Leave it to the Dodge Challenger to take drag-racing into production. Which they just announced they will be doing. For practical reasons, of course.
The much-ballyhooed 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon will come with a transbrake, as confirmed by the newest teaser video (above) and a report from Motor Trend. Commonly used in the drag circuit, a transbrake allows for a quicker launch with less stress on the powertrain.
It works like so: the transbrake chokes up the transmission’s output shaft, allowing for the driver to rev up the engine without lurching forward. You can do this with transbrake-deficient makes by holding down the brake. But the Challenger lets one release the transbrake by simply pulling the paddle shifters. All in, it makes for a 30 percent increase in reaction time while preloading the torque and reducing the damage to power parts in the process.
With an estimated 757 horsepower and a 215-pounds-lighter fighting weight than the Hellcat, it’s a true blue revival muscle car. We can hear the sirens already.
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