The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 is one of the most appreciated cars among enthusiasts and is often used as a benchmark in drag races. It is indeed the most powerful muscle car ever built to date, as well as being the last of the gasoline engine era, an era that will gradually come to an end. A 2023 model with very low mileage (12 miles, or 19 km) was recently sold at auction for $180,000, which gives us hope.
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 sold at auction for $180,000: is the market back?
Many brands have promised to become exclusively electric starting from 2030. Consequently, electric cars or vehicles with less powerful combustion engines are arriving on the market due to increasingly stringent emissions regulations. Although many brands are changing their minds about electric cars, as they’re not selling as hoped, this has forced many to backtrack. Dodge has announced that there won’t be a new Challenger and that it will be replaced by a new generation of Charger, which will also be electric. In short, they’ve practically said goodbye to what is probably the best muscle car ever on the market, creating the world’s first electric muscle car. Not a great strategy, given that electric vehicle sales are declining.
Now, those who were too hasty to transition to electric vehicles are being burned by the market. Dodge could have kept the Challenger and the current generation of the Charger for a while longer, or at least offered new versions with improved combustion engines. The public’s response to the electric Charger Daytona hasn’t been the best. At the center of discussions is especially the fake sound. The American brand of Stellantis has shown the new configurator for the Charger Daytona, which should officially debut by the end of 2024. Its new generation with a combustion engine, however, has been postponed to the end of 2025 due to production problems.
Returning to the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 sold at auction, it’s surprising that it was sold for $180,000, given that lately the market was saying these prices were too high. In fact, the average in recent months was $150,000 or less. The dealership in Scottsdale, Arizona, tried everything, and managed to secure a price $45,000 higher than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
This model has a Plum Crazy exterior, an Air-Grabber hood with satin black graphics, satin black roof and tailgate, SRT Performance rear spoiler with integrated rear camera, 18-inch front and 17-inch rear carbon fiber wheels, heated and ventilated Alcantara seats, and a Harman Kardon audio system.
As for performance, under the hood is the powerful supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 engine, which won’t return with the new generation of ICE Charger, delivering 900 horsepower and 810 lb-ft of torque with conventional E10 fuel and 1,025 and 945 lb-ft of torque with E85.
