Will There Be No Demons in 2019?

The sun is setting on the Dodge Demon

We've never tried to conceal our excitement over the ridiculously powerful Dodge Demon around these parts, and we know we're not alone. The Demon's arguably been the most hyped and fawned-over set of wheels to hail from the Dodge family in years, and it's got a list of world-setting records for the rest of the industry to look up to. So it's both sad and bittersweet to say the Dodge Demon will be disappearing about as quick as it showed in the first place.

"Congratulations on being one of only 3,300 passionate performance enthusiasts to own a piece of automotive history.” So reads the letter that comes with each of the 2018 Dodge Demons. From this text alone, it can be inferred that Dodge wasn't planning on extending production of this car into 2019 and beyond. Though not uncommon for limited edition sports cars to be "one and done" after a single model year, the Demon feels like it's been an exception from the get-go. With the striking (and well-deserved) success the Demon has enjoyed so far, it's some surprise Dodge has decided to limit their supercar to one year.

We're not big on the idea of an exorcised future in our midst. Regardless, we can speculate some reasons why Dodge would have gone this route. The Dodge Demon's story's still far from over of course, but at least as official channels are concerned, they could chalk up the gravestone already; the Demon's end date is set.

>>Join the conversation about the Demon Being Sent Off into the Sunset right here in Dodge Forum.

The story so far...

If you need a quick recap, let's get up to date on that mystique that makes the Demon great. We needn't introduce the Dodge Challenger, a car that could make the Mustang and Corvette when it wanted to. Dodge's performance packages have always been exceptionally overpowered, and we thought they had set a strong standard with the Challenger Hellcat. With the arrival of the Dodge Demon, it's not just the Hellcat that looks meek; every production car you've ever heard of is mild in comparison. 

The Demon's breaking records at, well, a record-breaking pace. Fastest 0-100 MPH acceleration of any production car? Check. Ditto for fastest 1/4 mile and the whopping 840 horses under the hood. Dodge is clearly just as amped about the success of this limited edition variant, as they've made some small mention of it on their official page.

>>Join the conversation about the Demon Being Sent Off into the Sunset right here in Dodge Forum.

Is a discontinuation justified?

An MRSP of $84,995 might seem like a lot until you consider this car is meant to match up against the sort of performance supercars that cost as much as a good house. A relatively shy price means little now that the Demon's being kept limited. If and when they start appearing on the used market, you can rest assured the sale price will be a great deal higher. That might be part of the point of the point of course... 

Ford opted to double their production of the GT when demand permitted it. In the case of Dodge, there's a cleverness in holding back. Opening the floodgates would make each individual Demon less exclusive and "special"; the demand could dwindle just as the supply tries to meet it. Even going against the strict limits indicated in the official letter they included could be enough to keep them in their place.

Measuring success on its own terms.

Sports cars get a lot of the attention in the automotive world. That shouldn't be confused with the bottom line. There's a much smaller profit margin to be made from something like the Demon than, say, trucks and SUVs. For what it lacks in practicality, nothing gets the heart-stirring like a pure-blooded muscle car. Nothing gets people talking quite so much either.

For the Dodge Demon, it's not sales that matter, but fame and notoriety. A product like the Demon is a statement of technological superiority first and foremost. When Dodge offers a car with specs like this, they know that word and demand will spread. By keeping a lid on the supply, they're ensuring the Demon's magic will stay fresh. 

>>Join the conversation about the Demon Being Sent Off into the Sunset right here in Dodge Forum.

Bye-bye Demon... Our time together is running out.

Dodge has long-term aspirations in this. As fans, so should we. It wouldn't make sense for Dodge to stop with the Demon, especially now they know the public is hankering for twisted metal like this. Even after all of the Demons are grabbed up, there could be something even better under their hood within the next few years.  The sooner the Dodge Demon is gone, the sooner it will take its place as an automotive legend. Perhaps that's what the Demon was meant to be more than anything else.

>>Join the conversation about the Demon Being Sent Off into the Sunset right here in Dodge Forum.

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