2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon: Everything We Think We Know
Dodge has been teasing a widebody, even-higher-performance version of the Challenger Hellcat. Here's every detail we know so far.
BY BOB SOROKANICH
JAN 19, 2017
The day after all the motor journalists left the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Dodge dropped a delicious little tidbit on the internet. It was a brand-new pop-up website—ifyouknowyouknow.com—leading to a teaser video hinting at something high performance and evil: The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.
And that's about all that Dodge has given us. So far, we haven't gotten any specs, or even any real details about the car, from the folks at Dodge. But we're here to read the tea leaves (or are they tire marks). Here's everything we think we know about the new Dodge Demon.
It's the widebody Challenger SRT Hellcat we've all been waiting for
For months now, rumors have been swirling that Dodge is planning some kind of widebody Challenger SRT Hellcat. Folks speculated that this lateral growth would allow Dodge to fit some seriously wide tires under the Challenger (recall that the regular Challenger SRT Hellcat makes do with a measly 275-width rear tire that can hardly stand up to the power even innormal daily driving).
There was even a guess at the ultra-Challenger's name: Challenger ADR, which, we were told, would stand for American Drag Racer. It would be a nod at another famous Mopar acronym, ACR, or American Club Racer, most recently seen on the most outrageously track-prepped Viper to roll off the assembly line.
Then we seemingly got visual confirmation from, of all places, a Fast & Furious movie trailer. Take a close look: There's a scene in this Fate of the Furious (aka Furious 8) trailer where the entire Toretto family drives a phalanx of flared, hood-scooped Challengers.
Update, 1/19/2017: And thenAutoweek discovered a behind-the-scenes video from the Furious 8 set that shows an even clearer view of the silver movie cars and, yep, those sure look like our SRT Demon:
Alongside the second teaser video, Dodge released a cutaway illustration. Take note of what's highlighted here: The steering system, big brakes hiding behind steamroller-width wheels front and rear, and some under-skin structural components hinting at weight reduction. It's also got a much wider hood scoop, quite similar to the one seen on the Fate of the FuriousChallengers. The evidence is stacking up.
It might offer some kind of Race Gas Mode
We know the Challenger SRT Demon will be built to drag race—the very first teasers warned readers that the Demon is for "a subculture of enthusiasts who know that a tenth is a car and a half second is your reputation." It sounds like they're talking about the quarter-mile, and maybe about the somewhat-illicit practice of racing for pink slips?
Here's where we tiptoe into the realm of speculation. Let's look again at the very first teaser video, "Cage."
Note the moment when they release the Michael Bay-lookin' creature from its cage. The hellish cat-machine stalks up to a racing-style quick-fill fuel can with a hazard label on it.
Our mecha-hell-kitty takes a big bite out of the can, then lines up for some kind of robo-muscle-creature-car drag race.
This, of course, got folks all revved up on the idea that the SRT Demon will offer a specific engine mode for use with high-octane racing gas. It's not an entirely crazy thought: Forced-induction engines like the 707-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the SRT Hellcat love added octane, and a tune specifically developed to take advantage of race gas could make for a nice boost in power. And, well, just look at the tagline on the pop-up website:
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"High octane videos," you say?
And while we can't necessarily trust some random Instagrammers at their word, a few folks on the social media site seem to have caught a glimpse of a wider, fat-tired Challenger of some sort in various stages of uncovered.
Our guy Sinister_Z07, in particular, makes note of a "Race Gas" button, though he doesn't point out which button he's talking about. The other details add up, though. Notice how the wider hood scoop and the add-on fender flares jibe with both the Fate of the Furious cars and the cutaway rendering released by Dodge. And the wheel in Sinister_Z07's close-up looks mighty similar to the wheel in the constantly-looping burnout animation on ifyouknowyouknow.com:
As for the tires themselves? They sure look like Nitto NT05R drag radials to us. Check out the sidewall (of what we assume is a front wheel) in the Instagram post: You can see the Nitto logo.
It'll debut at the 2017 New York International Auto Show
Dodge is calling the Challenger SRT Demon a 2018 model, and has confirmed it will debut at the New York Auto Show in April. That leaves just eleven more weeks for Dodge to keep pelting us with Transformers-style teaser videos, each revealing perhaps a single component of what will be the ultimate Challenger Hellcat.
Dodge has been teasing a widebody, even-higher-performance version of the Challenger Hellcat. Here's every detail we know so far.
BY BOB SOROKANICH
JAN 19, 2017
The day after all the motor journalists left the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Dodge dropped a delicious little tidbit on the internet. It was a brand-new pop-up website—ifyouknowyouknow.com—leading to a teaser video hinting at something high performance and evil: The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.
