0-60 in 2.3 seconds; 9.65-second quarter mile at 140 mph. 3-foot wheelsies.
“Why do brands make halo cars?” It’s not for the business case,” says Tim Kuniskis of FCA North America, head passenger car brands. Although the Challenger SRT Demon will not sell in large numbers, it will hopefully spark interest in Dodge’s other more affordable performance cars.
Fiat Chrysler’s U.S. headquarters was where I saw the Demon and learned its secrets, many months before it would be made available to the public. However, most of the Demon’s secrets are already known by now, thanks to Dodge’s weekly teasers and a variety of spy photos, and even leaked photographs.
The car is insane! Dodge claims that the car has set a Guinness World Record for the longest wheelie of a production vehicle – 2.92 feet when it is standing and its front tires are airborne. The Demon is so fast that the National Hot Rod Association, the nation’s premier sanctioning body for all things quarter mile, ” banned” Dodge because it does not have the safety equipment necessary.
After the Demon teasers, the most pressing questions are about horsepower and performance. Dodge claims the Demon has 840 horsepower, can reach 60 mph in 2.3 seconds and pulls 1.8 times more force than the Demon’s launch. Keep the throttle down and the Demon will reach the finish line.
The Demon’s 6.2-liter V8 is a better choice than the Hellcat. It has dual fuel pumps instead of one. A 2.7-liter supercharger displacement and 14.5 psi boost, while the Hellcat has 11.6. Also, the redline can be increased from 6,200 to 6,500 RPM.
The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, as you can see from the teasers, is much more than a low-powered Hellcat. Although it is street legal, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon can be driven to church (or at least theoretically), but it is designed to dominate drag racing.
“No one has ever built street-legal, VIN-ed drag cars before.” ”
Kuniskis boasts that “no one has ever built an street-legal, VIN-ed drag car before.” Kuniskis says that the project was completed by a team consisting of 25 SRT engineers and other FIat Chrysler employees.
The Demon modifications begin with a rigorous diet that reduces 232 pounds (105 kg) of the Hellcat’s mass. The final car weighs in at 215 pounds less than the Hellcat, but it is actually lighter because of the 17-pound increase in weight due to its wider fenders and new wheels.
We’ve already explained that a lot of weight savings comes from removing the 55-pound rear seat and the 58 pound passenger seat. Dodge is willing to let customers add them in for a small fee – and they expect a lot of buyers to take advantage of that offer.
Kuniskis states that if you need the creature comforts back, it is possible to get them for a reasonable price. “Almost 100 per cent of people will choose the passenger seat… I don’t think anyone will.
You can ditch the back seat and opt for a bolt in harness bar, which was designed by Dodge but is not sold by them. Also, you get a special net that will hold your helmet.
The Demon’s brakes also have a smaller footprint, saving 16 lbs (four-piston front disc brakes on 14.2-inch discs, instead of six-piston Hellcat discs); hollow anti-roll bars reduce 19 lb; new wheels with open nuts drop 16 lb; and various interior trim pieces, sound deadening and all but two speakers are removed to bring the total weight down to 232 lb.
They measure 18 inches in diameter by 11 inches in width. These wheels are equipped with 315/40R18 Nickel NTO5R drag-radials. This is the first time that a car has been manufactured with drag radials. The Demon has a special compound that was specifically made for it, even though the NT05R tire isn’t new. These tires are expected to triple the Demon’s traction coefficient compared to a Hellcat. To improve straight-line traction, the tires have 0.5 degrees less negative camber that a Hellcat.
There is no manual-transmission option. It would be slower.
Dodge claims ride quality may be slightly better than a Hellcat because of the Demon’s wider sidewalls. The Hellcat comes standard with 20-inch wheels covered in low-profile 275/40 tires.
However, grip is not the only key to super-fast drag launches. The Demon has 35 percent more “launch force” that the Hellcat. This is partly due to a lower final-drive ratio (3.09:1) instead of 2.62.1. The eight-speed automatic’s torque converter has an 11 percent higher stall speed and 18% more torque multiplication off of the line. This means that there is more torque going to the road. All parts of the car’s driveline have been strengthened to cope with this extra stress.
You should know that there is no manual-transmission option. It would be slower and more inconsistent for drag racing and some of the cars Drag Mode features (more to come soon) will require the eight-speed box.
However, buying a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is not the only thing that’s necessary to do quarter-mile heroics. If you want to get the best out of your car, you will need to buy a special-branded crate. It has a plaque that includes the owner’s name as well as the VIN. This helps make the Demon a true strip monster.
