Dodge brought out the big guns for the recent Midwest Auto Media event at Road America racetrack.
Their two new sluggers left the crowd in awe! The SRT Durango was a surprising arrival — considering it has never been seen in real life to date. The huge news with this monster-V8 SUV is that its tires are simply massive. Taller than you might expect and wider than most true performance cars — these Pirellis are critical for putting so much power to the ground. Dodge promises performance to wallop the Yukon Denali and even out-handle the SRT Grand Cherokee.
But the real star had yet to WhirrRRRRRR and rumble up the driveway.
For the first time ever outside the NY Auto Show, it is the incredible 2018 Demon!
This beast cranks the supercharger beyond max to deliver its 800-plus ponies and 9-second quarter miles. Pricing ranges from $86 to 98k and this production hotrod is firmly en route to showrooms this Fall as a 2018 model-year.
Dodge really outdid themselves on this special. We not only heard the EXTRA loud belt whirr from up front and the functional “air grabber” hood feeding a humongous cone intake. But heard its roar from out back as well! It was thisclose to spitting fire and raw petrol out those hard-working twin pipes.
News on the tires! The skinnies shown in NY are not standard — for safety reasons on the street the Demon wears obscenely large front rubber to balance the giant contact patches out back. Barely contained within the widebody kit, the Demon is exquisite in person. The details make it really exciting. From the candy gloss B5 Blue paint extending under the hood to the side-marked amber lights in a new shape to fit the fender bulges.
The bodykit actually looks totally natural on Challenger Demon somehow. Natural and necessary for this wide track marvel.
Slightly new LEDs out back and unique, Demon-headed inner LED lamps up front set the mood nicely. The cast head of the Demon emerging from the supercharger’s intercooler atop the engine, the race harnesses inside and the unique hood make for a future classic — in the flesh. On two videos and a few dozen photos here!
2018 Dodge Durango SRT
2018 Dodge DEMON
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
Mr. Burkart is available for all questions and concerns by email Tom(at)car-revs-daily.com.