What We Know About the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
Seriously. April is here. Where’s my Demon?
The Challenger SRT Demon is set to officially debut at the 2017 New York International Auto Show this month and Dodge has been dropping teasers on this 800-plus horsepower Mopar-menace once a week since mid-January.
Here’s what we know so far:
It may have 757 horsepower or even more
Dodge claims nothing in the teaser videos is coincidental or meaningless. Does this mean the “0757” hints at the Demon’s horsepower? With the weight reduction, huge racing slicks, and added cooling of the supercharged HEMI, an extra 50 horsepower could make the Demon the bully at the drag strip that takes your lunch money.
It might have a selectable Race Gas mode
Forced induction engines, like the 6.2-liter Voodoo engine used in the SRT Hellcat, love high-octane fuel. If the engine was tuned to take advantage of race gas, it could get a nice boost in power.
The functional hood scoop on the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is the largest of any production car (measures 45.2 inches square) and appropriately named Air Grabber.
Ginormous ram-air hood scoop
Photos reveal – what Dodge claims as “the largest functional ‘Air Grabber’ ram air intake hood scoop ever installed on a production vehicle, measuring more than 45 square inches,” that feeds a larger airbox compared to the Hellcat. The Demon also features two air scoop headlights – inboard headlights that are just LED rings with open centers that direct air into the engine bay – whereas the Hellcat only has one on the driver’s side.
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- A low-restriction air filter is nestled in the top-sealed Air Grabber cold-air intake box to feed the supercharged HEMI® V-8 engine in the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.
Demon on a diet
Serious ET-runners will option their Challenger SRT Demon with the least amount of weight. Thus, Dodge will be offering an option to delete the rear and passenger seats, along with deleting the spare tire. Expect the Demon to be outfitted with lighter duty brakes and missing some sound-damping material and unnecessary trim pieces as part of its weight-loss plan. Weight savings will be on the plus-side of 200 pounds compared to the Hellcat.
Mathematical equation optimized for drag racing
The Demon will get an automatic transmission optimized for drag racing and equipped with a torque converter capable of 18 percent greater torque multiplication and a higher stall speed than what is in the Hellcat.
Standard rubber will be four P315/40R-18 Nitto NT05R drag radials that meet DOT rules – barely. In order to fit the seriously wide tires, fender flares stretch the Challenger’s width approximately 3.5 inches. Each 18-inch rim features an etched arrow that racers can use to track tire slippage relative to the wheel. This beats the old-fashion method of drawing a line across the rim to the sidewall to mark tire shift.
The dragstrip-ready tires give the Demon capability to handle higher launch torque loads. With the hella-cat’s shorter 3.09 gearing and a higher stall speed torque converter, all is “go” for some absurdly fast elapsed times. The Demon will have “more than twice as much grip.” Dodge writes, “These upgrades alone enable the Challenger SRT Demon to generate more than 35 percent higher launch force than a Challenger Hellcat.”
The Challenger SRT Demon will officially debut at the New York auto show on April 13. Projected base price for the unruly quarter-miler is around the $80,000 mark for a limited production run.
