Dodge says goodbye to gas-powered muscle cars with a $96,666 Challenger boasting outrageous horsepower and 'horrible' fuel economy

• Dodge is discontinuing the Challenger muscle car at the end of 2023.
• It's sending off the iconic car with an outrageously quick and powerful special-edition model.

Dodge, the American brand known for its thundering, ultra-powerful muscle cars, is discontinuing two of its iconic models — the Challenger and the Charger — as it eyes a transition to electric vehicles.

But it isn't letting them go out without a bang.

The brand on Monday unveiled Challenger SRT Demon 170, a car that represents a new extreme for a brand that doesn't hold back. Dodge may be launching a new, all-electric muscle car in 2024, but it's going to have some fun with huge V8s while it still can.

Packing up to 1,025 horsepower and 945 pound-feet of torque, the Challenger SRT Demon 170 is "the most powerful muscle car in the world," according to Dodge. It screams to 60 mph in a blistering 1.66 seconds, the brand says.

But the Demon 170's maximum power and torque are only unlocked when you feed it high-ethanol fuel.

On regular gas, the car puts out 900 horsepower and 810 pound-feet of torque. As for fuel economy, it's "horrible," Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis told CNBC.

The Challenger SRT Demon 170 is the last of seven special-edition "Last Call" Charger and Challenger models that Dodge has introduced for their final year in production. It plans to make 3,300 Demon 170s in total, including 3,000 for the US and 300 for Canada.

The limited-run vehicle will carry a sticker price of $96,666, before fees and dealer markups, which are sure to be substantial.

The Challeger SRT Demon 170 caps off a long line of outrageously powerful Challenger editions. There was the 2015 Hellcat (707 horsepower), the 2018 Demon (840 horsepower), and the 2019 Hellcat Redeye (797 horsepower).

Now the V8 engine that powered all those models is going away, along with the Challenger and Charger models.

Next, Dodge is trying to bring some muscle, drama, and noise to the world of electric vehicles.

In August, the brand unveiled the Charger Dayton SRT, an electric concept car with a loud, artificial engine roar. It previews Dodge's first electric muscle car, which is slated to launch in 2024.