Dodge announces final gas-powered muscle car as brand makes mandated EV switch

Dodge has unveiled its final gas-powered muscle car, which boasts a supercharged engine and 1,025 horsepower. The 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170 can go from zero to 60 mph in just 1.66 seconds, making it the automaker’s quickest production vehicle, even faster than the super electric vehicles made by Lucid and Tesla. The car will be the last of its kind, as gas-powered versions of the Challenger, Charger, and Chrysler 300 sedan will cease production at the end of 2023 due to new regulations and a shift to electric vehicles, according to Stellantis.

“It’s the end of an era, for sure,” said Tim Kuniskis, CEO of the Dodge brand on Monday. “Electric products, they’re very fast. Muscle cars, one of the primary ingredients is to be a fast accelerating car. So I’ve automatically got the power. Now, I’ve just got to figure out ways to bring all the other elements in of the excitement of the driving experience.”

The Challenger Demon follows a move by Dodge to push special edition “Last Call” gas-powered muscle cars, and is reminiscent of a car that first went on sale in 1969.

Stellantis will produce up to 3,300 Demon 170s at a price tag of $96,666, with optional front passenger and back seats costing $1 each.

“If you look at some of the cars that we’ve had in our past, it’s pretty easy to tell which ones people want to collect,” Kuniskis said. “A lot of times it’s the lower [sales] volume, extreme examples, whether its extreme looks or extreme performance. Well, this one happens to have both.”

The end of the gas-powered car era comes as more and more people convert their classic cars to electric vehicles.