Dodge Shows Us that ‘Summoning’ a Demon 170 Is a 1K-HP Feat

Dodge reminds us that the SRT Demon 170 is the quickest and most powerful muscle car ever.

On March 20, 2023, the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 debuted at the special Roadkill Nights Las Vegas event and at that point, we learned all of the key details of the car that has become an instant legend. With 1,025 horsepower and 945 lb-ft of torque, it is the most powerful American production road car to date, leading to an 8.9-second quarter mile time that is also unrivaled by anything ever produced by an automaker doing business in the United States.

For the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 to pack that kind of power and run those kinds of numbers, a ton of research and development went into creating this car. While it looks like the other Dodge Challengers in today’s lineup, the engine, transmission, driveshaft, axles, rear differential, wheels and tires are all unique to this model. As a result, when the initial information came out, there was a ton to unpack, so some of the key details may have gotten lost in the shuffle.

Some people might not know about all of the impressive performance capabilities of the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, so the horsepower-fueled brand issued a video titled “Summon”.

Demon 170 Greatness

The new Dodge video highlighting the wonders of the Challenger SRT Demon 170 begins with some of the popular negative headlines that preceded the debut of the car. After the car’s SEMA debut was delayed, some outlets began to wonder if the brand and company would be unable to make their newest monster work, but as the headlines run across the screen, we see a drag strip being well-prepared in the background. We then see a garage door open and inside, is the Demon 170 – confirmed that Dodge had done it again.

The next minute of this video is filled with footage of the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 being tested at the track and wrenched on back in the garage. As all of this is happening, the narrator proclaims that Dodge didn’t sign a deal with the devil – they simply summoned a Demon.

The next minute of the video contains loads of testing and wrenching action, mixed in with the key statistics of the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 – 1,025 horsepower, 2 Gs of launch force, 0-60 in 1.66 seconds, a 1.24 60-foot time on the drag strip and an 8.9-second quarter mile time with a speed of 151 miles per hour. Those timing records were all witnessed and certified by the NHRA.

These figures make the 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170 the quickest, fastest and most powerful factory-built muscle car ever, but the brand is being modest. 1,025 horsepower makes the Demon 170 the most powerful production car in the U.S. market – beating the 1,020 horsepower Tesla Model S Plaid. The ability to sprint from a stop to 60 in just 1.66 seconds makes it the quickest production road car in the world in that measurement while the 8.9 quarter mile time makes it the quickest production road car in that measurement as well.

Most importantly, with Ford and General Motors both focusing all of their performance R&D on hybrid and electric drivetrains, the odds are good that the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 will go down in history as the most powerful American gas-powered production car ever. Meanwhile, Ford is bragging about a Mustang “Dark Horse” that only has 500 horsepower while Chevy is beaming over the quickest Corvette ever – a hybrid that takes 2.5 seconds to get to 60 and 10.5 seconds to cover the quarter mile.

The automotive world is changing and Dodge is ending this era as the undisputed leader in performance and power.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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