Dodge Demon Challenger lays claim to fastest production car

The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is unveiled during a media preview for the New York International Auto Show in New York on Tuesday, April 11, 2017. (AP / Julie Jacobson)

NEW YORK - Fiat Chrysler's Dodge brand is laying claim to the fastest production car in the U.S., deposing electric car maker Tesla Motors with a freaky-fast 840-horsepower gasoline burner.

The Italian-American automaker says its Demon Challenger can go from zero to 97 kilometres per hour in 2.3 seconds. That beats the Tesla Model S P100D sedan, which hits 97 in 2.5 seconds.

Dodge used explosions, burnouts and a small drag strip to roll out the car Tuesday just ahead of the New York International Auto Show press days. The company even brought in Fast and Furious star Vin Diesel for effect.

The street-legal Demon also can hit 225 kilometres per hour while running a quarter mile in 9.65 seconds, about two seconds faster than a typical muscle car. It's available in the fall.