Let’s get ready to rumble. In this corner is the bad boy with the name to back it up: the retired but still raucous old grizzly Dodge Demon. And in this corner is the rebellious roadster that roars: the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Who will emerge victorious in this battle for the ages?
Dodge Demon and Dodge Challenger Hellcat: At the Weigh-In
The agile contender Demon packs its power into a slightly lighter form, not quite reaching the Hellcat’s nearly 4,500 pounds of total heft. It flexes its muscles in an impressive physique, complete with hood scoop and Demon Crate pack add-ons. It rests on a set of drag radial tires practically groomed for the drag strip. That potent and revolutionary transbrake system enables dual deployment of the manual 1st and 2nd gears, upping engine speed and this ride’s drag racing cred.
The Hellcat answers with a distinctly retro exterior that still manages to be cool and contemporary. That flat, low roof and lean, mean grille make for a formidable foe in a stare-down. Flared fenders on the Widebody trim serve up an especially eye-pleasing look. An optional black satin-painted roof and sleek dual carbon stripes buff the aggressive mystique. And with nine color offerings, this leopard changes its spots with ease.
Rev Those Engines
In the first round, our two titans will spar over the high-performance capability they both possess as sports coupe muscle cars in the mighty Dodge Challenger line. The Hellcat packs a powerful punch with that super-charged 6.2-liter V-8 that owns the road with the horsepower of 717 elite stallions. Add in 650 pound-feet of torque, and you’ll see why this devil can get into a little good trouble.
The Demon counterpunches with a V-8 engine capable of delivering an even more potent swing of 840-horsepower combined with 770 pound-feet of torque. It breathes this firepower to reach 60 miles-per-hour in the literal blink of an eye at 2.1 seconds, as compared to the Hellcat’s slightly slower reaction time of three-plus seconds.
Styling and Profiling
Like all memorable bad boys, these guys have a heart of gold. The interior of the Hellcat features a layout made for the comfort and convenience of its owner. The cabin’s all decked out in beautiful leather, and you can toast those buns with front seats that are both heated and ventilated. This cat also leaves plenty of room to growl, with spacious roominess, a real-life big bin upfront, and cargo space capable of holding up to 15 suitcases.
That Uconnect infotainment system propels this ride clearly to the modern era, with auto navigation, enhanced audio features, standard safety features like forwarding collision warning and blind-spot monitoring, and a generous touchscreen that brings it all together. The Demon lacks many of the creature comforts (it doesn’t even have passenger seats), but it puts all that extra room to work for potential drag racing power-ups and for features such as rear roll bars and a four-point harness.
As both our contenders score plenty of KO-worthy points, but neither achieves a knock-out, we’ll leave this decision to the judges: our loyal driving enthusiasts. Stop by Ourisman Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Alexandria and give us your verdict by taking one of these hell-raisers for a test drive. If you are curious about our other models available, view our inventory and select the one for you!
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