This loud, enthusiastic discussion portrays how many of us feel about the new Demon.
This video discussing the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon comes to us from the Donut Media YouTube channel and it features host James Pumphery talking about the 840-horsepower muscle car as part of their Up To Speed series. Technically, he is yelling about it more than talking as he runs through the facts of the Demon that make it so special. Not all of his facts are quite right, but we can all appreciate his enthusiasm for America’s first factory-built nine-second street car.
Drag Racing Introduction
The odds are good that if you are reading this, you already know all of the key details of the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. If that is the case, you will likely find that this video is more of a beginner’s introduction on the 840-horsepower Mopar muscle car.
The host begins by explaining how drag racing works and he points out that no automaker had ever produced a purpose-built, street-legal car to dominate the drag strip – until the Demon arrived.
The host looks at the history of Dodge and Mopar in the world of drag racing, highlighting the early efforts that would eventually be the inspiration for the Demon.
Meet the Demon
Next, the host yells about the Demon’s engine, explaining how it differs from the Hellcat Hemi and emphasizing the horsepower by – you guessed it – yelling. He also makes a whole lot of mindless small talk between reciting the key aspects of the Demon, talking about trying to ride 840 actual horses.
He also talks about the unique styling cues, such as the huge hood scoop, the TransBrake and the weight reduction efforts. Of course, he does so by yelling about it.
He yells about the air conditioning system and how it cools the supercharger, which isn’t accurate. It cools the intercooler, but at least whoever wrote his script understands that the chiller system helps to cool the engine intake air. He also thinks that the tires are “basically slicks”, but anyone who knows slicks and drag radials knows that the Demon’s Nitto NT05R tires are far from slicks.
The host doesn’t drive the car, but the video is packed full of stock footage of the Demon lifting the front tires and storming down the track. Even with the confusion on some of the features, Donut Media’s enthusiasm over the 840-horsepower is understandable, so Mopar fans will appreciate the need to yell about the quickest and most powerful American production road car ever.
"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.