Two super-skinny front runners wheels are included in the package. These can be attached to the car’s front for drag racing. Racers have the option to choose their preferred brand of tires, as there are no supplied tires. Kuniskis claims that the factory front dragradials can be used as spare rear tires with this arrangement. Snap-on tools are also included in the kit, which include a torque wrench and a jack.
This dealer-purchased crate also includes a new thermostat and air intake as well as a computer for the supercharged 6.2-liter V8. It also has new center-stack buttons. After all the components are installed, drivers can push a button to switch to a high octane enginemap. Kuniskis jokes that lawyers won’t allow him to call it a “race-fuel mode” as it unlocks more power. Different knock sensors will check the fuel mix and turn off the mode if it doesn’t meet the required octane rating. For example, if the driver has 100- and 91 octane respectively. It is still legal to drive in high-octane modes.
There are several air-management strategies that provide all this power. The Demon has what is claimed to be the largest production-car hood scoop at 45.2 inches. It also features dual Air Catcher headlights. Kuniskis claims that this alone can lower the air inlet temperature by 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The Demon’s patent-pending Air-Charge Cooler technology takes it even further. It activates the air conditioning system to cool the supercharger’s Intercooler. This can lower inlet charges by up to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooler air equals more fuel and power, as every racer knows. Running your A/C at a drag track is a big no-no. Condensation can drip onto the surface. The Demon has a foam-lined belly pan that collects and absorbs drips while the Cooler’s in use.
There is a function that will bring the supercharged V8’s temperature down after each run. The After-Run Cooler, also patent-pending, keeps the engine fan and intercooler pump humming even when the engine is turned off. This allows the engine to cool down enough to allow for the next drag race. Consistency and heat management are key words.
Kuniskis hopes Demon drivers will have an easier time behind the wheel when it is time to put this knowledge into practice. Drag Mode is a feature of the car’s infotainment that configures each component to achieve optimal hole-shot performance. The adaptive suspension is adjusted by the driver. The rear suspension becomes stiffer, while the front suspension has a lot of compression damping and little rebound damping. This allows the nose to lift during hard launches. (By the by, the Demon’s standard spring rates and antiroll bars are softer than those in a regular Hellcat.
Kuniskis smiles and recalls that he used to bolt his drag cars’ front shocks – which left little control for lateral maneuvering if things got sloppy. This suspension system is specially designed to achieve the same effect, but without the disadvantages of traditional methods.
Drag Mode disables traction control to maximize wheel-slip potential. However, stability control is still enabled for maximum wall-hitting prevention. A feature called electronic anti-wheel hop keeps the engine output under control in case the rear axle “hops,” which could cause damage to driveline components.
Drag Mode allows , which is essentially a two-step launch controller. The Demon can use the cylinder activation system to fire only four cylinders and open a bypass valve within the supercharger to increase supercharger boost pressure. (Remember that the new torque converter has a higher stall speed). The eight-speed automatic has a transbrake that locks the driveshaft. To keep the car still, hold the paddle shifter on the steering wheel. The engine will rev up as you push the pedal. Release the paddle, then hold onto it.
The Ford Mustang’s Demon also has a factory line lock feature that allows for standing burnouts. This is ideal for warming your tires before the strip, and possibly for showing off at Cars and Coffee. Dodge has decided to limit line lock to “400 rear wheels revolutions” per time.
Demon will only be available for one model year and in very limited quantities.
The Challenger Demon is lacking in creature comforts. Only two speakers are used for the sound system. Federally mandated safety systems, such as a backup camera and stability control, are also included. A Valet mode limits engine speed to 4,000 RPM and disables launch control. There’s also an Eco Mode that no one will activate.
It’s worth noting that the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon comes with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty despite its performance focus. Kuniskis states that Dodge will honor your warranty regardless of whether you use the parts from a crate. The Dodge warranties are for “timed competition”, but not racing. This means most weekend quarter-mile hounds won’t be covered.
You don’t have to be a drag-racing savant to get this book. It explains how the car works and how to set it up.
A pass is also available for buyers to attend a Bob Bondurant driver training course. Dodge has partnered up with Hagerty Insurance to provide street-legal drag racing insurance.
Only one Dodge Demon model year will be available in very limited quantities. The Dodge Demon will be available for sale in the United States starting this summer. 300 additional cars are destined for Canada.
It remains to be seen how the enthusiasts will react to this new Dodge muscle car. Will the Challenger Demon actually be used to speed up drag strips? It will be a garage queen who spends more time in collections and less in burnout boxes. It doesn’t matter what, the Dodge car is Dodge’s way to throw down a big gauntlet. The Hellcat was a streetcar that was ridiculously powerful, and the Demon follows up with an even more powerful car.You can watch Dodge’s livestream of the SRT Demon here. For the beginning of the video, jump ahead to 26:11.