The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

Everyone has heard the name of this car. Finally after months of rumors, teasers, hints the Demon is finally here! Finally after joining this world again after months of exams this was the car that caught my attention. After all it's the all muscle, beast to the core Dodge Challenger!
This image blew me away as I thought this was way better than the previous versions. Even though the visual changes are few, they are quite distinct. The air-grabber hood has 42.5 square-inch scoop, the halo headlights now feature two intakes instead of one, and large wheel wells cover the wheels and tires.

This car has never let down expectations and Demon has perhaps superseded our expectations. It boasts 840 hp, 770 lb-ft. of torque, 0-60mph in 2.3 sec and Dodge is trying to keep it priced under $100,00! The whopping horsepower figure makes it the most powerful production V-8 and it is the quickest production car with its 2.3 sec. 

The red painted supercharged 6.2 liter Hemi V-8 has been significantly improved over the Hellcat. It's equipped with a larger 2.7 liter supercharger that turns boost up to 14.5 psi, redlines at 6,500 and has SRT Power Chiller. It's a system by Dodge that uses the air conditioning to cool the air coming in through the new Air Grabber hood scoop. The salient feature is that there is an after-run cooler that cools the supercharger post shut-off to keep the engine running time and again.

In my previous post on V-8 and V-12's I had mentioned the importance of rod alignments. In the Demon the pistons and the connecting rods have been strengthened to deal with higher load. In order to have sufficient juice in the engine, the Demon uses duel fuel pumps. This accounts for its tremendous horsepower value despite it being a V-8.

Such power to a car just cannot be due to increase in its engine power; it's also because of its reduction in weight. Dodge has reduced more than 200 pounds of bulk and that adds significantly  to its performance. For example the picture below shows that the back seats and some audio systems have been removed which alone removes near 80 pounds!

To get the best possible launches possible, the Demon's TransBrake system locks the transmission output shaft in order to hold the car at a standing start. The shift paddle triggers the system, giving better launches than using two feet, holding the brake with one foot and the gas with the other. The transmission has been improved with a new torque converter that has a stall speed 11% higher than the Hellcat's. 

The Torque reverse system works in conjunction with TransBrake. Basically a bypass vale closes, pre-filling the supercharger and building boost, just above idle. The system activates above 950 rpm and then adjusts fuel flow and spark to get the optimum horsepower.

It is a fact that Challenger's have been crucial to Drag racing. The new Drag Mode works to reduce wheel hop. Wheel slip detectors detect slip and lower torque in order to keep the wheels planted to the ground, in all reducing wheelspin. The front Bilstein shocks are set for firm compression and soft rebound damping, while the rear Bilstein shocks are set for firm compression and firm rebound damping. They hold the setting while under wide-open throttle, firming back up the the gas is released.

What doesn't this car offer that would throw anyone off their feet. I don't think one could have wished for a better Challenger. If you have the money then it is worth spending on this  because I'm  telling you, it doesn't get better than this.

It's smoking hot

V-8 V-12, What's in a name?

When I started discovering the world of automobiles, I kept thinking what the hell did the V in the cars meant. But as I continued, I gradually forgot about it, till I experienced the sound of a Mustang. That made me look into this "V", that everyone kept taking about.
The first thing I found was that Mustangs have V-8. Oh! So now there were different types of V's! Just great! And so began my search on V-8, V-12 and the different types along with them. I could get first hand experience on few while I gradually learned about the others. That is what today's post is dedicated to.

V is the shape of the engine. It is a configuration in which the air chamber and pistons are aligned to each (by fixing on a common rod called camshaft), at angles making a V. The number assigned to the V configuration refers to the number of cylinders attached to the camshaft. So, an 8 means that 8 cylinders are attached to the camshaft, and 12 means four more. That leads to the next question that does 12 mean more power? The answer depends on the physical features of the car. If say the car is light then the weight decreases and even an 8 cylinder engine can give more power. However, say the frame is heavy with a powerful v 12 engine, then it is completely possible that the car may offer overall lesser power.

One thing, however must not be overlooked: the amount of fuel a cylinder can take in. In a typical V-8 6 liter engine the per cylinder capacity is 750 cc. On the other hand a V-12 6 liter will have only 500 cc per cylinder. So, depending on the other configurations one can easily get a more powerful V-8 engine. 

Then comes balance. In the para above I talked about V-8 becoming more powerful, however a V-12 definitely has much better balance. The 12 cylinders can be balanced better on the camshaft, giving a better angle for fuel injection thereby increasing efficiency. In addition, the presence of 12 cylinders means more air that can be sucked in. As this air is the the main component in combustion of the fuel, V-12 definitely gains an advantage. As far as the acoustics of the engine are concerned one can say that the revving of a V-8 is something to behold. Luxurious sedans however prefer V-12 due to its subtle power.

So, there you go. No hard and fast rule can tell which is better; both are good in their respective respects. It just depends on what kind of engine or car you prefer. Hope this was helpful.