Dodge Demon Lays Down Law (of Physics) in Latest Teaser
CARS.COM — Dodge’s trail of video breadcrumbs leading to the 2017 New York International Auto Show continues today with “Third Law,” a clip teasing the suspension tuning that will maximize the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon’s launch force when the drag-strip Christmas tree goes green.
Related: How the Dodge Demon Plans to Blow Competitors Away
The video title is a cryptic physics reference to Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action (or force), there is an equal and opposite reaction. In practice — the suspension, along with the 315-width Nitto NT05R drag radial tires shown last week wrinkled under load in “Forced Induction” — seems to translate to launching the Demon with maximized force and minimal fuss (i.e., movement, not a huge Hellcat burnout).
Dodge says the new video shows how the Demon’s Drag Mode (details still to come), combined with its electronic and mechanical suspension tuning, takes Challenger SRT Hellcat performance to another level to maximize weight transfer and traction, “while still maintaining precision directional control.” That’s key because more conventional drag-strip suspension tuning works great in a straight line but is a bear if you need to change course.
Dodge lists the hardware changes as 35 percent lower-rate front springs and 28 percent lower-rate rear springs, 75 percent lower-rate hollow front sway bar and 44 percent lower-rate rear sway bar, and drag-tuned Bilstein adaptive shock absorbers. And it continues the physics lesson with some obscure equations for the software tuning; see them all here.
The Demon is to be unveiled at an event ahead of the New York show in April. Watch the “Third Law” video below, and follow along or catch up with the campaign at www.ifyouknowyouknow.com.
