Challenger SRT Hellcat

Make
Dodge
Segment
Coupe

Dodge loves drip feeding us with new nuggets of information about the upcoming Challenger SRT Demon every week, which will finally be revealed in just under a month at the New York Auto Show. Right on cue, the latest teaser for the hardcore muscle car has dropped, revealing that the Demon will be the first ever factory production car to be fitted with a TransBrake normally reserved for dedicated drag racers. Before the Demon, such technology could only be found in the aftermarket for "track-use only" vehicles.

Effectively, this allows for quicker launch times by locking the output shaft of the automatic transmission to keep the car stationary until launch, resulting in faster power delivery and higher engine launch torque potential. The TransBrake will allow for brake-free launches up to 2,350 RPM, a 105 percent increase in launch boost pressures, and a 120 percent increase in engine launch torque.

Of course, this can all be achieved with a conventional foot-brake launch where the driver keeps one foot on the brake and one on the accelerator to increase the engine speed while the car is stationary. In the Demon, however, a simple tap of the wheel's paddle shifters will activate the TransBrake feature. Dodge claims this will improve reaction times by 30 percent compared to using the brake. As we already know, the Demon will be able to take some brutal punishment. As such, the TransBrake preloads the driveline with torque prior to launch to reduce the risk of component damage. Engine torque is applied through the entire driveline all the way to the rear wheels.

This ensures full engine torque delivery where the tires touch the ground 150 milliseconds after the paddle shifter is released. The result is faster launch acceleration, better 60-foot times and improved quarter-mile times. With such monumental power being sent to the rear wheels, there's a danger that the front brakes could get overwhelmed. Not so with the Demon thanks to the TransBrake feature. Lightweight brakes also allow the use of narrow front-runner wheels included in the Demon tool crate. Let there be no doubt, then, that the Dodge Demon is a demented drag car for the road. Its reveal at the New York Auto Show on April 11th can't come soon enough.