December 19: Demon - heavy breathing exercise

300 HP. Three hundred horsepower. Once upon a time that was a big deal. I have that much in my Maxima and its only claim to fame is that it will crack a six second 0-60 time. Big deal, an EcoBoost F-150 will that that as well. My '76 Corvette had 180 HP, my '87 Camaro IROC had 185, while my '95 Z-28 had a monstrous 285. My, how times have changed.

And have they ever changed. Dodge rolled the dice with the Hellcat, featuring a huge 707 HP power rating. Figured they would only sell about twenty five hundred. Well, that figure was soon eclipsed and this motor keeps on  rockin', while finding its way into a Jeep and a Dodge suv. Then this happened........

 Take one Hellcat, add additions like fender flares and a rather large hood scoop and give it a hugely powerful 840 HP engine. Lord have mercy! Most powerful production car on the planet and the wet dream of testosterone filled kids everywhere. Oh, and also delete the back seat and the front passenger seat. You see where this is going? Dodge figures there is only one place for this beast and that is the quarter mile. But they haven't forgotten the everyday driver, so for a little coin, you can add a front and rear seat. How little, you ask? $1.00. Got that? One dollar for each seat.

 Look for the red devil on the front fender, to differentiate this ride from the garden variety Hellcat.

Only three hundred coming to Canada and we snagged one for a very good client, so let's check out the other differences on the one sitting down the hall from my office. First the hood.......

 ......and those fender flares........

......and finally those wild tires........

Note.......no tread, except for those two worm trails thru the rubber. Rainy day? No problem. Call in sick, since this baby ain't going anywhere, anytime soon. There is one more big difference, but unfortunately you'll have to take my word for it. The sound. When this drag strip bound terror lights up, it sounds like a NASCAR stocker at idle. Wonderful.  

With all this power the Demon can do what no other production can, pull a wheelie...........

Now, here is where it gets interesting. Built for the track, this car is illegal as it sits, since the NHRA insists (and rightly so) that any car capable of this feat must have a roll cage. Easy fix and you can rocket down the quarter mile in 9.65 seconds at 140 miles per hour. Go faster than 150 MPH, and they'll make you add a parachute. And this right off the showroom floor and for only a few bucks over $100 grand. Gosh we live in great times.

Got the coin and a desire to act like John Force? Then check out your bank account and call your local Dodge dealer fast, as these performance anomalies won't last.

Until next time........