The SRT Demon Will Send You To Hell

Well Dodge finally did it.  As if the Hellcat wasn’t crazy enough they revealed the Dodge SRT Demon.  A Dodge Challenger with an 840hp supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi putting out 770 pounds-feet of torque.   They are desperately trying to market this as a big time first, like it’s never been done ever.  Well technically that’s not true.  Ford makes the Cobra Jet Mustang and Chevrolet makes the COPO Camaro.  Both are serious drag strip ready cars you can buy from the dealer and  they will smoke the SRT Demon.  The biggest difference here is that Ford and Chevy aren’t stupid enough to release those cars as street legal vehicles.  Dodge is bragging how the NHRA banned the SRT Demon from competition but frankly I’m shocked that the NHRA has shown more concern than Dodge in the safety of drivers.

The Cobra Jet & COPO are strictly for track use only and that’s a wise decision.  A car that does the quarter mile in 9 seconds (Dodge claims 9.65 sec with the Demon) is not something the average Joe has any idea how to drive.  Generally 9 second cars are built by people that obsess over cars and are experienced behind the wheel.  Frankly I find it really negligent that Dodge is willing to put these in the hands of anyone that can write the check.  Also how will these ever get insured?  There is a rumor that Hagerty Insurance has partnered with Dodge to offer insurance for customers because they expect other companies to decline coverage.

I drive a 2014 Shelby Cobra with 662hp and it is a handful on the street.  Car mechanics that have driven it have said, “My god that thing is insane. How do you drive that?” It is nothing compared to the SRT Demon.  Dodge is flashing the Demon around like a monkey with a gun.

Below is the Demon video but also videos of the Cobra Jet and Copo from last year.  Which seems meaner to you?

Hell's Bells: Dodge Has Been Trying to Conjure It's Demon for Awhile

With all this talk lately about the Dodge Demon / Challenger thing does anyone remember this concept from not so long ago?  Seems Dodge really wants something to get named Demon at some point.  This 2007 concept is miles away from what they are currently boasting.

From Wikipedia

The Dodge Demon was a concept made by DaimlerChrysler, designed to slot in under the Viper as a more affordable sports car from Dodge. The Demon was first shown at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show, and is was considered for production. It was conceived to compete with cars like the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, and Mazda Miata. Unlike many other concept cars, the materials and construction design of the Demon were such that production would be feasible.

Technical specifications

• Engine: 2.4 L gasoline World Engine

• Power: 172 hp (128 kW) SAE @ 6000 rpm

• Torque: 165 lb·ft (224 N·m) @ 4400 rpm

• Transmission: Six-speed manual

• Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive

• Overall Length: 156.5 (3974)

• Overall Width (max. @ body): 68.3 (1736)

• Overall Height: 51.8 (1315)

• Wheelbase: 95.6 (2429)

• Overhang, Front: 30.6 (777)

• Overhang, Rear: 30.3 (769)

• Curb Weight (estimated): 2600 lb (1179 kg)

• Tire Size, Front/Rear: 58.7 (1491)

• Wheel Size: 19 x 8 in

• Outer Diameter: 25.2 (640)

The New 2018 Dodge What??

UPDATE: Did Dodge take down the teaser video??

So Dodge put out a teaser video for a new Challenger model.  The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon?  Huh? But the Dodge Demon and the Dodge Challenger are separate cars?? It’s like calling a car Dodge Charger Challenger SRT R/T Demon Duster Hellcat Ram.  So from the extremely lame video it shows presumably a Hellcat drinking racing fuel and becoming a Demon?

I'm sorry Dodge but you lost me.  Are you saying it will be a track only car since it's drinking racing fuel?  Are you saying this is a Dodge racing car you'll be using in race events?  I can't imagine you're saying it's a model above the Hellcat because nobody needed 707 hp so why would they need even more??

1971 Dodge Demon

To be clear the Dodge Demon came out in 1971 and was originally like a faster version of the Dart so it was kind of a Dart Demon much like the Duster was a variant of the Valiant which is why 1970 Dusters say Valiant and Duster on them.  In no way was the Demon any relation to the Challenger.  The Demon was what they called an A-body car and Challenger was an E-body car.  I own a Duster 340 and I admit the Demon is a cooler variant but frankly they are the same cars.

