After what seemed like a long wait, Dodge finally uploaded the second of twelve (12!) teaser videos for the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon. And yes, the Demon will be lighter than the Hellcat.
Titled “Reduction,” the teaser features an SRT Hellcat being driven on a weighing scale. From the start, it’s easy to notice that the hood features a much larger power bulge and intake than ordinary. This suggests Dodge reworked the 6.2-liter HEMI V8 to churn out more than 707 horsepower.
The second teaser also reveals wider wheels than what you would see on an SRT Hellcat. 315/40R 18-inch rollers is my best bet, 11 inches wide, shod in drag-rated radial tires. Nitto NT05R rubber would be appropriate.
Throughout the clip, Dodge lights up certain parts of the car in green, then shows how the weight indicator turns from red (i.e. heavy) to green (i.e. light). Those parts include the wheels, front axle, seats, roof, doors, side mirrors, lug nuts, and even the dashboard. It’s rather obvious, then, that this iteration of the Challenger is all about the power-to-weight ratio.
Considering that the Dodge Viper is gone and FCA US LLC doesn’t know what to do next with its carbon fiber know-how gained from the Viper’s production, it’s not imprudent to think that the Challenger SRT Demon will make use of the composite material. Just how much Dodge will be able to shed, it’s anybody’s guess right know. The drag racing-oriented SRT Demon will be definitely lighter than 4,448 pounds (2,017 kilograms), though.
"But is it all-wheel-drive?" I can’t see anything remotely similar to a front axle disconnect system on the SRT Demon in this teaser video. In all likelihood, the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is not an all-wheel-drive muscle car, but a good old RWD bruiser. When you think about it, AWD doesn't actually make sense on the drag strip. So that's that, at least for the time being.
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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