Thought the 707bhp Challenger Hellcat was the ultimate possible iteration of the muscle car? Well, Dodge has just made a deal with the devil…
Earlier this week, Fiat Chrysler announced that it would unveil its latest, greatest and unholiest version of the Challenger yet at the New York Auto Show in April: the Challenger SRT Demon.
Not much is known about exactly what this Faustian bicep will look like, but it’s widely expected that it’ll be a production version of the Challenger GT concept unveiled at the 2015 SEMA show.
That means an angry-looking widebody kit to accommodate much wider tyres, along with even more power extracted from the existing Hellcat’s supercharged 6.2-litre Hemi V8 engine.
Exactly how much power remains to be seen, but the rumours put the Demon’s output at anywhere between 750-850bhp.
Widebody Hellcat with four-wheel drive rumoured
Interestingly, it’s rumoured that the Demon will also get four-wheel drive, a first for the Challenger after being introduced on the GT concept and almost a prerequisite for taming all that horsepower.
If the Hellcat was a middle finger to an era where manufacturers are more concerned with emissions regulations than power output, then the Demon is a kick in the face by comparison.
Tim Kuniskis, Dodge’s head of passenger cars, said: “Most cars attempt to be everything to everybody. Then there are the rare few that revel in a single objective, rendering them totally irresistible to a subculture.
“The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is conceived, designed and engineered for a subculture of enthusiasts who know that a tenth is a car and a half second is your reputation.”
The ultimate iteration of the muscle car’s ugly, brutish roots? Looks like it. In any case, you’ll have to wait until April to see the Demon’s final form, but you can colour us excited already.
