After months of teases, Dodge finally pulled the wraps off its new Challenger SRT Demon the night before the 2017 New York auto show. We have the numbers for this monster, and they are staggering: The 6.2-liter supercharged V8 delivers 840 hp and 770 lb-ft, making the Demon the most powerful muscle car ever. It also has the highest horsepower from a V8 production car.
But wait, there’s more: It’s the world’s fastest production car in the quarter-mile with an NHRA-certified ET of 9.65 at 140 mph. The Association promptly banned it from official competition. It dispatches 30 mph in 1 second; 60 mph takes just 2.3 seconds with DOT-approved drag radials. Hell, it pulled its front wheels off the ground on acceleration for 2.92 feet, the first for a production car as certified by Guinness World Records.
“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 Dodge’s Tim Kuniskis. “To do so, we had to set records that have never been set before, do more than has ever been done before.”
The Demon’s powerplant has the same basic architecture as the Hemi Hellcat, but it gets a larger supercharger (2.4 to 2.7 liters), more boost (11.6 to 14.5 psi), two dual-stage fuel pumps and a bigger hood scoop. The valvetrain, connecting rods and pistons have all been strengthened, and the lubrication system has been improved to keep everything slick at high speeds.
The SRT Power Chiller, “a production car first,” diverts air-conditioning refrigerant to a chiller mounted by the coolant pump. Coolant flows from the low-temp radiator in front to the chiller unit, then to the heat exchangers in the supercharger. The After-Run Chiller keeps the fan running and coolant circulating to minimize heat-soak effects. Those temps can be tracked on the touchscreen, so you’ll know when to safely take another run.
We already told you about most of the rest of this stuff. The Demon, with an optional ECU, will be able to run on 100 octane race gas; like the Hellcat, it will come with two key fobs, one for power and one for lollygagging; it’ll get a transbrake standard and a launch-assist function. Bilstein Adaptive Damping shocks will sit at all four corners; they’ll adapt depending on drive mode.
Have we reached peak Hellcat?
Dodge will unveil the worst-kept secret in muscle car history this week at the New York auto show when it introduces the Demon, a heavily modified Dodge Challenger for the drag strip that is intended …
The Demon comes in 200 pounds lighter than the Hellcat on which it was built, though 113 of that is ditched with the front passenger seat, rear seat, seatbelts and floor mats. Removing the speakers saves 24 pounds; trunk deck cover trim, carpeting and spare tire account for 20. Hollow sway bars save 19 pounds; insulators, foam and body deadeners save 18.
Buyers will get the option of 14 paint colors including fun Dodge classics like plum crazy purple and go mango. If specified, owners will also get the Demon crate, which includes the performance ECU, replacement switch module with high-octane button, performance air filter, passenger mirror block-off plate, front-runner drag wheels and Demon-branded tools consisting of a floor jack, cordless impact wrench, torque wrench, tire-pressure gauge, fender cover and tool bag.
Production begins this summer, with 3,000 examples earmarked for the U.S. and 300 for Canada. Deliveries begin in the fall.