And that's about all that Dodge has given us. So far, we haven't gotten any specs, or even any real details about the car, from the folks at Dodge. But we're here to read the tea leaves (or are they tire marks). Here's everything we think we know about the new Dodge Demon.
It's the widebody Challenger SRT Hellcat we've all been waiting for
For months now, rumors have been swirling that Dodge is planning some kind of widebody Challenger SRT Hellcat. Folks speculated that this lateral growth would allow Dodge to fit some seriously wide tires under the Challenger (recall that the regular Challenger SRT Hellcat makes do with a measly 275-width rear tire that can hardly stand up to the power even innormal daily driving).
There was even a guess at the ultra-Challenger's name: Challenger ADR, which, we were told, would stand for American Drag Racer. It would be a nod at another famous Mopar acronym, ACR, or American Club Racer, most recently seen on the most outrageously track-prepped Viper to roll off the assembly line.
Then we seemingly got visual confirmation from, of all places, a Fast & Furious movie trailer. Take a close look: There's a scene in this Fate of the Furious (aka Furious 8) trailer where the entire Toretto family drives a phalanx of flared, hood-scooped Challengers.
Update, 1/19/2017: And thenAutoweek discovered a behind-the-scenes video from the Furious 8 set that shows an even clearer view of the silver movie cars and, yep, those sure look like our SRT Demon:
Alongside the second teaser video, Dodge released a cutaway illustration. Take note of what's highlighted here: The steering system, big brakes hiding behind steamroller-width wheels front and rear, and some under-skin structural components hinting at weight reduction. It's also got a much wider hood scoop, quite similar to the one seen on the Fate of the FuriousChallengers. The evidence is stacking up.
It might offer some kind of Race Gas Mode
We know the Challenger SRT Demon will be built to drag race—the very first teasers warned readers that the Demon is for "a subculture of enthusiasts who know that a tenth is a car and a half second is your reputation." It sounds like they're talking about the quarter-mile, and maybe about the somewhat-illicit practice of racing for pink slips?
Here's where we tiptoe into the realm of speculation. Let's look again at the very first teaser video, "Cage."
Note the moment when they release the Michael Bay-lookin' creature from its cage. The hellish cat-machine stalks up to a racing-style quick-fill fuel can with a hazard label on it.
Our mecha-hell-kitty takes a big bite out of the can, then lines up for some kind of robo-muscle-creature-car drag race.
This, of course, got folks all revved up on the idea that the SRT Demon will offer a specific engine mode for use with high-octane racing gas. It's not an entirely crazy thought: Forced-induction engines like the 707-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the SRT Hellcat love added octane, and a tune specifically developed to take advantage of race gas could make for a nice boost in power. And, well, just look at the tagline on the pop-up website:
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
"High octane videos," you say?
And while we can't necessarily trust some random Instagrammers at their word, a few folks on the social media site seem to have caught a glimpse of a wider, fat-tired Challenger of some sort in various stages of uncovered.
Our guy Sinister_Z07, in particular, makes note of a "Race Gas" button, though he doesn't point out which button he's talking about. The other details add up, though. Notice how the wider hood scoop and the add-on fender flares jibe with both the Fate of the Furious cars and the cutaway rendering released by Dodge. And the wheel in Sinister_Z07's close-up looks mighty similar to the wheel in the constantly-looping burnout animation on ifyouknowyouknow.com:
As for the tires themselves? They sure look like Nitto NT05R drag radials to us. Check out the sidewall (of what we assume is a front wheel) in the Instagram post: You can see the Nitto logo.
It'll debut at the 2017 New York International Auto Show
Dodge is calling the Challenger SRT Demon a 2018 model, and has confirmed it will debut at the New York Auto Show in April. That leaves just eleven more weeks for Dodge to keep pelting us with Transformers-style teaser videos, each revealing perhaps a single component of what will be the ultimate Challenger Hellcat.
I put my foot in my A8 charger hellcat every chance I get and I guarantee you whatever you driving, whatever muscle you got or drive, you can't make it dig or move like I can my Hellcat. I'm all about that speed bawse. We can turn this into a bgol contest, just let me know when you in the Atl. I've never even remotely come close to crashing either unlike the corvettes. The demon will be at least 100 hp faster but and this is critical, it will be built for straight line and drag speed. Period. Now, after driving my Hellcat for over a year I can tell you it can get scary on curves. I'm talking cornhole scary. I can't imagine the demon cornering at 95+ without handling like a brick. I always downshift to at least 4-6 M on curves but once I'm out of the curve that supercharger be whining. Also, I wouldn't buy another Srt Car like this in the first run. I've had to replace the supercharger. 13k, but I got a 2015. All covered under warranty. The 2016 are supposed to be good.