However as we've seen in the past Dodge has no respect for it's heritage and will slap any logo on anything which is how we end up with a Caravan R/T.  So the fact that they screw their names up even more doesn't surprise me.  What does surprise me is that they feel they need a more powerful car over the Hellcat.  I guess the Hellcat was the biggest buzz they've had in awhile and want to repeat it but who know's what they heck it's gonna be.  Hellcat is supposed to be the code name for the engine so maybe they are saying a new hot engine to replace the Hellcat? As you can see below the logo is clearly a variation of the Hellcat logo.

The coolest thing that could happen with this (but won't) would be if they somehow dropped the Hellcat engine into one of the new Darts and called it a Demon.  That would follow heritage at least but would be an insane monster car.

The New 2018?? GT500

The word on the street is that the 2017 or 2018 or whatever year GT500 is going to rival the Dodge Challenger Hellcat's horsepower numbers. (Link Here) So that means 700+ horsepower.

Let me start by being totally honest.  Since I own a 2014 GT500 which was the last year for the GT500, I really don't want there to ever be a new one.  Nor do I wish any future Fords to exceed the 662 factory horsepower numbers my car makes.  It just bugs the hell out of me when you buy something special and then there is a new something special the next year.  If you don't believe me just ask the 2012 GT500 owners.  They bought a brand new monster just to have it quickly be overshadowed by an even bigger monster in 2013.  It infuriates me.

So that all being said I will say I understand why Ford is making it...sort of.  When Dodge finally decided to join the big boys and make a road beast they were the "talk of the town."  Everyone was going on and on about the Hellcats.  Hellcat was all you heard in auto media and even I got caught up in it. I was calling Dodge dealers trying to get one before I realized I didn't need it.  So or course Ford wants to bring back its brute GT500 to get some of that media hype and show they can make another blunt instrument to be feared.  I get it....

However as an owner of a GT500 I can honestly say the last thing it needs is more horsepower.  It needs better brakes, better tires, better suspension, better horsepower it doesn't need.  But people feel the new platform will bring these things that the old GT500 lacked.  Everyone wants to see what the new Mustang chassis with the limited slip diff will do with 700+ horsepower.  The dream would be a car that handles like a GT350 but with the boosted grunt of the GT500.  The rumors are that it will use the same engine block as the GT350 Voodoo but with boost, so there shouldn't be a huge weight gain.  This then begs the question, "Why not just boost a GT350?"  In other words keep it a GT350 but boost it.  I don't know.  Previous GT500s used different engine than the GTs but I guess because it's the "biggest" it gets the GT500 name, but then it's using the same engine only boosted....  Blah, blah, blah.

I personally don't see the need for a new GT500.  Talking from experience there are few times you can actually have fun with all that power.  In a big city like Toronto, traffic is constantly in the way.  But you say, "The power is for the track stupid, not the street." Okay smart guy then why does someone buy a GT350R? "Well because it's an awesome track car."  Then why would you buy a GT500?  You see, it's kind of an endless question and the answer is a new GT500 is not really needed other than because they want to do it.  Perhaps you can argue it's for the drag strip but in reality they exist to make cars and coffee crash videos.

So no I don't want to see a new GT500.  I'm sure it's just because I don't want another factory GT500 on the road boasting more horsepower.  My car was kind of legendary for being the last big horsepower car from Shelby before Carroll Shelby passed away and the last of the GT500s.  I would love to keep it that way.  Of course what will happen will happen and eventually I'm going to have to go back to my old problem of do I add more power to my car or get rid of it.  With electric cars moving into the spotlight of what's considered fast perhaps all these petrol brutes will soon be the joke at a stoplight.

Check This Out

Of course I'm a little bias but today YouTube suggested a Hellcat VS GT500 video to me so I thought I would pass it along.

Incredible '68 Dodge Coronet

Today I discovered this cool modern conversion of a 1968 Dodge Coronet.  It was created by Steven Jarudd of Sweden.  Its got the interior, engine, and electronics from an '07 Charger SRT8 and I think he did a really great job.  More pics can be found on Steve's Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/steven.jarudd?ref=br_rs

I even found a video but excuse the crap choice of music.

