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2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Boasts Advanced Torque Reserve Launch System

Advanced Torque Reserve Launch System. That’s what the tenth installment in the Demon pre-reveal teaser campaign is all about. And a helluva lot of exhaust sound, as well as a handful of numbers that, at first glance, don’t mean anything whatsoever.
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Teaser Video 10: "No Pills" 6 photos
Photo: screenshot from YouTube
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Teaser Video 10: "No Pills"2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Teaser Video 10: "No Pills"2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Teaser Video 10: "No Pills"2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Teaser Video 10: "No Pills"2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Teaser Video 10: "No Pills"
The numbers in question can be found on the license plate, reading “3.9 + 221 = 405.” I’ll refrain from speculating because, frankly, I’m not sure what to make of them. Dodge, meanwhile, tells us that “nothing is a coincidence and everything means something.” The YouTube video’s comments don’t help either. Case in point: 3.9-liter supercharger, 221 mph top speed, 405 cu.in.

Moving on to more important stuff, the Challenger SRT Demon has a somewhat different exhaust note from the Challenger SRT Hellcat. That’s due to a 50-pony bump for the 6.2-liter blown V8 and, most importantly, the torque reserve feature. Advanced Torque Reserve Launch System is its complete name and, according to Dodge, it kicks in when Launch Mode is active and engine revolutions per minute exceed the 1,000 mark.

“In plain English,”
the manufacturer explains, “it lets more air flow through the engine before launch, allowing for increased supercharger rpm without torque overwhelming the brakes and spinning the rear tires.” This is achieved through closing the bypass valve on the supercharger for 'prefilling.' The torque reserve features also modifies the fuel flow and spark timing.

By briefly cutting fuel flow to selected cylinder, the exhaust note changes. The powertrain controller then advances or retards time for the perfect balance of torque and revolutions per minute. In this state, the supercharged HEMI V8 is able to build as much boost pressure as it can, thus helping deliver maximum get-up-and-go off the line. Yup, the Challenger SRT Demon is definitely quick.

We’ll find out more about what’s in store from the most extreme road-going Challenger of them all next week on Thursday. And the Thursday after that, and after that, until the curtain falls on April 11, at the 2017 NY Auto Show.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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