Dodge has opened order books for the incredible Challenger SRT Demon 170, the final Last Call model built to celebrate the end of a muscle car era for the Stellantis-owned brand.
This isn't your average final model, and it's certainly not a pedestrian special edition. The Brotherhood of Muscle has gone to great lengths to create a wheeled superlative. With 1,025 horsepower, 945 lb-ft of torque, and an NHRA-certified quarter-mile time of 8.91 seconds, it's one of the fastest cars money can buy.
Priced at $96,666 - and limited to a projected 3,000 units in the USA - enthusiasts will be clamoring over each other to get behind the wheel. If you want to get your hands on one, here's how.
Through the Horsepower Locator website, interested buyers can find a dealership with SRT Demon 170 inventory and place their order. It's best not to waste time, though, as these won't hang around for long.
Once you've found an available vehicle, customers need to contact a dealer to discuss and, potentially, secure their order. Buyers have until May 15, 2023, to place their order and submit a notarized customer acknowledgment letter. According to Dodge, customer orders that have been certified sold at MSRP "will receive priority scheduling."
The customer letter cannot be avoided; Dodge wants to make sure owners understand that the SRT Demon 170 isn't your average muscle car and has unique capabilities. The tires, for example, are street-legal but can't be used in cold weather or on wet roads.
Owners will also benefit from an SRT Experience class to ensure they can reign in those 1,025 ponies responsibly and with skill.
Hopefully, the experience of buying this delightful muscle car won't be tainted by greedy retailers and their so-called market adjustments. Sadly, we don't see this happening.
As mentioned, 3,000 are destined for the USA, with 300 reserved for our northern neighbors in Canada. However, Dodge has said total production volume will be limited to "not more than 3,300" examples, as the total volume could be affected by component availability and production capacity.
If you've already got a 2018 Challenger SRT Demon nestled in the garage, Dodge will allow you to match the last four digits of the Demon 170's VIN to your original '18 Demon. The company's fastest-accelerating vehicle ever comes with several commemorative accessories, including a Demon 170 decanter set, car care products from Jay Leno's garage, and more.
Unlike lesser Challenger models, the Demon 170 isn't on the company's website. However, a dedicated configurator on the dodgegarage.com website enables customers (or fans who just want to dream) to spec the vehicle to their desired specifications.
A total of 14 exterior colors are available, three of which (White Knuckle, Black Knight, and Tor Red) are no-cost options. Granite, Destroyer Grey, Triple Nickel, F8 Green, B5 Blue, Frostbite, and Plum Crazy are available for a reasonable $95 surcharge. More exciting shades, such as Sinamon Stick, Go Mango, Sublime, and Octane Red, command $395.
Dodge also provides a choice of graphics for the exterior. A Satin Black-painted hood can be yours for $1,995. This treatment can extend to the decklid and roof, but be prepared to fork out an additional $1,700.
As standard, the Demon 170 receives forged aluminum wheels in a five-twin-spoke design. If performance is of the utmost importance, the same design can be optioned as a two-piece carbon fiber wheel. At $11,495, it's one of the priciest options available.
With the aim of saving weight, Dodge has stripped the interior and left just the bare essentials. As such, buyers receive a two-speaker sound system, lightweight cloth seats, and a passenger/rear seat delete. If that's a touch too spartan for your tastes, there are optional packages that trade weight savings for civility.
$1,995 buys the full-cloth interior with passenger and rear seats, which allows you to scare more people with the V8's almighty power. The Premium Package ($5,995) introduces several nice-to-haves like heated and ventilated front seats, an 18-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with surround sound, Laguna/Alcantara-trimmed seats, and several driver assists. Demonic Red leather can be specified at no extra cost, provided you've ticked the box for the Premium Package.
Other optional features include a power sunroof ($9,995), Demonic Red seatbelts, (a snip at $395), a trunk dress kit ($295), and GPS navigation ($995).
Play it fast and loose with the options list, and the Demon 170 could cost as much as $129,926. It's worth noting that this price excludes any additional costs and delivery fees. There's no denying it's a lot of money for any car, but the final (and most extreme) Dodge muscle car will undoubtedly become a collector's item and retain its value until the end of time.
Hopefully, buyers don't stash them away with the hopes of selling them for a profit one day, as these vehicles were built to be driven and enjoyed.
It's a bitter-sweet time for Dodge lovers. The automaker has committed to an electric future; future sports cars will undoubtedly contain an element of electrification. Yes, the V8 will live on, but we will never see it in a muscle car again.
The Demon 170 was well worth the wait and is the perfect send-off for an automotive legend.