Dodge's Latest Mess

Contrary to popular belief I am not a Mustang fan.  Of course I like them enough to buy them but they are not the car I’m always after.  In fact I absolutely hated them in high school.  The big reason I’ve owned so many is that they are fast out of the box and there are endless aftermarket possibilities.  A Mustang can be easily built to be whatever you want it to be.

Before I bought my first Mustang I was primarily a “Mopar of No Car” kind of guy.  I loved Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars.  To me they always seemed like the underdog that Ford and Chevy people wrongfully underestimated.  Once a guy pulled up next to me in my Duster 340 bragging that his Nova had a 350.  In his mind the bigger number mean he would stomp me and he was sadly mistaken.

So then why am I not driving around in a new Challenger or Charger instead of a Shelby?  Because Dodge treats its heritage like garbage.  To charge a few more bucks Dodge with slap R/T on everything from a minivan to a SUV.  It used to be an exclusive badge for performance vehicles meaning road and track, but now it means nothing.  Then Dodge created SRT as their exclusive performance car but of course we started seeing that show up on Ram pickups and even Jeeps.  Now we have Hellcat which has migrated over to Charger and the word is it will be on a Ram soon.  Dodge does not know how to keep something exclusive or special anymore.

So in the tradition of Dodge whoring out their heritage they announced the Challenger T/A package.  For those who don’t know way back in 1970 when things were good Dodge created a T/A variation of their Challenger to be raced in Trans Am races which is where the T/A comes from.  These were high winding small block 340s with what was called a 6-pack which was 3 two-barrel carbs. They were light and had upgraded suspension and brakes.  Today they are fairly rare and expensive cars.

Now with Ford creating the new track oriented GT350 Mustang and Chevy creating the track oriented Z/28 Camaro did Dodge follow suit and resurrect the Challenger T/A to be a track attack machine like in the old days??  Nope.  It’s a stupid sticker package along with intake and exhaust options that don’t change the horsepower numbers at all.  Oh, well surely keeping with tradition they have something special under the hood like a supercharged 5.7-liter or maybe even a turbo V6??  Nope, instead it’s got the standard 375hp 5.7 or the 485hp 6.4 same as all the other Challengers packages.  With the Challenger T/A they had the chance to stay relevant with Ford and Chevy and create their own track attack car to chase after the competition with.  Just like the special small block 340 6-pack engine of the '70s they could have used a turbo V6 or at the very least boosted the smaller 5.7 V8.  But that would take effort, research, engineering and testing to create.  Stickers and badges on the other hand are easy to apply and cost way less.

So this is why I no longer fly the Mopar flag, Dodge just doesn’t try anymore.  They aren’t the scrappy underdog anymore, they are just behind and not in a cool way.  Hell, they took the Charger which was an amazing iconic car and turned it into a 4-banger hatchback and then into a 4 door sedan.  I’m just glad that Plymouth is dead so we don’t see some modern Cuda abomination out there on the streets.



Pics and info courtesy of Car & Driver. 

There's Yet Another Hellcat... oh Dodge, why?

Why the hell does Dodge have to Hellcat everything in their lineup?  They’ve got the Hellcat Challenger, then came the Charger, then came the Jeep Cherokee, and not they show the TrailCat Jeep concept.  They pimp out that engine to everything.  Have they never heard the saying, “If everyone is special then nobody is?”

Dodge Caliber SRT-4

This is one of the main reason I went with a GT500 instead of a Hellcat.  The Hellcat’s just aren’t as special as the Shelby’s.  Dodge does the same thing with the R/T trim.  Back in the 60s/70s R/T stood for Road and Track.  It meant a car that was just as potent on the road as it is on the track so you needed to watch out.  It was for Dodge’s big muscle cars.  But not they slap it on everything.  You could even get a Dodge Caliber R/T then later SRT.  Now it’s all just a joke and they are doing the same with their new Hellcat engine.

Ford on the other hand has said that the new flat plane Voodoo engine that’s in the GT350 Mustang will be exclusive to that vehicle and will not be found in any other model.  This makes it special and makes the cars with the engine more valuable.  The supercharged 5.8L Trinity engine in my GT500 wasn’t in anything else from Ford.  It was 662hp just for the GT500.  Classy.

UPDATE: ...and now a Hellcat Ram....of course. Shocking.