As FCA rolls out the latest video [1] in its series of teasers [2] for the new Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, we get to see the stance on the car, as well as the special Demon tires from Nitto [3]. The NT05R tires that we told you about in our last coverage [4] is now confirmed to be a smaller diameter than the typical 20-inch wheel/tire combo on the Challenger, as well as being a 315mm width.
The one shot of the “Body”, the title to the latest video, shows the car from the rear with the huge 315/40R18 Nittos, complete with the raised Demon logo, fitted to 18×11-inch wheels, apparently front and rear. We’ve learned that the wide tire/wheel setup will be at all four corners, not just the rear axle. With the car squared up wearing drag radials all around, does that indicate a possible AWD, despite our sources saying it won’t be?
The teaser photos leaked [4] last week, gave us just a glimpse of the “wide body” version of the 6.2 liter supercharged Challenger, and this photo shows just how hulky and bulky the car will be. Clearly, Dodge and head honcho Tim Kuniskis still plan to spank the competition on the dragstrip.
We also know from the previous teaser video [7] that the Challenger has gone on a diet, losing approximately 200 pounds in the process. The video shows the car slimming down in areas where they could cut some of the weight, and while it’s just 200 pounds it does put it a little closer to the weight of the standard Challenger.
But the fact that the special Nitto tires are going to be at all four corners tells us something else, other than the fact that this is the first production car to wear drag radials off the showroom floor: drag cars don’t need wide drag radials up front, where weight reduction is typical when hitting the strip.
So does this mean that we can expect to see the new Demon hitting the road course and putting down some track time to compete with the new Mustang GT350R, which is labeled as a street legal road racing beast itself?
Perhaps the coming videos from the IfYouKnowYouKnow website [2] will reveal the future plans of the Demon, but our money is on a much better handling car that, as Kuniskis has said, “will shut everyone up.”