Dodge shocked the performance world when it launched the Challenger SRT Hellcat for the 2015 model year. With no less than 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque coming from its supercharged V-8, the Hellcat entered the history books as the most powerful production muscle car ever created. Two years have passed and Ford and Chevy have yet to deliver a worthy competitor. However, Dodge hasn't been resting on its laurels and has been working on an even more powerful version of the Hellcat. It goes by the name Challenger SRT Demon and will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April 2017.

The big news comes straight from Dodge and it's a bit of a surprise. Not only was the car not included in the five-year plan that FCA released in 2014, but it was also a very well kept secret, with no spy shots or leaked information whatsoever.

So what is this new Challenger Demon all about?

Dodge refrained from unveiling any specific details, but did mention that the new muscle car is "raising the bar again" and the Demon is described by words such as "ferocious" and "beast." So it's safe to assume that it will be significantly more powerful than the Hellcat. By how much, we don't know, but given that the Hellcat's supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 cranks out 707 horsepower, the Demon could get up to 800 horses. Holy cow!

The FCA-owned brand also launched a new website in anticipation of the Demon (www.ifyouknowyouknow.com), which will host no fewer than 12 teaser videos up until the car makes its debut in New York. The first episode is called "Cage" and it's already online. Unfortunately, it doesn't show the Demon, but just a quick glimpse of the headlamps and its high-performance braking system. Instead, the clip is centered around a caged, ferocious animal that's eventually released and morphs into a super human. The video ends with Metallica's "Fuel" song as a soundtrack, which seems more than appropriate for a gas-guzzler such as the Hellcat.

"Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire" sounds like one hell of a motto for beefed-up supercar.

Dodge says to keep an eye on the Demon's website for more information and videos, with the next clip to be released on January 18. The page also includes a countdown clock for each episode, with the 12th to be released ahead of the Demon's public debut at the New York Auto Show.

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Why It Matters

I have to be honest here; I never thought that Dodge would build a more powerful version of the Hellcat. The Challenger is pretty long in the tooth and with the coupe being set for a complete overhaul for the 2019 model year, it seemed like Dodge was happy to just roll out minor updates until the next-generation model arrives. It turns out I was wrong, but boy this makes me happy. It's somewhat ironic that the oldest muscle car on the market is also the most powerful and will receive an absolutely ludicrous version, but this is a clever way to keep an almost 10-year-old car in the spotlight. Kudos to Dodge for having the guts to build such a production model alongside the already incredible Challenger and Charger Hellcats, as well as the first production muscle car with all-wheel-drive (Challenger AWD).

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Demon name isn't exactly new on a Dodge. The company introduced it in 1971 for a two-door fastback version of the Dodge Dart. The nameplate was discontinued in 1972, but returned in 2007 on a roadster concept smaller than the Viper.