2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Release Date, Specs News: One-Seat Muscle Car Boasts of 215-Pound Weight Reduction
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has been doing a good job of previewing the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon before its official debut at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) this April. The latest teaser details how the upcoming muscle car was able to reduce its overall weight and become lighter than the Dodge Hellcat.
Jaws dropped when FCA first announced the arrival of the Dodge Demon as the automobile manufacturer revealed that it will be faster than the Challenger SRT Hellcat and the Charger SRT Hellcat — two of the most powerful muscle cars in the market. The Hellcat-badged vehicles are powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 engine that yields 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque.
With this in mind, it was expected that the Dodge Demon would have to be significantly lighter than the Hellcat. Now, it has been confirmed that the upcoming high-performance muscle car will be 215 pounds lighter and will have an overall weight of 4,233 to 4,240 pounds. So, how did the automaker manage this feat?
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According to reports, the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon will come standard with just one seat — the driver's. The muscle car was able to shave off 113 pounds by removing the front passenger seat and the rear seats.
In a breakdown of the Dodge Demon's weight-reduction diet, Motor Authority noted that the muscle car was also able to save 16 pounds by using new but smaller two-piece four-piston Brembo brakes. About 23 noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) components were also removed in exchange for 18 pounds. This means that the Dodge Demon will be much louder than the Hellcat.
Further weight reduction was accomplished with the use of lighter 18 x 11-inch aluminum wheels, a manual tilt and telescoping steering wheel and a hollow sway bar with a smaller diameter. Meanwhile, extra components like speakers, trunk lining, spare tire and parking sensors were removed.
Overall, 232 pounds were removed from the body but the Dodge Demon also gained 17 pounds with the addition of other components for the forthcoming muscle car.
The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon will be unveiled in New York City on April 11. For those who are unable to make it to the annual auto show, it has been reported that the high-performance muscle car will also make an appearance in the car-centric action-adventure film, "The Fate of the Furious," arriving in U.S. theaters on April 12.
