First and foremost, Dodge is only halfway finished with teasing the Challenger SRT Demon. From the sixth of twelve video teasers, we learn that the street-legal drag radials fitted to the Demon are the key to how this bad boy claws into the road.
The third teaser let it be known what’s what. Demon-branded Nitto NT05R tires on all four corners, measuring 315/40 R18. The Dodge brand makes it clear the street-legal drag radials are specifically designed for this application, using a specific tire construction and compound. Oh, and another thing: each of the four streetable drag radials measure 12.6 inches in width.
Dodge explains that “the added traction and higher profile of these new tires allow the Challenger SRT Demon to handle higher launch torque loads.” Compared to the SRT Hellcat, the newcomer boasts a 15 percent larger tire contact patch, more than twice as much grip, 18 percent more converter torque multiplication, and 18 percent more rear axle torque multiplication. So to speak, the Demon has only one subject on its mind: the quarter-mile run.
For the time being, the automaker isn’t ready to offer NHRA-certified 1/4-mile times. On the upside, the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon generates more than 35 percent higher launch force than the Challenger SRT Hellcat.
An eight-speed automatic transmission comes standard, with a final drive ratio of 3.09. The automatic-equipped Hellcat, by comparison, makes do with 2.62 rear axle gears. Fittingly for a drag racer, the Demon further prides itself on a higher stall speed torque converter for the TorqueFlite transmission.
What hides under the hood is still open to debate, though. It is certain the 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 drives the rear axle, but the two Air Catcher headlamps and the Air Grabber-type cold air intake hood are tell-tale signs the SRT Demon is more powerful than the SRT Hellcat. Having said that, what’s your take on the matter: more PSI or a different supercharger?
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. Full profile
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