Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 vs Lucid Air Sapphire: One of Them Should've Stayed at Home

The National Hot Rod Association banned the latest-generation Challenger SRT Demon 170 from the drag strip unless it is equipped with a parachute and a roll cage.

Back in March 2023, the NHRA issued a violation letter for the car running the quarter mile in under nine seconds. The 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 under that hood scoop is to blame for the Dodge being too quick for its own sake.

That HEMI that Stellantis is pulling the plug on pumps out 1,025 horsepower (1,039 metric horsepower) and 945 pound-feet (1,281 Nm) of torque, steering them straight to the rear axle and pulling 4,275 pounds (1,939 kilograms) through a standard TorqueFlite high-speed automatic transmission. The last Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 has already rolled off the production line in Brampton, Ontario.

With all these figures packed up in a ferociously looking car, the Challenger SRT Demon 170 flashes from zero to hero (0 to 60 mph or 0 to 97 kph) in just 1.66 seconds. Outrageous no matter how you look at it, the model starts at $115,000.

Andrew has a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, which can pull a wheelie in the good old-school way. The car is painted in the head-turning Plum Crazy, a purple shade, which is a $95 option, and it's got a factory passenger seat delete.

The model has been drag racing every single drag strip VIP out there. This time, it is the Lucid Air Sapphire's turn to feel the wrath of the Demon. The electric fastback is a three-motor, 1,234-horsepower (1,251-metric horsepower) affair, as it seems that Lucid used consecutive numbers to make the output easy to remember. Add to that the 1,430 pound-feet (1,939 Nm) of torque, and there you have it: a drag strip silent killer.

The four-seat EV can pull the same trick: a sub-nine-second quarter-mile run, it can do the 0 to 60 mph run in 1.89 seconds, and hit a top speed of 205 mph (330 kph) while pulling 5,336 pounds (2,420 kilograms). Blame that 118 kWh battery pack.

It does store enough energy to make the car drive as far as 520 miles (840 kilometers) before it needs to be plugged in again. But it makes the car heavier and more expensive, too, along with other features. The Sapphire starts at $250,000, which is more than double the price of the purple Demon and about two and a half Tesla Model S Plaid examples, its contender contender in the segment.

The driver of the Lucid Air Sapphire says he hit 0 to 60 in 1.7 seconds earlier that day. His Air rides on Michelin Pilot 4 S tires. The battery is over 90 percent charged.

Things are clear on paper. But how would they deal with each other at the drag strip? The two of them were pitted at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida. The electric fastback minds its own business and gets in the lead with a 9.019-second pass at 153 mph (246 kph).

Meanwhile, the muscle car has to resort to 9.494 at 144 mph (231 kph) while running in a cloud of smoke. Well, that is just a matter of speech, because there is no smoke when it comes to the Lucid EV.

You'd say the Demon learned its lesson well during all the gazillion drag races that it has been involved in and finished as an absolute winner. But no matter how much the driver would like it, it just doesn't work out for him.

Meanwhile, the one driving the Lucid can't help exclaiming: "This thing is nuts!" It is the instant torque that does the job. The ceramic brakes accomplish their mission as well and stop the car just at the right time.

On a second attempt, the Demon makes a good getaway and takes the lead. But the Lucid Air Sapphire simply devours the tarmac and recovers the gap inch by inch and wins two out of two.

Hoping that the third time's a charm, the Dodge has a third attempt, but that Lucid seems to be running with the speed of light along the strip. It is easy for the EV to glue to the tarmac with its all-wheel drive and instant torque, while the Dodge struggles with the rear-wheel drive.

It looks like there is a new king of the drag strip and, this time, the crowned head is not that of an ICE, which has been the case since forever. Maybe the Dodge Charger Daytona EV will have a better chance at it.

Oh, but wait a minute! That goes as far as 670 horsepower, which is a little more than half compared to what the Lucid Air Sapphire can do and there is no HEMI V8 to make up for the missing output.

Before the epic drag race, the Lucid Air Sapphire showed off, with some impressive quarter-mile times. On a first attempt, it pulled off 1.92 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and 8.93 at 154.17 mph (248 kph).

He got a 0 to 60 one-feet rollout in 1.77 seconds, which is the time the Demon needs for the run from a standstill.