The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon has to surpass the 707 horsepower Hellcat somehow. All the tricks like anti-wheel hop and no passengers seats and a crazy cooling system aren’t enough—the people demand numbers. We don’t know those numbers officially yet, but the word going around is that the Demon’s most powerful mode is good for 1,023 horsepower.
Instagram account thedarkestride lists three power modes for the 2018 Demon along with the leaked photo that’s been making the rounds. Power Mode 1 is good for 757 hp, Power Mode 2 with 815 hp, and Power Mode 3 with 1,023 hp—which can only be used under certain conditions.
It does not list a source, but as of this morning, it’s not the only car outlet reporting these numbers:
Again, no official source on these—and we reached out to Fiat Chrysler, but aren’t expecting much—but it’s what people are saying.
If this Instagram post is to be believed, unlocking all 1,023 HP will be a significant chunk of change. To use Power Mode 3, you’ll need to use fuel with at least 100 octane, install a $3,000 crate Performance Control Module, and initiate Drag Mode, which changes the engine’s power delivery and raises the car’s redline.
Still, that’s probably chump change to someone looking for the ultimate drag strip weapon.
Dodge has already confirmed the existence of a “Demon Crate” PCM and the ability to run on 100 octane fuel, this existence of a separate high-powered mode seems highly plausible.
To make it all work without snapping the car in half with power, glorious power, thedarkestride claims Dodge has beefed up the car’s internals and driveshaft significantly. In a comment farther down on his Instagram post, he also says that the Demon comes riding on Nitto drag radials rated for 168 mph. You may want to change those out for longer runs at, say, the Texas Mile.
We’ll see if thedarkestride’s specs are right when the Demon makes its debut at the New York Auto Show this week.
Update: Dodge is keeping mum on the exact specs until the car’s official release date. When we reached out for comment, a Dodge representative emailed back:
Stay tuned until Tuesday night when all the speculation will end.