Dodge is sending its popular Challenger model off with a bang; the new SRT Demon 170 smashes previous muscle car boundaries. However, the new Dodge model is a swan song celebration in the age of lightning-fast electric vehicles (EVs) like the Tesla Model S Plaid. So, can the encore act Last Call Challenger outrun the ludicrously powerful Plaid? 

How much horsepower does the new Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 make?

The new 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 produces a stratospheric 1,025 horsepower and 945 lb-ft of torque. That makes the new 170 one of the few gas-powered production cars with over 1,000 horsepower, alongside hypercars like the Bugatti Chiron and Hennessey Venom F5. 

Does the Model S Plaid out-muscle the new Demon?

The electrifying 2023 Tesla Model S Plaid produces 1,020 horsepower, just five less than the Dodge muscle car model. However, the Plaid’s platform and power delivery couldn’t be more different from the Demon 170.

For instance, the Plaid rides on a tri-motor, all-wheel drive (AWD) platform, antithetical to the brutish Demon 170’s rear-wheel drive (RWD) setup. Further, the Plaid delivers its power in a whisper-quiet manner accompanied by pseudo-turbine noise. The Demon 170, on the other hand, is a thunderous and final act of ICE defiance from Dodge’s horsepower-mad engineers.

Is Tesla Model S Plaid all-wheel drive?

Part of what makes the Tesla Model S Plaid so obscenely fast is its all-wheel drive (AWD) grip. The Plaid packs three electric motors, which send power from its 99.3 kWh battery pack to all four tires. As a result, the Plaid boasts fantastic traction and launches with vigor.

Of course, the Plaid’s more analog adversary doesn’t pack AWD. Instead, the Demon 170 sends its immense power to the rear wheels, producing hilarious and spectacular wheelies upon a well-executed launch. Still, the new Dodge model “hooks up” aggressively with wide and ultra-sticky Mickey Thompson drag radial tires. 

How fast is the Dodge Demon 170?

The new 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 will sprint the quarter mile in just 8.91 seconds at 151 mph. Moreover, the 170 accomplished an astounding 0 to 60 mph run in just 1.66 seconds. 

Of course, those figures were only possible on a prepped surface with E85 in the gas tank. Moreover, the 170’s 60 mph time is factoring in a one-foot rollout. Still, the new Demon is simply one of the fastest production gas-powered cars ever.  

How fast is the Tesla Model S Plaid?

Tesla says the 2023 Model S Plaid will hit 60 mph in just 1.98 seconds under favorable conditions and on a prepped surface, per MotorTrend. Moreover, the Plaid will finish its quarter-mile run in 9.25 seconds at 152.6 mph.

Still, in Car and Driver’s testing, the quickest sprint the Model S Plaid could deliver was around 2.1 seconds. While that’s not quite 1.9 seconds, it’s still one of the fastest four-door sedans on the market.

Is the Tesla Model S faster than a Dodge Demon?

Thanks to the swan-song Challenger’s drag strip performance, the new Dodge Demon 170 is faster than a Tesla Model S Plaid. However, the two vehicles represent different stages in automotive evolution: past and present.

The fastest-accelerating road cars of the future will undoubtedly be EVs and hybridized platforms. Dodge even knows it; the new Charger Daytona SRT EV promises all-electric AWD performance. Keep up with MotorBiscuit for the latest EV and performance car content!