Which one of these scintillating speed devils is the one you're likely to lust after?
Demon vs. Widebody: high-powered sibling rivalry For the 2018 model year, the SRT group, Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s performance division, is introducing not one but a pair of spectacular variations on the Challenger Hellcat theme, introduced in 2015. The Hellcat Widebody and Demon share wider bodywork and most mechanical components but their respective missions are quite different. As the Widebody heads for the track, the fearsome Demon is – quite literally – geared for dominance on the traditional quarter-mile dragstrip. So let’s see how these speed devils compare. By Marc Lachapelle ▲
The keys to unleashing the beasts With a maximum output of 707 horsepower from their 6.2-litre, supercharged, ‘Hemi’ V-8 engines, all Hellcat- powered coupes and sedans are delivered with two different ignition keys, only the most colourful of which grants the driver unrestricted access to the engine’s full, neck-snapping, performance potential. Given that the new Demon’s own version of this engine is good for 808 horsepower – even 840 with the proper equipment and fuel – it most certainly deserved a red key of its own. And so does the Hellcat Widebody. With the standard black key, engine power is restricted to a mere 500 hp, in both cases. ▲
A sweetly sinister Demon This all-black livery is quite becoming for the brawniest All-American performance coupe ever produced, named after the most infamous creature of darkness. Yet, the Demon’s spirit is anything but somber. This sharply-focused, high-powered, no-compromise driving machine was effectively designed and passionately developed by nitro-blooded engineers within the SRT group. These hard-core enthusiasts created the most powerful production muscle car ever, as a fitting and rolling tribute to a Golden Era they missed but are still “bench-racing” about, with stories of legendary cars powered by the 426 Hemi and 440 Magnum V-8s of the 1960s. ▲
Evolution, thy name is Hellcat SRT Widebody When the first Challenger Hellcat appeared, its 707-hp, supercharged V-8 understandably got most of the attention. The big coupe nonetheless handled quite decently and was fiercely good at braking, given its mass of two metric tons. Since the new Demon needed much wider fenders to cover its big, street-legal, drag radials, the SRT guys seized the opportunity to slip wider performance tires, mounted on 20-inch alloy wheels, under virtually identical bodywork. The fruit of their labour is the aptly-named Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody. With the added grip, it is notably quicker than the regular Hellcat. And it looks good, too. ▲
Monster engine with civilized manners for the Demon The Demon’s V-8 engine has the same vital dimensions as the Hellcat’s but more than 60% of its components have been changed or modified. This includes the block, pistons, connecting rods and forged steel crankshaft. A 2.7-litre supercharger replaces the Hellcat’s 2.4-litre unit and the giant filter, in the foreground, feeds it fresh air. With all this tweaking, peak power jumps to 808 hp at 6,300 rpm and 717 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm, on 91 octane gasoline – or 840 hp and 770 lb-ft with 100 octane fuel and a special controller included in the optional Demon Crate. ▲
Healthy heart for the Hellcat Widebody The supercharged, 6.2-litre, pushrod V-8 engine that powers all Hellcat models has earned its stripes with performance enthusiasts, over the past three years. With its hemispherical combustion chambers (hence, the fabled ‘Hemi’ nickname), sodium-filled exhaust valves and aluminum heads, on a cast-iron block, it belts out 707 hp at 6,000 rpm and 650 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm, thanks to sequential, multiport fuel injection and two water-to-air intercoolers that keep intake air fresh and dense. The Hellcat V-8 comes standard with a 6-speed, Tremec manual transmission with a dual-disc clutch or an optional, 8-speed Torqueflite automatic gearbox. ▲
