Certified and banned by the NHRA.
After months of anticipation the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is finally here and it lives up to the hype. Actually, on second thought, it exceeds the hype. Not only does it have 840-horsepower, a laundry list of production car firsts, and even a world record, it’s been banned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).
“With Demon, our goal was to build a car that would tattoo the Dodge logo into the subconscious of the general market, beyond even our loyal enthusiasts,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA North America. “To do so, we had to set records that have never been set before, do more than has ever been done before, go beyond even the legendary Hellcat. The result: an 840-horsepower, 9-second muscle car unlike anything that has ever come before it.”
The new Dodge Demon makes the Challenger SRT Hellcat look like a fat housecat with its performance and technology. At the heart of the beast is a red-painted 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 that shares its architecture with the unit found in the Hellcat. However, there’s a whopping 25 major component upgrades compared to the Hellcat such as a larger supercharger, more boost pressure (14.5 PSI, max.), a higher RPM limit, two dual-stage fuel pumps, a larger induction air box, and new internal hardware components.
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is the first-ever street-legal production vehicle that is designed to run on 100+ unleaded high-octane fuel. A powertrain control module in the Demon Crate: Direct Performance Parts allows for the engine to be configured for 91-octane premium unleaded pump gasoline, 100+ octane fuel, or a mix of both without harming the engine. Two key fobs also come standard: a black fob that limits the engine to 500 horsepower and a red key that unlocks the full output. A Valet mode can be selected along with an Eco Mode that somehow makes this beast a bit more environmentally friendly.
But there’s more to the engine than those basics. The Dodge Demon SRT Hellcat has the largest functional hood scoop of any production vehicle with its 45.2 square inches of area. The Air-Grabber works with the driver-side Air-Catcher headlamp and wheel liner inlet to create three sources of air for the motor to breathe. In total, the V-8 sucks in air at a rate of 1,150 cubic feet per minute, the largest air induction volume of any production car.
Keeping things cool is the SRT Power Chiller, which – you guessed it – is a production car first. Air conditioning refrigerant is redirected from the interior to a chiller unit mounted next to the low-temperature circuit coolant pump. The chilled coolant then ends up cooling down the heat exchangers for the supercharger. An After-Run Chiller (another factory production car first) keeps cooling the engine with the cooling fan and low-temp circuit coolant pump after the engine is turned off, allowing it to make another drag strip run quicker.
When everything is in place with the keys and fuel, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon produces an astonishing 840 horsepower and 770 lb-ft. of torque, making it the most powerful production V-8 ever. That power is sent through a Torqueflite 8HP90 eight-speed automatic transmission that’s been beefed up to handle the incredible forces generated by the engine.
With that kind of power and a few other electronic aids and goodies, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is capable of accelerating to 30 mph from rest in 1.0-second, flat. Hitting 60 mph takes just 2.3 seconds from rest and the quarter-mile is annihilated in 9.65 seconds at 140 mph as certified by the NHRA. At launch, the Demon registers the highest G-Force of any production vehicle with a 1.8-G figure. It also is the world’s first production car to lift the front wheels at launch and create the longest wheelie from a standing start by a production car at 2.92-feet, certified by the Guinness World Records.
Those record-setting figures are also the result of some special production-first tricks on the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. TransBrake (another one of those firsts) locks the transmission output shaft before a launch, which allows the driver to hit 2,350 RPM without overpowering the brakes. The system uses the steering wheel paddles as a 30-percent quicker method as a launch trigger for better launches. TransBrake also works with the production-car-first Torque Reserve system that pre-fills the supercharger with boost and alters fuel flow and ignition prior to launch. This results in 8 PSI of boost at launch and up to 120-percent more engine torque than without Torque Reserve.
In addition to all of that, a production-first (kind of goes without saying now) Drag-Mode Launch Assist system uses wheel speed sensors to detect wheel slip/hop to quickly reduce torque and maximize traction. Gripping the pavement are four standard Nitto NT05R street-legal drace-race tires (first for a production car) with new compound and sidewall construction. These 315/40 R18 tires provide over double the amount of grip compared to the SRT Hellcat and are fitted on 18 x 11.0 lightweight alloys. As an option, the front set can be swapped out for lighter, thinner runners at the front.
Then there’s the suspension. Here, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon uses Bilstein Adaptive Damping shocks that are tailored for racing on the drag strip. Softer springs and hollow, lighter sway bars help transfer weight to the rear for better grip along with the new Bilstein shocks. The latter also can be altered to improve traction as well at the touch of a button. Engineers were also able to cut 200 lbs. of weight from the Demon inside and out. Part of that comes from the removal of both the front and rear passenger seats – both of which can be added with trunk carpeting for $1.
Visually, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon distinguishes itself from a standard Challenger with a first-ever factory-production muscle car widebody fender flare setup. The new flared fenders widen the body by 3.5 inches and make it the widest Challenger, ever. The Air-Grabber front hood scoop, new side badges, and more make it instantly recognizable once the tire smoke clears.
Inside, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon comes with no passenger seats or belts as standard. Just a driver’s seat in cloth of Laguna leather with a four-point harness, and a flat-bottomed SRT Performance steering wheel with Alcantara. White-faced SRT gauges with a 200-MPH speedometer and 7.0-inch TFT display face the driver and sit beside a custom carbon fiber instrument panel badge with the ‘Demon’ script and build sequence number. Customers can also opt for a four-point harness bar through Speedlogix as an added boost for safety.
As part of the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, buyers can opt for the Demon Crate with a variety of tools, components, and items that completely unlock the car’s performance abilities. The Demon Crate can also be customized with the buyer’s name, VIN, and serial number.
The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon will be available in 14 different exterior colors with and an optional Satin Black hood, roof, and decklid. The production for the muscle car will begin later this year at the Brampton, Ont. Assembly plant and come with a standard three-year/36,000-mile limited vehicle warranty and five-year/60,000 limited powertrain coverage.
Only 3,000 examples of the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon will be available in the United States and another 300 in Canada for the one model-year. Deliveries will begin at Dodge/SRT dealerships in the fall. Customers will also receive one full-day session at Bob Bondurant School of high Performance Driving.
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Specifications
Engine:
Displacement: 6.2 liters
Number of Cylinders: V-8
Aspiration: Supercharged
Maximum Horsepower: 840
Maximum Torque: 770 lb-ft.
Performance:
Acceleration 0-30 MPH: 1.0 second
Acceleration 0-60 MPH: 2.3 seconds
Acceleration 0-100 mph: 5.1 seconds
Quarter-Mile Acceleration: 9.65 seconds at 140 MPH (NHRA-certified)
Maximum G-Force at Launch: 1.8-G (World Record)
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Gallery
Source: Dodge
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