With an official quarter-mile time of 9.65 seconds, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is the fastest factory-built version of the company's iconic nameplate. But this doesn't mean that you won't find quicker Challengers out there.
Thanks to aftermarket upgrades, the Demon can easily become an eight-second dragster down the quarter-mile. But things get even more extreme with full-fledged, competition-spec dragsters wearing Challenger bodies. The one you're about to see below might not be the quickest, but it's definitely the most exotic thanks to a roadster layout.
Spotted recently at Byron Dragway, Illinois, this contraption is one of only two fiberglass Challenger bodies built by the folks over at Suncoast Race Cars. It's a mock-up of a 2016 Challenger R/T body, but it's missing the roof and the passenger seat. It's the perfect blend of modern design cues and a 1960s speedster layout, all topped by a cage built around the driver's seat and a big blower on the engine hood.
We don't know how powerful it is, but the massive, 543-cubic-inch (8.9-liter) all-aluminum Hemi V8 should pack more oomph than the Demon, factory-rated at up to 840 horsepower with 100-octave fuel. Unfortunately, we also don't know how fast it is. The footage below shows the roadster running the quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds, but it can do much better than that.
The thing is, this dragster is running slower early in the sprint in order to meet the class index. By running the car at a predetermined RPM controlled by a timer, the driver is making sure that he's not going too fast and in this case, the limit is at 9.9 clicks. So while it may seem like the Challenger has an issue and lets off right after the green light, it's all part of the strategy.
The driver pulls off a couple of 9.9-second sprints, both with trap speeds of 157 mph (253 kph). But since cars running in the Super classes are usually one to two seconds faster than the class index, this Challenger should be able to cover the distance in the high eights effortlessly. But it could also easily be a seven-second dragster, which would make it notably faster than a Dodge Challenger Demon.
Numbers aside, this is one cool take on the modern Dodge Challenger. We've seen quite a few convertible conversions over the years, but this speedster is definitely unique.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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