Dodge Demon Records You May Not Have Known
Years after the venerable Dodge Challenger SRT Demon came wheel-standing into the muscle car hall-of-fame, the car is still remarkable. With 840 horsepower on tap, it was instantly the most powerful road-going V8 ever installed in a production car. However, there are a few Dodge Demon records you may not have known.
What is so special about the Dodge Demon?
Other than the sheer excessiveness of the Demon, the Dodge was the only production car to pop a wheelie. You may have seen the brute lift its front end off the ground, but there is a little more to the muscle car’s party piece. The Dodge Demon has the record for being the first production car to come with from-the-factory drag radial tires, and those meaty tires are sticky! In addition to the drag radials, Dodge’s $1 options crate came with a myriad of toys to set up your 840 horsepower wheelie machine.
It gets even weirder in the interior. The Dodge Demon was the only production muscle car to have optional passenger seating. That’s right; you had to ask Dodge first if you wanted to take a friend with you. Oh, and you had to give Dodge another dollar.
However, one of the best feathers in the Dodge Demon’s records cap is the 0-60 mph time. According to Road & Track, the muscle car monster will launch to sixty in just 2.3 seconds. That made it the fastest accelerating gas-powered car in the world at the time of its release.
Why did the Demon get banned?
Since the Dodge halo car ran a quarter-mile in just 9.65 seconds, it falls under specific rules from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). The NHRA mandates that any vehicle running a sub-10 second quarter-mile must have a roll cage installed. A feature that the air-conditioned, street-legal Dodge doesn’t have. Since the Demon didn’t come with a roll cage, the NHRA banned it.
If it isn’t just the spectacle of a production car impersonating a motorcycle, the Demon was the first street-legal production drag car. If you don’t believe that, the Dodge Demon was the first production car to come from the factory with a transmission brake, a common feature in competitive drag racing.
What is record-breaking about the Dodge Demon’s hood scoop?
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon’s record hood scoop was the largest functioning hood scoop ever fitted to a car at the time of production. Dodge needed to ventilate the brute, and in addition to its “power chiller,” the Demon uses a ram-air intake and a monstrous “air grabber” scoop.
However, the hood has its issues. According to Road & Track, the gaping hood is prone to warpage and paint issues. So much so that owners are seeking compensation for the defective record-breaking hood.
How many Dodge Demons are left?
Of the original 3,300 Dodge Demon record-breakers, most cars remain. However, they are all spoken for, except for the odd auction or resale. Car and Driver reports that consumers could have snagged a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon for a starting price of $86,390. However, the stock went fast, and now buying a Demon will likely require patience and over $100,000.
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