The now famous Demon Crate At the lofty price of $1, the Demon Crate is the no-brainer option of the century. It contains niceties such as a fender cover and tool bag but also useful items such as a floor jack, a cordless impact gun, a tire pressure gauge and a proper torque wrench, with extension and socket, all with the Demon monogram or logo. Also in the Crate is a plate for the passenger mirror, narrow front tires for the drag strip, on five-spoke wheels, a performance air filter, plus the control module that calibrates the engine for high-octane fuel and the switch to activate it. ▲
Drag-strip bound with a full but neat trunk Also in the Demon Crate is a custom-shape, hard foam cradle that lets you safely and snugly carry the narrow, track-only, M&H Racemaster tires – size 4.50/28.0-18 – your new track tools and the standard, plug-in emergency air compressor, neatly stashed in this top-dog Challenger’s trunk. ▲
Fresh air by the cubic yard This full-frontal shot of a Demon, in vibrant Yellow Jacket paint, was taken in the staging area of the famous Lucas Oil Raceway dragstrip, near Indianapolis. It shows the largest scoop to ever grace a production car’s hood, with a total surface of 291.6 cm2 (45.2 in2). The ‘AirGrabber’ scoop feeds the Demon’s giant air box, with the help of the hollow, inner headlamp rings and intakes located near the front fender liners. The photo also shows the huge difference in width between the Demon’s special narrow front tires and its wide, tailor-made Nitto NT05R drag radials, in size 315/40R18. ▲
The Hellcat Widebody tackles Indy This head-on photo of the 2018 Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody was taken as it rested, on pit alley, between track sessions at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It shows the substantial fender extensions that cover the chunky new Pirelli PZero performance tires, size 305/35ZR20, in four-season or gripper three-season form, adding 7.8 cm (3.1 in) to the Challenger Hellcat’s overall width. Fresh air is fed to the Widebody’s 707-horsepower V-8 through a smaller intake on the hood and the hollow ‘AirCatcher’ headlight bezels, connected to the air box. Two heat extractors, atop the hood, help to cool things. ▲
A spacious single-seater The new Demon also makes history by becoming the first production car since the days of ‘sedan delivery’ models to come standard with only this cloth driver’s seat. The SRT bunch has achieved weight savings of 26.3 and 24.9 kilograms by skipping the front passenger and rear seat, on the dragstrip-friendly coupe. You can get both seats back for a tongue-in-cheek $1 option fee – even leather seats, heated and ventilated in front, if you wish. Other comfort options include a power sunroof and a 900-watt Harman Kardon audio system with 19 speakers that cancels a weight loss of 11 kilos. The flat-bottom steering wheel is draped with Alcantara suede. ▲
Mellow track mauler Monster motor or not, the Hellcat Widebody can still play the comfortable cruiser with these cushy Laguna stitched-leather front seats, heated and ventilated too, their backs emblazoned with the SRT/Hellcat logo. The reasonably accessible and spacious rear seat has a 60/40 split-folding back and an armrest and a pair of cup holders. The flat-bottom steering wheel is draped with leather and heated. Sound and entertainment are brought to you by a 900-watt Harman Kardon audio system with 18 speakers and a digital amplifier. You also get a universal garage door opener. ▲
Going for maximum straight-line grip The Demon comes standard with four Nitto NT05R drag radials custom-designed for the car’s specific needs. These wide and squat tires, size 315/40R18, have twice the longitudinal grip of the Hellcat’s. They are street-legal, but driving on wet pavement will be chancy, since they are little more than slicks with two circumferential grooves and token side cuts. To reduce weight at the front, SRT replaced the Hellcat’s 390-mm brake discs with 360-mm units, topped with lightweight calipers that have four pistons instead of six. The operation saved 7.2 kilograms, at the expense of some braking power and endurance. ▲
Bigger claws for a wider Hellcat The Widebody gets Pirelli P-Zero performance boots in size 305/35ZR20, mounted on these 20×11 inch Devil’s Rim alloy wheels, to replace the Hellcat’s 275/40ZR20 tires. With wheel tracks increased by 42 and 51 mm, front and rear, lateral acceleration goes up from 0.93 g to 0.97g while cornering. SRT also says that the additional bite slices a tenth of a second from the 0-60 mph sprint and three-tenths off the Hellcat’s quarter-mile clocking, down to an impressive 10.9 seconds. Braking performance and distances, already exceptional on the Hellcat, for its weight and girth, should be even better with the Widebody. ▲
