A new advertisement for the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon claims that it’s the world’s fastest 0-100-mph production car, at least when you take out “non-mass production vehicles” and “hybrid/electric” vehicles out of the equation. The self-aware advertisement is hilarious on so many levels, not the least of which is Dodge admitting that the Challenger SRT Demon isn’t faster than the Tesla Model S.
Say what you will about Dodge, but it knows its place in the pecking order of things. At least that appears to be the case in its new advertisement for the Challenger SRT Demon. The automaker knows that it has a monster of a car on its hands, but it also admits to the fact that, as fast and as powerful as the Challenger SRT Demon is, it can be outdone by electric cars.
A big part of the Demon’s disadvantage relative to an electric car like the Model S is the lack of traction it has. The instant torque that an electric motor can deliver is a huge boon for cars, especially those equipped with an all-wheel-drive set-up. That’s the kind of advantage the Model S has over a car like the Dodge Challenger SRT.
That’s not to say that the Demon is inferior because it could still catch up over the course of a race, but it’s usually doesn’t end up making a big difference because, at that point, it would be a little too late.
Dodge is aware of that, hence the admission, albeit as a small disclaimer, that its claim to being the fastest production car in the world excludes non-mass production vehicles — the supercars of the world — and hybrid and electric vehicles like the Model S.
That’s not to say that the Challenger SRT Demon is a slowpoke by comparison because it’s not. It still packs a 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine that produces 840 horsepower and 770 pound-feet of torque, giving it enough juice to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in only 2.3 seconds. And yet, it still can’t beat the Tesla Model S, something that Dodge has come out essentially admitted.
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Performacne Specificatiosn
|
ENGINE |
SUPERCHARGED 6.2-LITER HEMI DEMON V-8 |
|
Availability |
Standard on Challenger SRT Demon |
|
Type and Description |
90-degree V-type, liquid-cooled |
|
Displacement |
370 cu. in. (6,166 cu.cm) |
|
Bore x Stroke |
4.09 x 3.58 (103.9 x 90.9) |
|
Valve System |
Pushrod-operated overhead valve, 16 valves with sodium-filled exhausts and hollow stem intakes, 16 hydraulic roller lifters |
|
Fuel Injection |
Sequential, multiport, electronic, returnless |
|
Construction |
Deep-skirt cast-iron block with cross-bolted main bearing caps, aluminum alloy heads with hemispherical combustion chambers |
|
Compression Ratio |
9.5:1 |
|
Power (estimated SAE net) |
840 HP @ 6,300 RPM (Direct Connection Performance Engine Controller and high-octane unleaded fuel) |
|
Torque (estimated SAE net) |
770 LB-FT @ 4,500 RPM (Direct Connection Performance Engine Controller and high-octane unleaded fuel) |
|
Max. Engine Speed |
6,500 RPM |
|
TRANSMISSION |
TORQUEFLITE 8HP90 EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC |
|
Availability |
Standard |
|
Availability |
Adaptive electronic control with full manual control via gear selector or paddle shifters, with three SRT-unique selectable modes: Street, Sport and Drag (features TransBrake™, rev-matching, performance shifting and gear holding feature) |
|
Description |
151k |
|
Torque converter |
2.3 seconds |
|
0 to 60 mph |
9.65 seconds @ 140 mph |
Further Reading
Read our full review on the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.
Read our full review on the 2018 Dodge Challenger.
Read our full review on the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.
Read our full review on the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Wide-Body.
Read more Dodge news.