5 Coolest, Most Powerful Muscle Cars Ever Produced by Dodge

The brand's story started in December 1900 when Horace and John Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company in Detroit.

Initially, the company produced and supplied components for Detroit-based carmakers (primarily Ford), then began manufacturing complete automobiles in 1914.

By 1920, the company ranked second in US sales (behind Ford), but only seven years later, it dropped to 13th place. To mitigate losses, parent investment group Dillon, Read & Co (which purchased Dodge from the brothers' widows in 1920) sold the brand to the Chrysler Corporation in 1928.

Dodge rebounded under the Chrysler corporate umbrella, becoming known for its blue-collar automobiles and trucks.

By the 1960s, the rise in popularity of performance-oriented cars turned Dodge into one of the premier muscle car manufacturers. Then, during the 1990s, it shocked everyone with its outstanding Viper supercar.

When high-powered muscle cars became popular once again in the late 2000s, Dodge revived iconic nameplates like the Challenger and Charger, equipping them with a new generation of HEMI engines.

These days, the brand is stepping away from V8-powered muscle and jumping on the electric bandwagon. So, as we say goodbye to the gas-guzzling monsters that produced multiple generations of car enthusiasts, let's take a look at five of the coolest, most powerful Dodge muscle cars ever built.

1964 Dodge Polara 500 Max Wedge

Introduced in 1960 as Dodge's flagship full-size model, the Polara was downgraded to an intermediate platform just two years later.

Among the Polara versions available in 1962 was the sportier 500, which was available as a two-door hardtop, a convertible, and a four-door hardtop.

By 1964, the second-generation Polara 500 had reached its peak in terms of styling and performance.

That year, the muscle car era officially started when Pontiac introduced the GTO, but while it didn't benefit from the same marketing campaign, the 1964 Polara 500 was far more potent when equipped with Chrysler's top-performing engine: the 426 Max Wedge.

Only available to reputable drag racers in select dealerships, the V8, nicknamed Orange Monster and marketed as Ramcharger 426, transformed the Polara 500 into a ridiculously powerful tire shredder.

The engine could be had in one of two compression ratio versions, with output ratings of either 415 or 425 hp.

Though the engine was conceived for the drag strip, the Polara 500 was still very much street-legal. Moreover, without visual upgrades or unique badges, it was one of the era's most powerful sleepers.

1968 Dodge Charger R/T HEMI

The Charger was introduced in 1966 as a slightly larger, more upscale alternative to the Plymouth Barracuda pony car.

While the idea seemed great, sales were not encouraging, so by 1967, Dodge designers went back to the drawing board and redesigned the model.

Released in 1968, the second-generation Charger became one of the most gorgeous models from the golden age of muscle cars, and in the sportier R/T guise, it was also one of the most potent.

As standard, the car was powered by a 440-ci (7.2-liter) Magnum V8 that made 390 hp, but buyers who wanted more power could get the optional 426-ci (7.0-liter) HEMI, conservatively rated at 425 hp.

Equipped with the latter engine, the Charger R/T was the most powerful factory-built muscle car that one could buy in 1968.

Moreover, its aggressive front end with hide-away headlights and its curvacious, coke bottle-style tail made it one of the coolest muscle cars ever built.

1969 Dodge Charger Daytona

During the late 1960s, one of the most profitable ways of promoting performance models was to race them in NASCAR.

However, with Ford winning the title in 1968 and prepared to enter an aerodynamically-improved version of their Torino (dubbed Talladega) for 1969, the Mopar camp answered back with their own aero car: the Charger Daytona.

To gain homologation, a street-legal version of the Daytona had to be sold to the public, so Dodge introduced it for the 1969 model year.

Donning a redesigned nose and a massive rear wing, the Daytona could be had with either a standard 440 Magnum V8 that made 390 hp or the optional 425-hp HEMI.

The Daytona was only available during the 1969 model year. In 1970, it was replaced by the similar yet more aerodynamically advanced Plymouth Superbird.

One of the wildest muscle cars of all time, the Charger Daytona is among the most sought-after American classics. Surviving models equipped with the Magnum usually go for six-figure sums, while the rarer, more powerful HEMI cars can reach seven figures.

2022 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak

When Dodge decided to revive the Charger nameplate in 2005, Mopar fans were enraged by the brand's decision to apply it to a four-door sedan.

But, as time passed, they were appeased by ever-more potent, HEMI-powered versions and special editions.

In 2015, even the hardcore purists still holding a grudge had their jaws drop to the floor when Dodge unveiled the SRT Hellcat.

Powered by the supercharged HEMI with the same name, the car now had 707 hp on tap, and even though it still had four doors, it earned the right to be called a muscle car.

Luckily, that wasn't the end of it. In a bid to give its fans an even more insane Charger, Dodge introduced the 797-hp Hellcat Redeye for the 2021 model year.

A year later, the SRT Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak took high performance to another level. With an 807-hp supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI High-Output V8 under the hood, the beast became the world's most potent factory-built, gas-guzzling sedan.

Besides the ridiculously powerful engine, the Redeye Jailbreak has unique interior trims, luxury upholstery options, and several minor exterior enhancements.

2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170

Unlike the modern Charger, the revived Challenger, which debuted in concept form at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, was a reinterpretation of the legendary 1970 model.

The retro-inspired design was continually improved, with the model becoming one of the most beautiful muscle cars ever produced.

Like its four-door sibling, the third generation has been available with a number of potent V8s.

Until earlier this year, the most potent Challenger was the 2016-2018 SRT Demon (808 hp with 91 octane gasoline and 840 hp with race fuel), and with Dodge announcing that it will discontinue the model after 2023, we didn't expect that to change.

Luckly, Dodge decided to retire the third-gen Challenger with a bang and surprised us all with an even more insane version: the limited-edition SRT Demon 170.

Aided by a three-liter supercharger, the 170's 6.2-liter HEMI V8 engine can make 900 hp on regular gasoline and up to 1039 hp when fed race fuel.

According to the manufacturer, the four-wheeled insanity can sprint to 60 mph (97 kph) in a record-breaking 1.7 seconds and run the quarter mile in 8.91 seconds.

That makes the Challenger SRT Demon 170 the most powerful production muscle car of all time and the fastest-accelerating, street-legal production vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine.