Skip to main content

Dodge’s 840-horsepower Challenger SRT Demon roars off into the sunset

The light that burns twice as bright also burns half as long. The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon took the world by storm with its 840-horsepower Hemi V8 and fanatical focus on quarter-mile times. But the Demon was never intended to be more than a limited edition, and now the last one has rolled off the assembly line.

The last Demon will auctioned off with the last Dodge Viper in a promotion appropriately named The Ultimate Last Chance. All proceeds from the sale will go to the United Way. The two cars will cross the block together during the Barrett-Jackson Northeast auction at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, in June.

The final Demon was built at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Brampton, Ontario, Canada factory. The plant also builds other versions of the Challenger, as well as the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans. The Demon was sent to an upfit center for additional work, including special Viper Red exterior paint and other custom elements.

The Demon was a car like no other, and not just because, for its era, it made more power than any production car to ever wear the Dodge badge. Its 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 produced 808 hp and 717 pound-feet of torque on pump gas, or 840 hp and 770 lb-ft on 100-octane racing fuel. But it was Dodge’s focus on optimizing the Demon for drag racing that really set it apart.

Last Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

Dodge gave the Demon equipment you normally wouldn’t expect to find on a production car, including a transbrake that held the car stationary while in gear for quicker launches, and massive Nitto tires that blurred the line between street and drag rubber. This allowed the Demon to do 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds, and run the quarter mile in 9.65 seconds 140 mph. The Demon was so quick that Dodge claimed it was banned from drag racing by the National Hot Rod Association. However, that wasn’t quite the whole story.

Demons came standard with only one seat and no audio system, but Dodge offered to add those items back for $1 each. The car was priced at $86,090 (including mandatory destination charge and gas guzzler tax), or over $15,000 more than even the 707-hp Challenger SRT Hellcat. Just 3,300 Demons were unleashed during the car’s one model year of production.

While the Demon may be gone, the rest of the Challenger lineup will get a refresh for the 2019 model year. Dodge hasn’t officially confirmed anything, but a recent report indicates the Viper may make a comeback sometime over the next few years as well.

Editors' Recommendations

Mercedes EV charging hubs are coming to North America by the end of the decade
What a future Mercedes-Benz EV charging hub might look like.

You can't have more electric cars without more charging stations, so Mercedes-Benz is building a global charging network covering North America, China, Europe, and other major markets to support its goal of going all-electric by the end of the decade where market conditions allow.

Announced at CES 2023, the network should be in place by the end of the decade in line with Mercedes' electrification goal. It's a bold move by the automaker, which has mostly relied on third-party charging networks until now.

Read more
Tesla Model X vs. Tesla Model Y: Range, speed, price, and other specs compared
Novitec Tesla Model X

Every major carmaker, from Ford to Volvo and beyond, makes an EV these days, but Tesla has had a bit of a head start. As a result, it now offers a well-rounded lineup of electric cars, including sedans and SUVs. Tesla’s cars are still some of the best EVs out there, and if you’re in the market for an electric car, you’re likely considering a Tesla.

Larger cars, like SUVs and crossovers, are the most popular in the U.S. right now — and Tesla offers two of them: The Tesla Model X and the Tesla Model Y. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and there are a few major differences, including price. Here’s everything you need to know about the two cars and why one or the other might be better for your needs.
Tesla Model X vs. Tesla Model Y: Design

Read more
VW previews its next electric car in trippy camouflaged form
Front three quarter view of a camouflaged Volkswagen ID.7 prototype.

The Volkswagen ID.7 is VW's next electric car, and while it won't be fully revealed until later in the year, the automaker provided a sneak peek at CES 2023.

VW said the production ID.7, which will be revealed in the second quarter of this year, will be influenced by the ID.Aero concept first shown in China in 2022. The camouflaged prototype VW brought to CES has the same general shape as the ID.Aero. It's a streamlined sedan that VW claims will have up to 435 miles of range as measured on the somewhat lenient European WLTP testing cycle.

Read more