As if car enthusiasts weren't already envious of Jay Leno for his awesome and eclectic car collection, he gets to test drive exotic rides most people will never even see on the street. On Jay Leno's Garage, the comedian and car guru, often has people dropping by with some of the most impressive street machines ever made, and of course, he gets to take a spin in them. In a recent episode, Leno was blessed by an appearance of the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170. The final model of Dodge's "Last Call" special edition ICE muscle cars, the Demon 170 is the fastest, most powerful production vehicle ever made, and Jay Leno enjoyed all the G-forces and whiplashes it can deliver.
The Demon 170 Unleashes The Fires Of Hell
Dodge announced that 2023 was going to be the last year they would be making gas-powered muscle, ditching the Charger and Challenger for an all-electric Charger Daytona SRT. As much of a bummer as that was, they did decide to go out with a bang, offering seven Last Call vehicles that pay tribute to Mopar muscle history. Starting with the Challenger Shakedown R/T Scat Pack, Dodge then released the Charger Super Bee, the Charger Swinger, the Challenger Swinger, the Charger King Daytona, and the Challenger Black Ghost. The seventh and final Last Call special edition was the Challenger SRT Demon 170, which was unveiled in Las Vegas last month.
Jay Leno got a nice visit from Dodge CEO, Tim Kuniskis, who brought along the very same Demon the debuted at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. Needless to say, Leno was in awe of what is easily the most insane car ever produced. Kuniskis explained that the only thing they didn't tweak was the sheet metal. The engine, transmission, suspension, and wheels were all upgraded to make this a sub-nine second car in the quarter-mile. The 2018 Demon's modified Hellcat engine put out 840 horsepower, but with the Demon 170, they tinkered further and got a beast that cranks out 1025 horsepower and 945 pound-feet of torque.
Kuniskis told Leno that the rumors they blew up a lot of engines developing the Demon 170 were 100% true. The final Dodge Last Call vehicle was supposed to be out last fall, but there were some complications and, as Kuniskis explained,
"We were literally grenading these engines. A dyno cell caught on fire, we were blowing them up so bad."
The reason for this is, they put in a bigger throttle body and supercharger, which gave it 25% more cylinder pressure than the original Demon. They also pulled some weight out of the frontend and wheels, plus added special Mickey Thompson tires that grip like sandpaper, to create a car that goes 0-60 in 1.66 seconds and runs a quarter-mile in 8.91 seconds at 151.2 mph.
Jay Gets Behind The Wheel And Exorcizes The Demon 170
Every car guy loves looking at them and talking specs, but there's nothing like getting hands on the wheel and feet on the pedals, so Leno had to take this mechanical terror out for a spin. Because it's set up for dragging, there's only one seat, so Kuniskis had to stay behind as Leno exorcised the Demon 170. Right off the bat, Leno couldn't stop laughing because the sheer power of the car was amusing to him. He speculated that an owner of 170 is going to go through a lot of tires after he barely touched the gas and laid down some black stripes. His actual words of praise were, "This is just crazy."
Leno was amazed that a 4,200 pound car could be so "light on its feet." He harkened back to the days when a Hemi muscle car was fast, but also clunky and awkward, comparing it to the 170's agility, stating, "it's like a ballet dancer." He also referred to the Demon 170 as a "torque monster" because it pulls so furiously and asked, "How often can you buy a production car that can do a wheelie?" Leno mentioned that he thought a Tesla Plaid could match the Demon 170, but that he wouldn't get the same satisfying sense of speed with an EV as does hearing and feeling the ICE engine roar.
The biggest selling point for Leno is the Demon 170's fuel computer that analyzes the ratio of gas to alcohol in the tank and adjusts the motor to maximize the blend. Whether you're running E85 at the track, or just filling up at Costco for a daily drive, the car handles the tuning. Another thing that really impressed him was how well-built the car was, calling it "bullet-proof" He commented on how solid the Demon 170 is, with no shaking, shuddering, or swaying. It was the drivability of the vehicle that made Leno a fan, because it's a dragster that handles smoothly on a Sunday outing in the canyons.
The Verdict: Leno Loves The Demon 170
Jay Leno could have shot this segment without uttering a word and viewers would know he loved his time with the Demon 170, because every time he hit the gas pedal, he was giddy with excitement. Leno has probably driven every car that has ever been made, and certainly has taken most supercars for a spin, so for him to be impressed with the 170's power says a lot. In fact, he commented,
"It just lays the power down with such force."
Ultimately, Leno said the Demon 170 was tempting, fun to drive, and an appropriate car to send Dodge out of the ICE muscle car business. He ended with his best Mel Gibson Australian accent from Mad Max, calling the 170 the true, "Last of the V-8 Interceptors." The 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 will be limited to just 3,300 vehicles. So, is it possible that one of them will find a permanent home in Jay Leno's Garage?