RE: Dodge Demon new teaser
Thursday 19th January 2017
The Dodge Challenger Hellcat is going to be even more powerful. Yes, really. You may have already heard in fact, with the hashtag #DodgeDemon doing the rounds on social media and the microsite ifyouknowyouknow.com drawing a few people in as they cringe at the URL.
This, but more so? Yes please!Today the second in a dozen - a dozen! - preview videos has been published. Following 'Cage', which really is worth a look if you can, we now have 'Reduction'; there's not much to it really, but the important news is that this Demon will be 200 pounds (90kg) lighter than a Challenger Hellcat. Should get it under two tonnes then...
Dodge Demon new teaser
The more powerful Hellcat coming to New York is going to be lighter too
This, but more so? Yes please!
We'll be following the progress of this eagerly given a) it's called the Dodge Challenger Demon and b) the prospect of a lighter and faster Hellcat (some rumours are suggesting 800hp) is a tremendously exciting one. Each of the videos before the reveal at New York in April is said to "highlight the engineering that has gone into its development", although given this one is only 24 seconds long there may not be a great deal to learn. According to Dodge there are 'adjustments' to the wheels, steering, suspension and brakes, though there are no further details yet. Get spotting!
Watch the video here.
Discussion
KevinCamaroSS said:
It is all very well having loads of power, being able to use it is something else again. I believe the current Hellcat has a problem with the ability to wheel-spin in the lower gears.
I think you are bang-on with this. I've shut down a few Hellcats at my local track with around 200 fewer hp.The wheel/tire package on Scat Pack, SRT 392 and Hellcat Challenger/Chargers is inadequate - that goes for on the street too. Drag radial tires help a lot, but technique is everything else
Inexperienced run-what-you-brungers who just mash the throttle vs progressive application to WOT produce spectacular clouds of tire-smoke, but singularly unspectacular ETs.
I'm sure that the SRT Demon will address that shortcoming with a new Mopar Lightweight 20x10 rear wheel and 315/35/20 tire or similar.
The really serious Mopar runners are using a M/T drag radial but with a taller profile and an 18" rim.
I love that over here in Europe we're downsizing engines and focusing on economy AND power, sometimes at the sacrafice of sound, feel, character and that 'special feeling' an engine sometimes has. BMW's M4/M3 engine ('it's just a tuned up 340i!') and AMG's downsizing calling the death of the legendary 6.2 V8. Yet over in the US of A, they're sticking two fingers upto the world and shoehorning huge, noisy and wildly entertaining supercharged engines into more sophistacted muscle car bodies that are becoming more well rounded than ever.
I for one salute them for it, it wont be long until these cars are an extinct breed and we'll look back on this era for the cars pure entertainment value and dirty V8 noise.
I for one salute them for it, it wont be long until these cars are an extinct breed and we'll look back on this era for the cars pure entertainment value and dirty V8 noise.
Matt Harper said:
KevinCamaroSS said:
It is all very well having loads of power, being able to use it is something else again. I believe the current Hellcat has a problem with the ability to wheel-spin in the lower gears.
I think you are bang-on with this. I've shut down a few Hellcats at my local track with around 200 fewer hp.The wheel/tire package on Scat Pack, SRT 392 and Hellcat Challenger/Chargers is inadequate - that goes for on the street too. Drag radial tires help a lot, but technique is everything else
Inexperienced run-what-you-brungers who just mash the throttle vs progressive application to WOT produce spectacular clouds of tire-smoke, but singularly unspectacular ETs.
I'm sure that the SRT Demon will address that shortcoming with a new Mopar Lightweight 20x10 rear wheel and 315/35/20 tire or similar.
The really serious Mopar runners are using a M/T drag radial but with a taller profile and an 18" rim.
I bet the driver is having fun even if you are quicker.
Sounds brilliant too.
stanglish said:
Do people honestly drop the cash on a Hellcat to compete with any kind of seriousness in a drag race? For most people I'm pretty sure it's just an awesome brutish cruiser and the over-the-top nature is sort of its selling point.
Is this a serious question? I don't think people buy cars like this primarily to race them. However we have the facilities, opportunities and healthy competition to have some fun with our cars, in addition to just pootling back and forth to work etc.
