Challenger SRT Hellcat

Make
Dodge
Segment
Coupe

The slow reveal of the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon has to be one of the most painfully long-winded teaser campaigns ever. In the build-up to its reveal on April 11 at the New York Auto Show, every Thursday Dodge feeds us a tiny trickle of information about this monster muscle car. Right on schedule, this latest teaser teaches us how the Demon's "race-hardened parts" will allow the drivetrain to withstand such brutal punishment from the hardcore muscle car's obscene power.

Since the Demon is designed to be just as capable of tearing up the drag strip as well as the road, Dodge has fitted it with a number of components to maximize performance, with increased traction, weight transfer and torque multiplication. Apply this to the standard Hellcat without any modifications, however, and the result probably wouldn't be pretty.

To make sure it can handle all this abuse, the Demon has been fitted with significantly stronger components, such as an upgraded prop shaft that increases torque capacity by 15 percent thanks to thicker tubes and high-strength steel. Additionally, the differential housing can now handle 30 percent more torque. This is achieved through the use of heat-treated aluminium components and a higher strength gear set. Two 41-spline half shafts can also handle 20 percent more torque by using larger diameter high-strength steel parts. Other improvements include a new Launch Assist system to reduce wheel hop.

Wheel hop occurs when tires slip and regain traction at launch, storing up and releasing energy in the driveline which can damage components. This won't be a problem with the Challenger SRT Demon. For the first time in a production car, the Demon's Launch Assist incorporates wheel speed sensors that can detect when the tires are slipping or sticking. If this is detected, the Demon's control module momentarily reduces torque to maximimize traction without the need for the driver to lift. Also included is a new four-point harness bar for the track. Since the Demon doesn't have luxuries like rear seats, the mounting points are more accessible, so the car can be installed without having to cut or drill anything.

It's safe to say the Challenger SRT Demon is going to be a monumental muscle car. Its power output is still unknown, but the fact it has the largest hood-mounted scoop of any production car implies it will be even faster than the insane 707 horsepower SRT Hellcat. We just wish Dodge would hurry up and unleash the Demon already.