The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Will Out-Punch The Hellcat

Dodge is resurrecting one of its feistiest nameplates for an even more potent car than the Hellcat, the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. Set to be unveiled next week at the New York International Auto Show, details about the new car are in short supply, but Dodge is promising to drip-tease us tidbits to keep us going. One thing seems almost certain: we're talking about more than 707 horsepower here.

That's the (still frankly astonishing) amount of power that the current Challenger Hellcat has on tap. Launched two years ago, the SRT Hellcat wowed even time-jaded muscle car fans with its combination of ridiculous performance and a comparatively affordable price tag. While it isn't cheap, at just shy of $65k, at the same time it's far less than the sort of supercar you'd previously have needed to cough up for if you wanted this sort of power.

That's not to say it was a perfect car, mind. Dodge's focus on horsepower, squeezing as much as possible out of the 6.2-liter V8 HEMI engine, didn't leave much room elsewhere. Getting all that power down to the asphalt can be tricky, therefore, if you don't want clouds of smoke and eye-catching wheelspin. Cornering, too, isn't necessarily the Hellcat's strong point.

According to the rumor-mill, though, that may be where the Demon steps in. Whispers were already rife about the possibility of an all-wheel drive Challenger, which would be dressed up in wide-body form with meatier tires for SRT Hellcat AWD duty. Now, there are questions as to whether that car will in fact be the mysterious Challenger SRT Demon, pairing the infamous straight-line speed of its predecessor with the ability to go around corners with just as much enthusiasm.

How much might that cost? It's the big question Dodge fans – and existing Hellcat owners – are already asking, and something we'll admit to being mighty curious about ourselves. The Challenger range has a little headroom before you start getting into more exotic territory, but after a point it'll have to start cranking up its cabin quality and general refinement too.

We'll know more in just a few days time. Dodge is promising more teaser videos ahead of the big Demon reveal in New York City, and it's shaping up to be an interesting year for American muscle-car enthusiasts.

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