New Dodge Challenger Demon - The most extreme production muscle car ever

If the 707bhp Challenger Hellcat was just too tame for you, then Dodge ^[1] may just have the muscle car for you. The Challenger SRT Demon is as extreme and as hardcore as production cars come, and Dodge hasn't held-back in creating a car for dedicated car enthusiasts. The Demon will be fully unveiled at this year's New York auto show.

In a series of Hollywood action movie-esque teaser videos, Dodge has been revealing details of the new Demon. The first video, titled Cage, sets the tone for the series of teasers and is packed with rock music, explosions and moody military personnel. But Cage doesn't actually reveal anything about the car.

> Watch the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 on track^[2]

What we do know is that it will be based on the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, the most powerful production muscle car ever. Its supercharged, 6058cc V8 produces 707bhp and 650lb ft of torque.

The second video, Reduction gives away a little more. The new Demon rolls onto a set of scales before an x-ray of the car shows alterations being made to the wheels, steering, suspension, brakes and interior. As each item flashes the scales show the weight of the car reducing.

The video doesn't reveal a final figure, but Dodge has revealed that the Demon will be 97.5kg lighter than the Challenger Hellcat, suggesting a total weight of 1795kg. To remove such a significant amount of weight Dodge has removed all the seats, except the one for the one used by the driver; Dodge has taken weight reduction very seriously. Binning the rear bench has saved 25kg while removing the passenger seat has saved a further 26.3kg.

Inside the Demon only has two speakers, a manual adjustable steering wheel and far less sound deadening than other Challengers. The extents to remove weight have extended to the car's chassis and brakes, too. However, these changes don't sound quite as appealing.

The Hellcat's six-piston front brakes have been replaced with four-piston calipers and smaller discs. And the anti-roll bars, although hollow, are also smaller in diameter. Hopefully the car's reduced weight means it doesn't need such impressive brakes and chassis control.

In total Dodge has removed 105kg of extra weight, but the Demon's extreme diet has been offset slightly by the car's wider body. The third teaser video, simply called Body, shows the Demon performing a burn out before a shot of the back of the car exposes its new bolted-on arches.

The new flares add 3.5-inches to the width of the Challenger and cover its 18 x 11-inch wide wheels. The Demon's wheels are 2 inches smaller in diameter than the Hellcats, but are then 2.5 inches wider. The new car uses the same 315/40 18 Nitto NT05R drag tyres on both the front and rear axles, and is the first production car to come with radial drag tyres as standard.