Demon Gets Line Lock, After-Run Chiller and Enhanced Performance Pages

The 9^th and newest batch of teaser information on the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon dropped today and this week, we learn about a variety of high tech, go-fast features while also seeing the number 757 pop up once again.

The key information in this week’s 2018 Demon information centers on the image above of a new feature of the Performance Pages. The newest Challenger will have a cooling graph which will show the progress of the unique After-Run Chiller system. This system works by means of the intercooler cooling system pump and the electric cooling fans – both of which stay on when the engine has been shut off. In most cases, when you turn off the engine, the cooling system also stops working, so even though heat will disperse, it does so very slowly. The After-Run Chiller system keeps the intercooler coolant pumping through the system while a cooling fan continues moving cool air through the dedicated supercharger cooling loop.

When someone shuts off the Demon with the After-Run Chiller system engaged, the engine computer will monitor the temperature of the intercooler loop, keeping the fluid and air moving until an ideal temperature has been reached – at which point the system will shut down. This will help to cut down on the effects of heat soak, allowing the Demon to make more runs in a narrow period of time with less cool-down time.

Of course, in addition to the cooling graph, the Performance Pages for the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon will be similar to the system in the Hellcat cars, with an engine power gauge, a variety of timers, a g-meter and a spread of auxiliary gauges, as well as the controls for the Drive Mode system. The Demon will also feature a similar dyno graph screen to the one introduced on the new SRT 392 Durango, with both real time and historic power numbers.

Speaking of Drive Modes, the 2018 Challenger Demon will have three of them – Auto, Drag and Custom. These three modes each alter the engine power, the throttle response, the shift schedule of the transmission, the stiffness of the adaptive suspension, the electronic steering and the traction control system. Auto constantly monitors the driver’s style and makes adjustments for the most comfortable or most aggressive drive on the fly. Drag Mode sets everything to the most aggressive settings for the best possible track performance and in Custom, the driver can pick between three different levels of performance for each of the parameters above – similar to the setup on the Hellcat Challenger.

Also included in the Performance Pages app are the controls for both Launch Assist and line lock. Launch assist will aide unskilled drivers in getting off of the line as quickly as possible while line lock will make it even easier to do a burnout in this supercharged Mopar muscle car.

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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