840-horsepower Dodge Demon heads to dealers

[fintstone]

Anyone buying one of these? Good replacement for a well-sorted Mustang.

"...Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has begun shipping the first 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demons to dealers, the automaker says. The limited-production, 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 engine delivers 840 horsepower. Dodge is touting the mega-muscle car as the industry’s first street-legal production drag car. The National Hot Rod Association has certified it as the world’s fastest quarter-mile production vehicle...."

"...But it has drawn its critics. Automotive News, the leading trade publication covering the auto industry, called for banning the Demon from the street in an editorial last April. The car "is so inherently dangerous to the common safety of motorists that its registration as a road-worthy automobile should be banned," it wrote, citing its "barely legal" tires and massive acceleration.

During tests the Demon covered a quarter-mile in 9.65 seconds at 140 miles per hour, and it accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds..."

Read the rest:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2017/11/12/controversial-840-horsepower-dodge-demon-heads-dealers/856103001/

[stevej37]

A buyer of this car, receives a voucher for the purchase for an optional Demon crate. Inside the crate are drag wheels, replacement engine controller and other go-fast goodies...to get to the 840 hp mark. Otherwise, it's an anemic 808 hp!

[pwd72s]

Damned impressive numbers for those who prefer a straight track over an oval or road course.

[HardDrive]

How long will it be before the first video of some asshat with more money than sense taking one on an off road excursion? A week?

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

I can't imagine what driving a any car with 840 hp would be like, let alone something street worthy.

Just down the street from me six weeks ago. Hellcat Challenger. Four dead.

Check helicopter view in vid of how far car traveled off road before impact into farmhouse tree.

Investigators release more information in Stark County crash that killed 4 | fox8.com

[aigel]

I drove the 440 hp version, or thereabouts RT8 (?), 2015 time frame IIRC. It was orange, 6 speed and for sale while I was visiting the Chrysler dealer, so I took it for a spin. I was disappointed. It was a boat - and it felt slower than my 993. Totally conceivable to have twice the power in that car. The only issue will be to get it to the ground, but apparently that is taken care of with the "barely legal" tires.

Sounds like a toy - I'd buy something else for that kind of dough and focus on turns.

G

[dlockhart]

[Scott Douglas]

Very interesting video, thanks for sharing that.
Looks like they're really going after all the power they can get.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

How long will it be before the first video of some asshat with more money than sense taking one on an off road excursion? A week?

Cars & Coffee crowd: "The Ford Mustang holds the title for the most incidents and injuries at these events."
Dodge Demon: "Challenge accepted!"

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Very interesting video, thanks for sharing that.

Sharp kid. Nicely articulated.

[aschen]

Engineering explainded is a great channel

I think the demon is a seriously pointless car but in an awesome way

[asphaltgambler]

We are truly in a muscle car / high horsepower era like never before. Of course the pinnacle being 1970, all 3 offering not only the best they had, but in previous years, special track only vehicles.

But today all 3 are eclipsing anything ever offered to the general public before. This car even has a factory trans brake which unlike launch control - locks the trans internally between 2 gears so you can load the engine against the torque converter to maximum stall - but leaving the driveline unloaded. This allows the driveline to be instantly 'shocked' - similar to flooring a manual car then popping the clutch.

While this ( and other ) technologies related to drag racing are nothing new, it's how Dodge accomplishes it. They have set the bar very high.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

Cars & Coffee crowd: "The Ford Mustang holds the title for the most incidents and injuries at these events."
Dodge Demon: "Challenge accepted!"

The challenge will have to be done on a percentage basis; Dodge isn't going to build or sell very many of these. Ford, on the other hand will limit Mustang sales to the number of people that want them.....

[RKDinOKC]

Yep, at 18 I got a 71 Plymouth Satelite Sebring Plus. It only had a 383 4bbl intead of the 440 six pack, but still made enough power to pop engine mounts. This difference was it had adjustable suspension so you could set it up for dragging or the track. It was setup for dragging and I didn't know it was adjustable until years after I sold it.

Set up for dragging it was VERY interesting. My Dad wouldn't let me buy anything but stock street tires for it. And that Mopar body style just screamed for big meat in the back. But even with just street tires I could not spin the rear tires launching. It had the slap stick I could drop to 1st, and brake launch the car. The rear would sink down, then it would start roling as the rear unloaded and started rising. It didn't really get going until the rear was back to normal. I used to joke that it was like a boat, it had to sink down, then plane out before it really took off. I found it would break the motor mounts instead of spinning the tires. Larger chained passenger side motor mount helped. I was kinda dumb back then and thought it just didn't have enough power to spin the rear tires.

The garage I took it to was two brothers with the last name Sebring. They kept wanting me to trade cars. Said they dragged and wanted it because it had Sebring on it. Didn't find out till I sold it. They were upset because they wanted it and would beat their drag prepped 440 cuda. I didn't know how badly they wanted it, they just offered to trade me cars a couple of times. Thought they were just showing off the cars they had.

[CurtEgerer]

Point of reference: in 1970 the NHRA Pro Stock record was 9.795 seconds at 144MPH. This was the factory Hemi Cuda of Sox & Martin with every trick part known at the time. Now it can't keep up with a road car

[Borders Reivers]

But nobody, NOBODY, was better with a 4-speed than Ronnie Sox

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Borders Reivers

But nobody, NOBODY, was better with a 4-speed than Ronnie Sox

Timed that on my IPhone from launch to rpm reduction. Eight seconds.

Videos can be wonky but that car is serious.

[RKDinOKC]

Don't remember what it was called but it was when you could first get those big horsepower Challengers. Think it had H675 in the graphics on it. Watched him park it. Took him over 10 minutes because he was afraid to touch the accelerator in a crowded parking lot.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

Think it had H675 in the graphics on it. Watched him park it. Took him over 10 minutes because he was afraid to touch the accelerator in a crowded parking lot.

That's because he was an old coot waning in testosterone. No need to kill anyone that particular day.

The Hellcat's have two sets of keys. Wife and Speedy (to be totally sexist).

It it were permissable these cars should be sold to 70 and older. Full stop.

[RKDinOKC]

I'm sure he had been showing off to the passenger.