![]() Even V-6 models provide decent thrills and upwards of 30 mpg, plus a roomy, comfortable cabin that can be outfitted with dressy Nappa leather and up to 18 Harman Kardon speakers. What’s perhaps most impressive about the breadth of the Challenger’s lineup is its depth. Thankfully, buyers get a day at the Bob Bondurant School of High-Performance Driving with the $86,000 SRT Demon-although that’s kind of like saying you’re qualified for neurosurgery after a semester of Biology 101. It’ll lift its front wheels nearly three feet off the ground as it lunges through the all-important quarter-mile in a world-record 9.65 seconds, Dodge says. Now, Dodge has gone far further with the 840-hpChallenger SRT Demon. We thought Dodge was loony (but in a good way) when the SRT Hellcat with its supercharged, 707-hp 6.2-liter V-8 showed up a couple of years ago with a choice between 6-speed stick and 8-speed automatic transmissions. For most of us, those naturally aspirated V-8s offer more than enough power and they’re available with 8-speed automatic and 6-speed manual transmissions. A 485-hp, 6.4-liter V-8 is shoehorned into the Challenger R/T Scat Pack, T/A 392, 392 Hemi Scat Pack Shaker, and SRT 392 Challengers. R/T and T/A models sub in a more appropriate 5.7-liter V-8 rated at 375 hp. The lineup starts with the 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6-powered SXT and GT, which both come exclusively with an 8-speed automatic transmission. With up to 840 horsepower on tap in the new 2018 Challenger SRT Demon, this coupe is unlike anything else on the road today. Still, Dodge has done a heck of a job keeping it up-to-date and enhancing its performance appeal. It rides on a Mercedes-Benz-derived platform that dates back to the 1990s and even the Challenger itself hasn’t been fully redesigned since 2009. The Challenger’s swagger isn’t the only thing that’s a throwback about this big coupe. The street-legal drag-racer Demon’s the big news for 2018, but there’s also a new widebody kit for the Hellcat, a newly standard rearview camera, and available Brembo brakes for R/T models. This year, Dodge has grown the Challenger’s lineup to 16 different trims, starting with SXT and working its way through the all-wheel-drive GT and V-8 R/T to the real stormers of the group, the SRT 392, SRT Hellcat, and SRT Demon. ![]() We give this lineup, which ranges from tame style icon to drag strip-tamer, a 6.8 out of 10. It lags the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro in modern amenities, but boasts superlative horsepower figures in top trims and a sense of humor. Meanwhile, watch it sitting in a yard in hope of a better life.The 2018 Dodge Challenger is old school muscle like a playground bully. Let's hope that whoever bought it will do the right thing. This non-Hemi Challenger could also become a valuable gem, but it needs a lot of TLC to get there. The only car in this configuration built in 1970, it was auctioned off for a whopping $660,000 in 2019, surpassing the initial $400K-to-$500K estimate. As of 2021, the most expensive Challenger with a sunroof is a 1970 R/T with a Hemi under the hood. Sure, it's not exactly valuable as is, but once restored, this Challenger could cost more than $200,000. If we also take the engine and the color combo into account, we're probably looking at one of less than 20 out there. Since it's also fitted with a Rallye dashboard and a Hurst shifter, this factory-sunroof Challenger is probably one of fewer than 100 examples built. That's a somewhat desirable drivetrain combination, as is the bright orange exterior with a matching interior. Arguably the most valuable vehicle there, it comes with a 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 and a four-speed manual transmission. The muscle car emerged at an estate sale that included a big collection of old Mopars and a massive hoard of car parts. The Challenger is in rough condition and will need a frame-off restoration to get back on the road, but the good news is that someone will give it the attention it deserves. One of these cars just surfaced recently after sitting for a few good decades in a yard. And not all of them have survived to this day. In 1970, for instance, only 197 units were optioned-up with such a feature. Offered for only a couple of years, the sunroof found its way on just a few hundred Challengers. And speaking of that, Challengers fitted with a factory a sunroof are also quite rare. ![]() The 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Hemi V8 is the most desirable feature on a Challenger, but color combinations and transmissions can also make pricing go through the roof. And it usually depends on what options they have. The 1970 version is usually at the top of the list, but some cars are rarer than others.
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