It’s Always Cool in the 2018 Dodge Demon’s World

When the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon arrives later this year, it will be the first-ever production road car to use the interior AC system to lower intake air temperature.

The latest bit of information on the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon was released this morning and this week, we learn about one of the most unique features on the new Mopar monster. Unlike any production car in the world, the new Demon will come with a standard liquid-to-air charge air cooler chiller system, which uses the vehicle’s interior air conditioning system to chill the Hemi’s dedicated intercooler cooling loop.

The biggest enemy of an high performance engine is heat, but with a supercharged machine like the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, heat can play a big role in reducing power and increasing elapsed times at the track. Like the Challenger Hellcat and most other factory forced induction vehicles sold in the world, the new Demon will have a traditional water-to-air intercooler system with a dedicated cooling loop. This dedicated supercharger cooling circuit allows the Hellcat Hemi to run cooler than a supercharge engine without a dedicated cooling loop, but the Demon takes those cooling efforts a step further – using the interior AC system to cool the intercooler temps (IC) and the engine intake air temperature (IAT)

These lowered IC and IAT figures allow the Demon’s supercharged Hemi to produce better power, especially on hot days, but this system will also allow the newest Challenger to make big power more consistently. The liquid-to-air charge air cooler chiller system works in conjunction with Drag Mode, and when that track-ready setup is selected, the freezing cold air from the interior AC system is rerouted to the intercooler system, effectively lowering intake air temperatures by as much as 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

For example, say that a new Demon is making a run against a 2016 Hellcat Challenger on a 100 degree day. The Hellcat Challenger’s dedicated intercooler coolant loop will help to lower intake air temps, but when the air working to cool the intercooler is up around 100 degrees – the impact of the intercooler system can be vastly reduced. For the Hellcat car, the air entering the engine after it has been compressed will likely be in the area of 130-140 degrees, but with the Demon, the air cooling the intercooler system is much cooler, having been provided by the air conditioning system. As a result, the Demon would see IAT figures up to 45 degrees lower than the Hellcat Challenger, so when the Hellcat is making power with intake air at 140 degrees, the Demon is breathing air at or under 100 degrees. With cooler intake air temperatures, the engine can safely produce more power.

Basically, this system guarantees that the 2018 Challenger Demon is running in cool air regardless of the ambient air temperatures — giving it a big advantage over other cars at the track.

In addition to the information on the first-ever production road car with a liquid-to-air charge air cooler chiller system which utilizes the interior AC system, Dodge released a new teaser video titled “No Ice”. Many racers will pack bags of ice on top of the engine to try to reduce component temperatures between runs, but Dodge Demon drivers won’t have to worry about that, as cooler components and lower intake air temperatures are always available with the push of the Drag Mode button.

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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