The 1970s have nothing on the modern era when it comes to muscle-car might.
By Drew Johnson
Sep 28, 2023
Dodge
Article QuickTakes:
The Dodge Challenger arrived on the muscle-car scene for the 1970 model year to battle the popular Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, both of which debuted several years earlier. Though late to the party, the Challenger was a serious competitor, offering a segment-best 425 horsepower.
Fast-forward 50 years and Dodge is still leading the horsepower war, introducing an array of pack-leading Challengers making 700 ponies and more. Here are the five most powerful ones to come from the factory.
Dodge
2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170
900-1,025 Horsepower
The 2023 model year marks the end of the road for the current-generation Challenger, and Dodge saved the best — or the beast — for last in the form of the SRT Demon 170. Using a heavily reworked version of Dodge's supercharged 6.2-liter V8, which recycles only the camshaft from previous models, the Demon 170 can produce up to 1,025 horsepower when running on an E85 ethanol blend. (Using E10 nets 900 horsepower.)
Dodge also strengthened the car's driveline components while simultaneously reducing weight, resulting in world-beating performance. The Demon 170 can reportedly accelerate to 60 mph in 1.7 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in 8.9. The Demon 170 is so quick that it is banned from NHRA events and can be optioned with a rear-mounted parachute for added stopping power.
Dodge
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
808-840 Horsepower
The limited-run 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon debuted at the 2017 New York International Auto Show with specs that could make supercars blush. It packed the Challenger Hellcat's Hemi supercharged 6.2-liter V8, retuned to produce up to 840 horsepower on racing fuel. (Pump gas netted a rating of 808 horsepower.)
In addition to its outrageous power, the Demon also boasted Nitto street-legal drag tires and an eight-speed automatic transmission with an integrated transmission brake. As a result, the car could hit 60 mph in 2.3 seconds and even pop a wheelie. That's a first for production vehicles, as certified by Guinness World Records.
Dodge
2020-23 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock
807 Horsepower
Introduced for the 2020 model year, the Challenger SRT Super Stock brought back some of the discontinued Demon's performance features, including sticky Nitto drag tires, drag-optimized Bilstein adaptive dampers, and a short final-drive ratio. It's still available at the top of the lineup, boasting an 807-hp version of the automaker's supercharged 6.2-liter V8. The model can bolt to 60 mph in a claimed 3.3 seconds.
Dodge
2022-23 Dodge Challenger SRT Jailbreak
807 Horsepower
The new-for-2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Jailbreak lands on this list with the same 807-hp V8 as the Super Stock. Beyond the powerful engine, what makes this bruiser special is its options menu, as the Jailbreak opens the door to six brake caliper colors, five exterior badge finishes, and four color choices for the steering wheel, seatbelts, and floor mats.
The Jailbreak was offered as a stand-alone model for 2022, but it's standard fare for all 2023 Challenger SRT models except the Super Stock.
Dodge
2019-22 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye
797 Horsepower
Last available for 2022, the non-Jailbreak edition of the SRT Hellcat Redeye is the fifth most powerful Challenger, with a 797-hp version of Dodge's 6.2-liter V8 underhood along with some tech borrowed from the discontinued Demon, including a 2.7-liter supercharger, a revised air intake system, and a race-inspired engine cooler.
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Drew Johnson
I have been a professional automotive enthusiast since 2007, featured on several nationally-recognized sites. I attended Miami University, where I earned a business degree. Car nut at heart.
