The Demon has Anti Lag, Making for a Great Ringtone

The Demon will launch like no other road car with technology never before offered on a road car.

We already know that the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon will have a stronger driveshaft, a stronger rear differential, stronger axle shafts, steeper gears and drag radial tires developed specifically for this car – all of which will help this new Mopar muscle car launch over and over again without breaking anything.

Today we learn about a new high tech feature which will help the Demon get off of the line and down the track better than any road car before it, as this race-ready 2018 Challenger will be the first production car with a factory anti-lag system. This technology, which Dodge calls a torque reserve system, has long been used in the world of high performance forced induction vehicles via the aftermarket, but the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon is the first production road car to offer such a system from the factory.

One of the few faults with a supercharged engine when drag racing is boost lag, which is the time between when you launch and when your engine reaches peak boost and peak power levels. Even though there is very little boost lag with the Hellcat Hemi, every fraction of a second counts on the drag strip, so the new Demon will utilize the torque reserve anti-lag system to get boost levels up before launch.

The Demon’s torque reserve system works as part of the Launch Assist system, so when the driver activates Launch Assist, pulls to the line and brings the engine RPM up over 1,000rpm, the anti-lag system kicks in. First, the torque reserve system closes the supercharger bypass valve, which allows boost levels to build with the engine RPM. Once that valve is closed, the engine computer adjusts fuel delivery and spark timing to increase engine RPM while keeping power levels low by effectively deactivating alternating cylinders.

Since engine power levels remain low, there is less stress on the transmission, the drivetrain and the brakes as the Demo prepares for launch, but since engine RPM is increasing, boost levels are also increasing. When the driver launches, the torque reserve system disengages, firing on all cylinders and leaving the starting line with more boost and more power than a comparably powerful vehicle without a system like this. Also, in addition to offering more power on launch and applying less stress to the drivetrain components before launch, this system allows the supercharged Hemi to reach full boost and full power levels earlier in the run.

Anyone who is familiar with the function of an anti-lag system knows that in addition to providing more power on launch, this will also create a unique exhaust sound from the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon when it prepares for a quarter mile run. The unique “stutter” of the revving engine with anti-lag engaged is unmistakable to those who know of the technology, and in most high performance cars – the anti-lag sound is a thing of beauty.

To give us all a chance to showcase the roar of the Demon on launch, there is no a new ringtone available on IfYouKnowYouKnow.com for smartphone users along with a new teaser video offering up an example of the system in action. If nothing else, the new Demon ringtone will allow me to replace the Hellcat ringtone that I started using back in 2014.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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