2010 Dodge Demon: A Stylish and Affordable Sports Car at Last

Summary

The Dodge Demon for 2010 will ride on a platform jointly engineered with Mercedes. The Dodge Demon concept car weighs about 250 lb less than the Pontiac Solstice. It uses a 2.4 liter engine to put 172 horsepower to the rear wheels, through a six-speed manual transmission, for fun but not supercar performance. The same basic chassis could be used for hatchbacks (for Europe), sedans, and other vehicles; a sedan or hatch version has been reported on as separate from the Caliber and China-car. The concept car itself uses a Viper rear suspension with a Caliber front suspension, but something more SLK-like is probably to be expected in production.  

Full Preview 2010

A Dream Realized

"While the iconic Dodge Viper is a dream car for many, the Dodge Demon is designed to be an attainable dream car," said Jae Chung Dodge Demon Principal Exterior Designer, Chrysler Group. "The exterior design is simple yet bold, featuring an energetic combination of curves and intersecting planes."

The body side of the Dodge Demon main character line flows up and over the front wheel, then drops diagonally to an angular color -keyed vent on the rear fender that directs cooling air to the rear brakes. The resulting muscular fender form projects boldly beyond the main body, underscoring that the Dodge Demon concept is a rear-wheel-drive machine.

"In the manner of timeless British sports cars, the interior of the Dodge Demon is purposely functional, not frivolous," said Dan Zimmermann Dodge Demon Principal Interior Designer. Immediately forward of the wheel, the four-gauge cluster features classic white-on-black dials with graphics inspired by sports watches. The doors feature durable, vertical grab handles, each anchored to a silver bezel housing the chrome door remote handle. The lower portion of each door features a stylish brushed aluminum bezel that encapsulates the large circular speaker grille and then drops sharply as it moves rearward to form the map pocket outer panel, mimicking a feature line on the car's exterior.

Two Seat Roadster

Individual brushed aluminum and carbon fiber roll bars are positioned directly behind the bucket seats. With long seat tracks, there is ample storage behind the seats. The Dodge Demon concept is an affordable Dodge sports car which merges brand cues of bold design and powerful performance with an open-air "fun-to-drive" attitude.

Like other affordable sports cars, the 2010 Dodge Demon wraps off-the-shelf mechanical components in a distinctive two-seat roadster package.  

Chrysler is bound to undercut the competition, if only because Chrysler knows how to take cost out of a vehicle to meet a price point. In an interview with Wards Auto, Chrysler's Design Chief Trevor Creed said that the Demon is at the top of his agenda and that conditions are ideal for the car to get a green light. Chrysler has yet to release official plans to make the Demon, but it sounds as the car is on the right track to make production.

Power comes from a 172 horsepower 2.4 liter engine, offering peak torque of 165 pound-feet. A six-speed manual sends power to the rear wheels. Weight is estimated a 2600 pounds. Dodge officials say an SRT version could also be offered with a 300 horsepower four-cylinder from the Dodge Caliber SRT-4.

Class Leading Pricing

Cars.com reported on the Dodge Demon at a recent car show, click here for more information.

American roadster enthusiasts can only hope Dodge forges ahead with the Demon design, as the expected starting price is set to be a class-leading  US$15,000 despite being powered by a 2.4-liter 172hp motor in base trim. Expect the Demon to hit American showrooms sometime in 2010.