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First Dodge Demon POV Drag Racing Video Shows Ludicrous Start

It seems like an eternity has passed since Dodge introduced the Demon, but the wait for the first contact with the muscle beast is now over. To be more precise, we've brought along a POV video that shows the uber-Challenger being rushed down the drag strip.
Dodge Demon POV Drag Racing 5 photos
Photo: Winding Road Magazine/YouTube
Dodge Demon POV Drag RacingDodge Demon POV Drag RacingDodge Demon POV Drag RacingDodge Demon POV Drag Racing
The Mopar halo car has been asked to play the quarter-mile game, with the crew over at the Winding Road Magazine taking the machine to the Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana.

The helmet-mounted camera allows us to check out plenty of details - who would've thought that the paddles would play such a crucial role in the world's meanest production muscle car?

To be more precise, you can zoom in on the line lock play, as well as on the take-off procedure. For one thing, the stunning take-off difference between the Demon and the Hellcat is obvious, with the thing hooking up like crazy, at least street car.

Keep in mind that the 840 hp animal packs at least three tech goodies that allow it to reach that finish line quicker. It all starts with the Torque Reserve feature, which closes the bypass valve, pre-loading the supercharger with boost, while the PCM handles the fuel flow and spark advance/ignition retardation to ensure optimal engine rpm and torque.

Then there's the trans brake (note that the action we're talking about seems to involve 2,000 rpm launches), which preloads the driveline with torque. As such, the full engine torque delivery is achieved at the rear wheels just 150 milliseconds after the fingers of the driver leave the right paddle.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon makes full use of its Nitto rubber grip thanks to the specific calibration of its active suspension.

Alas, the video doesn't show the 1/4-mile times of these Demon runs (using our own chronographs seems to reveal times inferior to the 10.8s drag radial performance of the Hellcat). But we'll get there...

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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