With the seemingly endless parade of teaser videos and pictures that Dodge is churning out to whet our appetites for the upcoming Challenger SRT Demon, there’s certainly been no shortage of speculation as to what will be offered under the hood. Most folks believe this drag monster will come equipped with the same blown 6.2-liter V-8 as the Challenger Hellcat, albeit with a bit more output than the 707 horsepower provided by the bad cat. However, no one expected this – electric motors and a battery pack.
The startling revelation comes courtesy of insider sources citing an internal memo between Dodge and SRT that looks to “explore alternative power sources” in the ongoing quest for ever-faster performance machines. One company official, who asked to remain anonymous, said the Tesla Model S was considered a serious threat to the Demon’s intended domination at the drag strip, and as such, Dodge would offer an even-faster Demon EV to counter.
While electric performance enthusiasts are thrilled at the prospect, traditionalists are appalled. “I want my car to sound like it’s a volcano erupting, with explosions and fire – not an overactive blender,” said one elderly racer upon hearing the news.
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The Full Story
Like Vin Diesel said in the first Fast & Furious movie – “It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning’s winning.”
That adage should hold true with regards to the powertrain that provides said winning – it doesn’t matter if you win with gasoline or electrons, right?
Still, it’s gotta be kinda embarrassing for anyone expecting ultimate power and speed from the V-8 Demon. Because after all, it won’t look great when the all-electric variant blows by the screaming internal combustion fury in a whoosh of near-silent tire noise and whirring motors.
But thus is the way of the future. The Demon EV heralds a time when battery power is the superlative source of performance. How fast we get there remains to be seen.
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
Read our full review on the upcoming 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon here.