By Chelsea Higgins
The Dodge Demon seems to be one car that has motor enthusiasts completely divided. Any of us that have access to the Internet and a love for cars have probably seen the debates, the memes, and the sarcasm. We have people on one side who pass off the Demons track times as a marketing ploy, comparing it to their own vehicles. On the other we have people who are awe-struck by the performance of this vehicle. However, the specifics and the science behind this beautiful machine speak volumes in and of themselves.
The Dodge Demon is the first stock, street legal drag car. The price tag and the sleek exterior gives the Demon the luxurious look and feel that high end vehicle collectors jump at. The first thing that most would notice is the wide body, the demon is 3.5 inches wider than a standard challenger, and with a back end like that, its bound to catch the eye of many. Beyond that, the wheels are a sight in themselves, an impressive 8 by 11-inch wheel with Nitto NT05R tires measuring an astounding 315/40R18. These drag radials are Demon branded and designed specifically to work with the car. The Demon is also equipped with a trans brake, which has never been done in a factory street car before now. Dodge claims that the Demon has a 9.6 second quarter mile time, and can get from 0-30kmp/h in one second flat. This can be attributed to the 6.2-liter HEMI Demon V8 engine, 770 pound-feet of torque, 840 horsepower and 1.8G (which sits pretty at the highest level of G-force for a production car). Somehow, even with all of this power behind it, this beast is still street legal.
Another thing that continues on with the luxurious feel of the vehicle is the option of purchasing the crate. The crate includes an array of tools and parts. Dodge has gone all out with this additional feature, providing consumers with high quality tools from Snap-On. These include, a hydraulic floor jack with carrying bag, a cordless impact wrench with charger, a torque wrench, a tire-pressure gauge, a fender cover, a tool bag and a foam case that fits into the trunk and securely holds the front runners. The parts that are included in the crate are intended so that owners are able to interchange their standard daily parts with their performace parts to secure the best possible track times, these include: a performance powertrain control module with high-octane engine calibration, replacement switch module with high-octane button, conical performance air filter, passenger mirror block-off plate and front-runner drag wheels. This one small box is truly a game changer in both quality and performance enhancing.
In a day and age where motor companies are striving to release cars that are; fuel economic, safe and with enough power to get from a to b efficiently- the Demon is Dodge’s all out attempt to release the fastest production drag car to date. This isn’t a car that is being marketed to families, or to people who are comfortable with driving a Swift. This car is marketed for those of us who have a craving for pure power and speed. Sure, it’s absolutely stunning to look at, but the power behind it is what is being called into question.
Many are claiming that their modified supras and skylines could outrun the Demon. However, there are flaws in that argument. Firstly, the Demon isn’t a modified vehicle; it is pulling 9.6 seconds to the quarter mile fresh off the production line. If the diff and transmission were upgraded in the demon, and worked on the intake, heads and cam it could probably pull low 8-/high 7-second quarter mile times, but that’s neither here nor there. 
Plus, these cars are likely pulling 13-second quarter mile times; maybe knock off a second or two in perfect conditions. Secondly, the tens of thousands that are being poured into these cars that could potentially be a couple of years younger than the driver and more than likely no longer street legal as a result, almost nullifies the argument completely. You’d be hard off to find a heavily modified supra or skyline that not only fits the criteria of an entirely street legal vehicle (whether that be too low, too loud, illegal tires and the like), but can also drive straight from the suburbs to the track and perform as well as the Demon, exactly as it is.
Now, there’s no doubt that these modified cars have the power behind them. Pair that with an experienced driver and great conditions, and the track times will be awesome. However, the vehicles themselves are worlds apart and that’s just the fact of it. Its like comparing apples to oranges; sure they’re both sweet, they’re both good for you, they both satisfy your hunger, but they’re entirely different things. The Demon is a luxury vehicle, and every part of it is curated to perfection, from stock, to perform at the speed that it does. There’s no arguing that car fanatics around the globe are proud of their builds, and they have every right to be, they have every right to strive for success and improve their performance with every new additional feature, but that’s exactly what Dodge has done as a brand. They strived to create the fastest production street legal drag car, and they succeeded.
So instead of one car tearing our community in two, embrace it, and embrace your builds because while the Dodge Demon is sitting at the top right now, there will always be faster cars in the future, there will always be new engines, and revolutionary engineering. And who knows, it could be any one of us that discovers it.
