There's a tangible EV market slowdown encompassing the automotive market like a blanket of fog – and even Tesla is expected to announce slower first-quarter sales than in 2023. As such, will ICE-powered vehicles make a grand comeback?
Frankly, they never left the stage with the fashionable mic drop in the first place. If you need an eloquent example, then look no further than Stellantis allowing Dodge to retire the revived third-generation Challenger (2008-2023) with a massive quarter-mile dragstrip bang – the 1,025-horsepower 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170. Basically, on E85, it is as powerful as a Tesla Model S Plaid – but nowhere nearly as silent.
Right now, with the EV slowdown looming on the horizon and the eighth generation 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV not so well received among Mopar fans because it doesn't have a massive V8 under the hood, we bet that certain Stellantis corner office head honchos are sobbing over the decision to produce just 3,300 examples of the 'Last Call' Demon 170. This is also valid because the market seems to settle down and resist big markups from dealers and folks trying to profit from the hype surrounding this collectible.
Plus, a certain portion of the ownership base has started treating the Demon 170 exactly as Dodge intended to – they're rocking the local quarter-mile dragstrip with no respect for potential low-mileage deals. Hey, there's no need to take our word for granted, as we have an eloquent set of examples. More precisely, the videographer behind the Wheels channel on YouTube is a big fan of The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and he witnessed something truly special there.
While out searching for great things to show from The Strip, he caught in the video embedded below the skirmish involving a fancy Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody all dressed up with gold wheels and a subtle burgundy-shaded 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 that only had the black wheels to show for itself. Well, tame looks can always be deceiving when it comes to Mopar rides, and both performed a pre-race burnout flawlessly – much to the crowd's delight.
However, when the time came to watch the race, we were expecting a little more from a Challenger packing 797 horsepower and its sibling rocking up to 1,025 hp when using E85. Unfortunately, this isn't the eight-second Demon 170 race we're all waiting for – the limited-edition Challenger even had to recoup the initial lost distance compared to the Redeye. In the end, the Demon 170 won the skirmish with a 9.93s versus 10.11s performance – but it's clearly an evolving art to tame this beast and get into the low nines.
Next up, the Mopar fest continued with two Hellcats – one widebody and one standard – showcasing two of their most spectacular shades from the color palette, along with a rather disappointing 10.86s versus 11.5s pass. Maybe it's the high elevation (1,980 ft.) causing havoc among these contestants? No matter because you need to stay until the end of the video – from the 2:35 mark, there's a very rare sighting: two Demon 170 racing head-to-head. They were certainly a sight to behold – one green and one white, both with black hoods. And, believe it or not, they acted out like identical twins – the racetrack's electronic aids showed 9.61s ETs on both sides of the dragstrip!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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