The Dodge Demon has the performance credentials to give any self-respecting man with a need for speed a sizable stiffy, but should a line be drawn that prevents cars above a certain level of performance to be registered for on-road use? One of Dodge’s big selling points – outside of 808 ponies, 717 pound-feet of torque, and a 2.3-second sprint to 60 mph – is that the Demon can be tracked in the morning and then driven home that night because it meets all U.S. safety standards for a road-going vehicle. In other words, you don’t need a trailer queen to dominate the track. For most of us, that’s a favorable idea, but at least one bozo over at Automotive News (who has, of course, remained anonymous) has the bright idea that the Demon should be banned from public roads.
That’s right; we’re Americans – we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Unless, someone has an unfavorable opinion about something, and then that thing should be banned. It’s an on-going fight that has put things like guns, trans fats, McDonald's happy meal toys, and even bottled water, among a long list of other liberal-hated items, in the cross-hairs for potential banning in this country of ours that is “free.” So, what is the argument Mr. or Ms. Annonymous over at Automotive News has against the Dodge Demon? It is apparently “inherently dangerous to the common safety of motorists as a road-worthy automobile” due to its “barely legal slick tires” and “monstrous acceleration.” He (or she, to be fair) says the car is a “sequence of misguided corporate choices that places bragging rights ahead of public safety.”
Automotive News
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Oddly enough, the Demon has already been “banned” from regulated drag strips by the NHRA because it’s too fast, and apparently, that’s enough to say it shouldn’t be on the roads either. Because, you know, every obnoxious, uneducated, and inexperienced teenager will surely be able to get behind the wheel of one of these 808-horsepower motorist killers. Hell, while we’re at it, we might as well ban just about every supercar on the market, and if we’re talking about dangers to others, we should probably ban the Ford Mustang too – we all know what happens every time there’s a Cars and Coffee meet, right? At the end of the day, the Dodge Demon – as we know it now – fully complies with federal motor vehicle safety standards, so as far as I’m concerned, let them cruise the public roads. Chances are, the man behind the wheel will be well beyond the dumb years where showboating is the norm, and with an expected price tag of around $80,000 it’s not likely you’re neighbors Fast and Furious wannabe teenager will ever get behind the wheel anyway. Quit trying to ban things you don’t like or don’t understand – that’s not the American way. Well, at least not yet anyway. What do you all think? Is this ridiculous or does Mr./Ms. Anonymous over at Automotive News make a good point? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Automotive News