be the fastest production car ever built.
Stellantis says it can reach 0 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in a whopping 1.66 seconds, faster than electric supercars from Tesla and Lucid.
That’s what Stellantis’ performance brand calls the last rumbling car that has been a staple of American culture on Saturday night cruises for decades.
Stellantis plans to discontinue production of gas versions of the Dodge Challenger and Charger and Chrylser 300 large sedans by the end of this year. This has been shut out by the government’s tougher fuel economy regulations and the accelerating shift to electric vehicles to combat climate change.
The Canadian plant that builds all three cars will be converted to build electric versions of the larger vehicles starting next year. Stellantis hasn’t said if all three models will stay on, but in August he showed off his muscle car with his SRT electric concept Charger Daytona.
Tim Kuniskis, CEO of the Dodge brand and unofficial spokesman for American gas-powered rubber burners, says he will miss the traditional muscle, but he’s excited to build an electric performance car. rice field.
“It’s certainly the end of an era,” he said Monday. “Electrics are very fast. One of the main elements of a muscle car is that it is a car that accelerates fast. We have to find a way to bring it into the excitement of the driving experience.”
Since last summer, Dodge has been rolling out a mighty special-edition “Last Call” version of its gas-powered muscle car, culminating in Monday night’s event showcasing the Challenger Demon 170 on Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s drag strip. reached.
A descendant of the car that first launched in 1969, the new Challenger Demon also produces 945 lb-ft of torque, or turning power. That’s enough power that the company had to beef up the rear drive shaft and differential with aerospace grade. metal.
Stellantis says it will be the first production car to run a quarter mile (0.40 km) in less than 9 seconds (8.91 seconds to be exact). To do so, it reaches speeds of just over 243 kilometers per hour (151 mph). Horsepower and speed are dependent on the amount of ethanol in the fuel.
You can only get 13 miles per gallon in the city and 21 miles on the highway, but I doubt anyone buying a gallon would care even though the world is grappling with climate change. .
That’s a relatively small number of cars, Kuniskis said, and the ethanol they burn is cleaner than gasoline. Dodge said it plans to build 2 million Muscle His cars before production of his gasoline version ends on December 31.
“Over the years, we owe them as much as ourselves to celebrate this end and give them something that creates a lot of pride in the brands they love,” he said.
The Demon 170 is street legal even though it comes with wide racing tires. To make it an everyday driver, the company offers smaller, more street-friendly wheel and tire packages.
At $96,666 like the devil, this car comes standard with just a driver’s seat and a basic radio. But it’s air conditioned. Passenger and rear seats are optional for $1 each. You can also get leather, a sunroof and a better sound system.
Stellantis will only make a maximum of 3,300, but Kuniskis isn’t sure they’ll reach that number due to potential parts shortages and limited production time.
If previous limited-edition models are any indication, Kuniskis said the Demon 170 should quickly become a classic collector’s car.
“Looking at some of the cars we’ve had in the past, it’s easy to see which cars people want to collect,” he said. It’s a low (selling) volume, extreme example, well, this one happens to have both.
https://www.mystateline.com/news/dodge-unveils-last-crazy-fast-gas-powered-muscle-car/ Dodge unveils last ultra-fast gas-powered muscle car