Herman Young (a.k.a. Demonology on social media) recently had the opportunity to race his Challenger SRT Demon 170 against one of the fastest EVs out there. Pictured at the Texas Motorplex, the blue-painted muscle car obliterated a Model S Plaid over the eighth mile not once, not twice, but three times.
Young's best time was 5.937 seconds at 116.79 miles per hour, which is 187.95 kilometers per hour in the metric world. Given this result, Young estimates a quarter-mile time of 9.26 seconds. However, the Demon 170 can do better than that.
Back in February 2024, he clocked 9.185 seconds at 146.14 miles per hour (235.18 kilometers per hour). Even so, it can do better still. Revealed in March 2023 for the 2023 model year, the Demon 170 is advertised with 8.91 seconds and 151.71 miles per hour (244.15 kilometers per hour) by its maker.
A one-seat affair, Young's car should get closer to the claimed numbers once spring 2024 gives way to summer 2024. The Demon 170's force-fed V8 cranks out a ridiculous 1,025 horsepower and 945 pound-feet (1,281 Nm), but only with corn brew.
Premium gas will get you 900 horsepower and 810 pound-feet (1,098 Nm), which is more than the 2018 model year Demon offers with 100-plus octane in the fuel tank. More practical, heavier, yet more affordable than either Demon, the Model S Plaid belts out 1,020 hp and 1,050 lb-ft (1,424 Nm).
Photo: Demonology on YouTube
Pretty darn impressive for $89,990 before options, let alone for a curb weight of 4,766 pounds (2,162 kilograms) as opposed to 4,275 pounds (1,939 kilograms) for the most powerful internal combustion-engined production muscle car of them all. Unfortunately, Dodge may never treat us to another E85-powered monster. The Dodge brand has recently premiered the 2024 Charger in both coupe and sedan guises, with the SRT Banshee serving as the Demon 170's indirect successor.
Lower down the spectrum, 400-volt setups are topped by the Charger Daytona Scat Pack with the Direct Connection Stage 2 upgrade kit. Two electric motors, 670 horsepower, and 627 pound-feet (850 Nm) make it a rather interesting alternative to the Hellcat Redeye, with Dodge claiming 11.5 seconds over the quarter mile on a prepped surface.
Internal combustion diehards won't be presented with any V8 options. Instead, the Charger SIXPACK is due in early 2025 with a 3.0L twin-turbo I6 in two distinct flavors: 420 and 550 horsepower, respectively. Both are all-wheel drive by default, and both are – most likely – equipped with the ZF 8HP torque-converter automatic.
The most shocking thing about the all-new Charger is the all-electric Daytona's curb weight. The coupe tips the scales at 5,838 pounds (2,648 kilograms), which is way more than even the heaviest of Challengers. More specifically, the heaviest Challenger produced for the 2023 model year weighs 4,441 pounds (2,014 kilograms).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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