Two ways to breathe
The Air-Grabber hood is etched "Alcohol Injected," and an Air Catcher headlight feeds cold air to the intake. Under the hood, the SRT Power Chiller uses the air conditioning to cool intake air by up to 45 °F claimed (Stellantis).
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 0-60, quarter mile and the last Challenger, explained
1.66 s to 60 on Dodge's terms, 3.7 s on plain asphalt. 1,025 horsepower on E85 in the last Challenger ever built.
The short answer
Dodge claims the Challenger SRT Demon 170 reaches 60 mph in 1.66 seconds claimed on E85, and Dodge timed the quarter mile at 8.91 s at 151.17 mph recorded on its own pass, which Dodge calls NHRA-certified without naming the track, date or driver (Stellantis). Both come from a prepped drag strip, and Engineering Explained says Dodge confirmed, only when asked, that the 0-60 subtracts the first foot of rollout (Engineering Explained).
Neither Car and Driver nor MotorTrend has published an instrumented test; Car and Driver said it "may never get the chance." The best independent numbers come from Hagerty: 3.7 s to 60 and 11.2 s for the quarter on ordinary asphalt, and 9.721 s recorded on a prepped strip with a veteran drag racer driving (Hagerty). Dodge built 3,300, and the last one, a Pitch Black Demon 170 finished on December 22, 2023, was also the last Challenger (Motor Authority).
The last HEMI Challenger
The Demon 170 was the seventh and final "Last Call" special edition. Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis called it "the world's first sustainable-energy, eight-second, factory-production, street-legal muscle car," built "to celebrate the end of the HEMI muscle-car era" (Stellantis).
It was revealed on March 20, 2023, lowered by helicopter onto The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Brampton, Ontario stopped building Challengers at the end of 2023. The successor is the 2024 Charger, led by an electric Daytona.
Numbers that don't feel real
Every figure carries its label. claimed means Dodge said it. recorded means timed on an actual run: an instrumented test, a certified or verified record run, or a maker's own pass on a drag strip's timing system. verified means an official body. reported is press we couldn't trace to a primary source. derived is our math. Here's how we label numbers.
1,025hp
On E85, at 6,500 rpm, with 945 lb-ft of torque. 900 hp on pump gas
8.91s
Quarter mile at 151.17 mph on Dodge's own pass, "NHRA-certified" in Dodge's words. Dodge never named the track, date or driver
9.12s
Quarter mile at 147 mph in Bradenton, car stock except wheels, February 2025
3.7s
0-60 mph on ordinary asphalt at Willow Springs, weather corrected
2.004g
Peak launch force, which Dodge calls the highest of any production car
21.3psi
Boost from a 3.0-liter supercharger, against 15.3 psi in the Hellcat Redeye
3,300
Cars built: 3,000 for the U.S. and 300 for Canada, Dodge told Motor Authority
1,037days
Since the last Challenger, a Pitch Black Demon 170, was finished in Brampton
Zero to 60, in real time
Each bar fills at the real speed of that car's 0-60 time, from the race's lineup. The second Demon bar is Hagerty's run on ordinary asphalt. Dodge's 1.66 s subtracts the first foot of rollout; Chevrolet's 1.68 s doesn't.
Tesla Roadster claimed0.81 s
McMurtry Spéirling Pure claimed1.55 s
Rimac Nevera R recorded1.66 s
Dodge Demon 170 claimed1.66 s
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X claimed1.68 s
Tesla Model S Plaid claimed1.99 s
Demon 170 on asphalt recorded3.70 s
Ford Mustang GT recorded3.70 s
A drag car that needs a drag strip
Dodge's numbers were set on a strip sprayed with VHT traction compound, and Kuniskis "stresses that Dodge's 0-60 and quarter-mile claims can only be matched under the best possible circumstances" (MotorTrend). The 1.66 s also starts the clock after the car has rolled a foot. Dodge's release doesn't say so; Engineering Explained says Dodge admitted it "only when you ask."
On a street surface the drag radials can't hook up 1,025 hp. Hagerty measured 3.7 s on asphalt, more than double the claim, and owner RacerX got 3.5 s at best on cold streets (RacerX). Engineering Explained estimates 1.79 to 1.91 s from a true standstill on a prepped strip estimate.
Built for one quarter mile
Studio views are our own generated illustrations, not Dodge photography or design data. The second slide is a real photo.
What's hiding in the body
Tap a marker. Figures are Dodge claims unless noted. Studio views are our own generated illustrations.
01A bigger blower
A 3.0-liter supercharger makes 21.3 psi, 40% more boost than the Hellcat Redeye, on a 6.2-liter HEMI V-8. Among the main power parts, "only the camshaft is untouched."
02Skinny tires up front
Mickey Thompson ET Street 245/55R18 fronts on 18x8 wheels. Dodge calls the staggered drag radials and fender flares a first for a factory production car. Kuniskis promised the nose still lifts at launch (MotorTrend).
03A cabin for one
The passenger seat, rear seat, trunk carpet and sound deadening are deleted as standard, with a two-speaker stereo. Putting the seats back was an option.
04The car reads its fuel
Fill it with E85 here. A fast ethanol sensor in the fuel rail, under the hood, shows the blend on the dash. The pump icon turns white at 20% ethanol and blue above 65%, when the full 1,025 hp is available.
05Drag radials, factory fitted
Mickey Thompson ET Street R 315/50R17 rears on 17x11 wheels. The owner's manual says they may exceed their 149 mph rating "only in drag race applications."
06A driveline built for the hit
A TorqueFlite 8HP90 eight-speed, a 240 mm ring gear and 43-spline half shafts. TransBrake 2.0 holds up to 2,350 rpm on the line with launch profiles for high, medium and low grip.
Eights for Dodge, nines in the wild
The 8.91 s was Dodge's own timed pass, so we label it recorded. Dodge calls it "NHRA-certified," but NHRA's own story only attributes the figure to Dodge, unlike the 2018 Demon's 9.65 s, which NHRA said it certified at Gainesville (NHRA). The quickest timed stock cars we found ran 9.12 to 9.40 s. The first private owner ran 9.398 s with the TransBrake still locked, because Dodge disables it for the first 500 miles (Hot Rod).
Corvette ZR1X, Chevrolet's own pass8.675
Demon 170, Dodge's own pass8.91
Demon 170, DragTimes, 20259.12
Demon 170, first private owner, 20239.398
2018 Demon, NHRA certified9.65
Demon 170, Hagerty, prepped strip9.721
Demon 170, Hagerty, asphalt11.2
"Banned" by the NHRA, sort of
Dodge says the car earned an NHRA violation letter for "running a sub-nine-second quarter-mile without a safety cage and parachute," and put the "ban" in its launch materials, as it had in 2018 (Stellantis). The rule behind it changed on March 1, 2022: factory cars from 2014 on may now run as quick as 9.00 s and as fast as 150 mph without a cage, with a competition license under 10 seconds (NHRA Street Legal).
So the Demon 170 isn't banned as a model. A car that actually runs Dodge's 8.91 s at 151 mph crosses both lines and needs a cage and a chute; most stock cars, running nines under 150 mph, need neither, though any pass under 10 seconds needs a competition license.
Quickest time without a cage, s9.00
Dodge's timed pass, s8.91
Fastest trap without a cage, mph150
Dodge's trap speed on that pass, mph151.17
Two Demons, three tunes
The 2018 Demon for scale, then the 170 on the two fuels it reads. Prices are Dodge's before destination.
2018 Demon
3,300 built
The first Demon, and the first factory car with the passenger seat deleted.
- Power
- 840 hp
- 0-60 mph
- 2.3 s
- Quarter mile
- 9.65 s
- Base price
- About $86,000
840 hp needed 100-octane fuel and a Direct Connection controller; 808 hp on 91. The price is Car and Driver's figure.
170 on pump gas
E10 premium
What the car makes on ordinary premium from any station.
- Power
- 900 hp
- Torque
- 810 lb-ft
- EPA mpg
- 10 / 17 / 13
- Price
- $96,666
EPA city, highway and combined (fueleconomy.gov). Dodge published no times on pump gas.
170 on E85
Above 65% ethanol
Full power, and the figures in every headline.
- Power
- 1,025 hp
- 0-60 mph
- 1.66 s
- Quarter mile
- 8.91 s
- EPA mpg
- 8 / 13 / 9
On a prepped strip: the 0-60 claimed with rollout, the quarter mile recorded on Dodge's own pass. With destination and gas-guzzler tax the car cost $100,361 (Motor1).
From a wheelie record to a falling price
Ten years from the first Demon's wheelie record to auction prices back near sticker. Scroll sideways.
1,314days since the Demon 170 was revealed in Las Vegas
Nov 2016
2.92 feet in the air
The 2018 Demon sets Guinness's standing-start wheelie record for a production car verified.
Apr 2017
The first Demon
840 hp, 9.65 s certified by the NHRA, and the first "ban."