I have a more lowly Challenger Scat Pack, but it's very well suited to clubman style head-to-head and bracket racing and I take it to my local track (Orlando Speedworld) regularly, as do many other owners of similar cars (Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, Chargers, the odd CTS-V and the like).
hammo19 said:
We need brutish V8s in our lives. Americans (and Australians used to) know how to make brilliant muscle cars and Dodge are one of the best. Long live the Challenger and Charger models.
Don't forget the Merc C63 (yes yes I know it looks like the same as the one that comes with a 2 Liter diesel that photocopier sales people drive ) still a storming V8 ...
Henno196 said:
I love that over here in Europe we're downsizing at the sacrafice of sound, feel, character and that 'special feeling' an engine sometimes has. Yet over in the US of A, they're sticking two fingers upto the world and shoehorning huge, noisy and wildly entertaining supercharged engines into more sophistacted muscle car bodies that are becoming more well rounded than ever.
I for one salute them for it, it wont be long until these cars are an extinct breed and we'll look back on this era for the cars pure entertainment value and dirty V8 noise.
Yes! Could almost be my own words but worth noting that tuning for power and economy is no vad thing and makes more of a temptation for me living in the UK and commuting.I for one salute them for it, it wont be long until these cars are an extinct breed and we'll look back on this era for the cars pure entertainment value and dirty V8 noise.
An (admittedly, comparitively low power) 550hp 5.0 supercharged V8 Jag will average 23-26mpg. Barely less than a Golf R where I hear the hell cat will only achieve about half of that. That kind of thing makes a big difference! Feels good not to waste and still have a 500+hp v8
Edited by Niffty951 on Friday 20th January 10:51
Henno196 said:
I love that over here in Europe we're downsizing engines and focusing on economy AND power, sometimes at the sacrafice of sound, feel, character and that 'special feeling' an engine sometimes has.
In fairness to the 'Mericans, they are downsizing the engines in most of their volume cars. These V8 Challengers are great, but they're niche models. Elsewhere in the market, big pickup trucks are going from V8 to turbo V6, midsize cars are going from V6 to turbo four, and smaller cars are going down to small capacity three cylinder engines - e.g. their Focus now gets the same 1.0 Ecoboost engine that we have in Europe.
Niffty951 said:
Yes! Could almost be my own words but worth noting that tuning for power and economy is no vad thing and makes more of a temptation for me living in the UK and commuting.
An (admittedly, comparitively low power) 550hp 5.0 supercharged V8 Jag will average 23-26mpg. Barely less than a Golf R where I hear the hell cat will only achieve about half of that. That kind of thing makes a big difference! Feels good not to waste and still have a 500+hp v8
I've seen quite a few hellcat vlogs where the owner does not thrash itanf gets around 24mph on the highway.An (admittedly, comparitively low power) 550hp 5.0 supercharged V8 Jag will average 23-26mpg. Barely less than a Golf R where I hear the hell cat will only achieve about half of that. That kind of thing makes a big difference! Feels good not to waste and still have a 500+hp v8
Edited by Niffty951 on Friday 20th January 10:51
spreadsheet monkey said:
Henno196 said:
I love that over here in Europe we're downsizing engines and focusing on economy AND power, sometimes at the sacrafice of sound, feel, character and that 'special feeling' an engine sometimes has.
In fairness to the 'Mericans, they are downsizing the engines in most of their volume cars. These V8 Challengers are great, but they're niche models. Elsewhere in the market, big pickup trucks are going from V8 to turbo V6, midsize cars are going from V6 to turbo four, and smaller cars are going down to small capacity three cylinder engines - e.g. their Focus now gets the same 1.0 Ecoboost engine that we have in Europe.
Matt Harper said:
And FCA sold more than 32,000 8 cyl Challengers last year, so it's quite a big niche.
It's a big niche, agreed. Ford and GM are also still selling plenty of V8 Mustangs, Camaros and Corvettes. I was just trying to temper the notion that America is a land where every car has a massive V8 engine. Obviously they still enjoy bigger engines in their cars than we do in "Yerp", but downsizing is something that is happening on both sides of the Atlantic.
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