The best modern tools The Demon has neat systems to get the most out of its engine’s 808 or 840 horsepower in the 1/4 mile. Line Lock enables a good burnout, to clean and heat the tires, by locking only the front brakes, but the ultimate tool is the TransBrake, long used in drag racing but a world first in a production car. It keeps the car still by locking the transmission’s output shaft and lets you increase the revs and launch the Demon by releasing the second shift paddle. The cooling and oiling circuit are also maxed out to keep performance consistent. ▲
Breathtaking launch! The Demon’s suspension was softened slightly and the Bilstein shock absorbers are adjusted to maximize weight transfer to the rear and traction, in Drag mode. If the burnout is good and you get the launch sequence just right, with the TransBrake, the Demon will vault forward so hard it will knock the air out of you, literally. Yes, that hard. The only car that comes close, in this journalist’s experience, is a modified, 1,500-hp Bugatti Veyron, also tested on a 1/4 mile. SRT ran an NHRA-certified 9.65 seconds quarter mile at 140.1 mph (225.4 km/h) in a Demon. Enough said! ▲
Loud and clear We drove the Widebody on twisty sections of the F1, IndyCar and MotoGP road-course and some straight bits at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Flat-out on the front stretch of Indy’s mythical rectangle, the furious growl of the Hellcat V-8 was just intoxicating, gloriously reverberated by the empty grandstands and cement walls. SRT says the newest Hellcat is two seconds quicker than its sibling on a 2.7-kilometre track. No reason to doubt, but with all this torque and weight, the Widebody requires a gentle touch with the accelerator and is likely no match, on a track, for the sharpest of the current pony cars. ▲
Shifting for one’s self Of these two beasts, only the Hellcat Widebody comes standard with a 6-speed, manual gearbox. In spite of its clutch’s dual disc design, the pedal is quite hard, with longish travel and a high take-up point, to boot. No great surprise, with the engine’s giant torque. This manual is for die-hard fans only, especially with a trusty, solid and smooth 8-speed automatic gearbox offered as an option. ▲
Demon’s best trick Of course, the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon became the first-ever production car to lift its front wheels in a standing start and keep them aloft over a meticulously-measured distance of 0.89 metre (2.92 ft). This was good enough to get into the famous Guinness Book of World Records, with the official certificate to prove it. In other words, the Demon can pop a wheelie, a feat made even more impressive by the fact that it carries 58% of its more than two American tons (1,939 kg / 4,276 lb) on its front wheels. ▲
The finishing touch At a starting price of $87,995, the Widebody might be just what the Hellcat family needed, with its better grip, improved handling and superb stance it . Just don’t see it as a straight rival for the best American and European iron on a race track. However endearing to muscle car buffs, it is just too big and heavy. To wage this battle, the SRT group needs to start with a lighter, smaller and sharper platform. How about reviving the name Barracuda for an all-new, fully modern American performance car built on the Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio platform? Now, that would be something. ▲
This devil will prevail The Demon has a base price of $109,995. It is, in many ways, much like a Bugatti Chiron for its unflinching focus – a production car created, without compromise, in this case to master the most American of motorsports: drag racing. It does so, magnificently, and nonetheless drives well on the street. Serious collectors will probably keep their cars pristine and the Demon Crate untouched. But that would be no fun. This diabolical muscle car, this tough and truly addictive machine is made to be driven, hard, on the quarter-mile. Giant kudos to SRT for building such a car, today. In Brampton, Ontario, Canada, eh! ▲
Keyword: Dodge Demon or Challenger SRT Widebody: Which is for you?