Mar 1, 2022
NHRA moves the line
Street Legal cars may run 9.00 s and 150 mph without a cage.
Mar 20, 2023
A helicopter drop in Vegas
The Demon 170 is revealed at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Mar 31, 2023
The rollout question
Engineering Explained reports that the 1.66 s subtracts the first foot.
May 15, 2023
Ordering closes
Seven weeks of orders, each with a notarized letter.
Nov 2023
$247,500 at Mecum
The first Demon 170 at Mecum sells for $247,500 with fees, about two and a half times the base price reported.
Nov 20, 2023
The first owner's pass
9.398 s at 147.73 mph, bone stock, TransBrake still locked.
Dec 22, 2023
The last Challenger
A Pitch Black Demon 170 is the final car off the Brampton line.
Jul 2024
Hagerty's reality check
3.7 s and 11.2 s on asphalt; a Lucid Air Sapphire beats it on both surfaces.
Jan 2025
New spark plugs for all
A service campaign replaces all 16 plugs on 3,311 cars over misfires reported.
Jan 13, 2026
A Corvette claims the crown
Chevrolet says the ZR1X ran 8.675 s and 1.68 s, timed without rollout.
Sep 14, 2026
Don't drive it
A service notice covers crankshaft dampers on 345 cars, which are towed in for repair.
Oct 2026
Back near sticker
Bring a Trailer sales near $129,000; Hagerty's top value falls 18% to $134,000.
What people are saying
Reaction split four ways. These are opinions, quoted with links.
The finger
"A metaphorical middle finger to critics who've called Dodge's Hellcats one-dimensional."Car and Driver, 2023, reveal
The same story added the caveat everyone else would test: "Of course, it won't be that quick on the street."
The asterisk
"They admit it only when you ask and they won't provide the number without rollout."Jason Fenske, Engineering Explained
MotorTrend said its test team was "not likely" to verify the times, and Car and Driver said it may never get to test the car.
The bargain
"Those cars make the Demon look like a bargain propelled by black magic."MotorTrend, 2023, first look
The comparison was with the Model S Plaid and six- and seven-figure hypercars at similar quarter-mile times.
The market
"We will build the MSRP cars first, and those that paid over MSRP may risk not getting a car."Tim Kuniskis, Jalopnik
Dealers still asked up to $250,000 over sticker. Three years on, a car with 8 miles sold for $129,000 before fees (Modern Car Collector).
The consensus: nobody doubts it's the quickest factory muscle car Dodge ever built, and stock cars have run low nines on prepped strips. The arguments are about the fine print: a 0-60 with rollout that Dodge doesn't footnote, an "NHRA-certified" pass whose track, date and driver Dodge never published, a car that needs a sticky strip to hook up, and a collector market that peaked at launch.
Live: news and buzz
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See it for yourself
Dodge introduces the Demon 170
Dodge · Mar 23, 2023 · 1:34
Car and Driver at the reveal
Car and Driver · Mar 20, 2023 · 4:25
The rollout question
Engineering Explained · Mar 31, 2023 · 18:29
Hagerty: asphalt and VHT
Hagerty · Jul 11, 2024 · 15:47
9.12 s against a Plaid
DragTimes · Feb 26, 2025 · 12:20
Plaid killer?
DragTimes · Dec 24, 2023 · 14:41
Against a Lucid Sapphire
DragTimes · May 4, 2024 · 10:54
Against a Corvette ZR1X
DragTimes · Mar 24, 2026 · 16:43
0-60 on the street
RacerX · Jan 22, 2024 · 14:14
152 mph on a runway
RacerX · Sep 27, 2024
Jay Leno's first drive
Jay Leno's Garage · Apr 17, 2023 · 27:18
Doug DeMuro's tour
Doug DeMuro · Jul 18, 2024 · 23:58
Things most people don't know
01
The name is a proof number
E85 is about 85% alcohol, which is 170 proof. It also nods to the Hellephant C170 crate engine that lent the supercharger design.
02
The black key is "banned"
Earlier Hellcats came with a detuned black key. The Demon 170 ships with red keys only.
03
Injectors beat your shower
They flow 164 gallons an hour, which Dodge says is "more than the average U.S. shower head."
04
Seven minutes per tank
MotorTrend worked out that full throttle would empty the tank in under seven minutes.
05
Only the cam carried over
Holding up a camshaft at the reveal, Kuniskis said: "This is what's left of the Demon engine."
06
The wheelie record isn't this car's
The Guinness record of 2.92 feet belongs to the 2018 Demon, set in 2016. Dodge published no wheelie figure for the 170.
07
New cars can't use the TransBrake
Dodge locks the TransBrake and launch control for the first 500 miles, so the first owner's 9.398 s pass used neither.
08
A Corvette now claims quicker
Chevrolet says the ZR1X ran 8.675 s and 1.68 s to 60, timed from first movement. Without rollout, that likely beats the Demon's 1.66 s derived.
09
Eight mpg on E85
The EPA rates it at 8 mpg city, 13 highway and 9 combined on E85, and 10, 17 and 13 on premium. It pays the gas-guzzler tax either way.
Its neighbors on the strip
In our quarter-mile model the Demon 170 finishes ninth of 21, using Dodge's own timed 8.91 s pass. The car just quicker and the car just slower:
Questions people ask
How fast is the Dodge Demon 170 from 0 to 60 mph?
Dodge claims 1.66 seconds on E85 on a prepped drag strip. Engineering Explained says Dodge confirmed, when asked, that the time subtracts the first foot of rollout, and estimates 1.79 to 1.91 seconds from a true standstill. Neither Car and Driver nor MotorTrend has published an instrumented test. Hagerty recorded 3.7 seconds on ordinary asphalt.
What is the Demon 170's quarter-mile time?
Dodge timed 8.91 seconds at 151.17 mph on its own pass and calls it NHRA-certified, but it has not published the track, date or driver, and NHRA's own story only attributes the figure to Dodge. Stock and nearly stock cars have run 9.12 to 9.40 seconds on prepped strips. Hagerty's best was 9.721 seconds on a prepped strip and 11.2 seconds on asphalt.
Is the Dodge Demon 170 banned by the NHRA?
Not as a model. NHRA's Street Legal rules let 2014 and newer factory cars run as quick as 9.00 seconds and 150 mph without a roll cage, though any pass under 10 seconds needs a competition license. A Demon 170 that actually runs in the eights needs a roll cage, and one that reaches 150 mph also needs a parachute. Dodge turned the resulting violation letter into marketing.
How much horsepower does the Demon 170 make on pump gas?
Dodge claims 900 hp and 810 lb-ft on E10 premium. A sensor in the fuel rail reads the ethanol content, and above 65 percent ethanol the car makes the full 1,025 hp and 945 lb-ft.
What does the 170 in Demon 170 mean?
E85 is about 85 percent alcohol, which is 170 proof. The name also nods to the Hellephant C170 crate engine that shares its supercharger design.
How many Demon 170s were made, and what are they worth?
Dodge says it built the full 3,300: 3,000 for the U.S. and 300 for Canada. They cost $96,666 before destination and gas-guzzler tax. The first Demon 170 at Mecum sold for $247,500 with fees in November 2023; in October 2026 one sold on Bring a Trailer for $129,000 before fees.
Labels, sources and credits
Labels. Claimed: Dodge, Stellantis or another maker said it, without a published timed run. Recorded: timed on an actual run: an instrumented test, a certified or verified record run, or a maker's own pass on a drag strip's timing system. Verified: an official body, here the NHRA, the EPA or Guinness. Reported: press reporting we couldn't trace to a primary source. Derived: our arithmetic from published data, or a named tester's. Estimate: modeled for our race because no published figure exists. Both are explained in the methodology guide. Race figures come from the lineup in our quarter-mile simulator, which uses Dodge's figures for this car. Both it and this page label the 8.91 s recorded because it was a timed pass, but it was Dodge's own: Dodge calls it NHRA-certified and hasn't published the track, date or driver, and NHRA's story only attributes the time to Dodge. The 1.66 s 0-60 stays claimed. Sources disagree on two counts: we use Dodge's 3,300 build total, though a 2025 service campaign covered 3,311 cars, and we left out the price of the optional passenger seat, which is reported three different ways.
- Stellantis, Demon 170 release, March 20, 2023, and the ordering release, March 27, 2023
- Engineering Explained on rollout, March 31, 2023
- Hagerty, asphalt and VHT test, July 11, 2024
- MotorTrend, first look, 2023, and Car and Driver, reveal, 2023
- NHRA Street Legal rules, and NHRA on the 2018 Demon, 2017
- Hot Rod, first private-owner pass, November 2023
- Motor Authority, the last Challenger, December 27, 2023
- Modern Car Collector on prices, October 2026
- EPA fuel economy record 47512
Images. Orange Demon 170 photo: Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped, with a background person blurred; our edit is shared under the same license. The hero and the studio views are our own generated illustrations. None are Dodge photos.