2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon: Set to arrive in dealers this fall

Dealers are allowed to start placing orders for the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon this week. And, here’s the cool thing: If you pay at or less than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), you’ll get yours before those who pay markup prices. Thus, the less money you pay for the Demon, the higher priority the order and the lower the serial number. Base price is set at $87,790 (including gas guzzler tax and destination fee).

I give kudos to Dodge for trying to circumvent the potentially excessive markup on this limited edition Challenger.

Only 3,000 vehicles will be made for the United States, and dealers may only order as many as they are allocated.

The Demon is the world’s fastest quarter-mile production vehicle with a time of 9.65 seconds at 140 mph, as certified by the National Hot Rod Association.

This specialized Challenger comes equipped with a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi engine that delivers a whopping 840 horsepower and 770 pound-feet of torque.

Zero-to-60-mph times are between 2.1 and 2.3 seconds, depending on if you allow for “rollout” or not. And in case you’re wondering, that’s the fastest 0-to-60-mph time of any production vehicle.

According to the Demon press kit, it also comes will a huge list of “first-ever” claims, including:

• First-ever, factory-production car with TransBrake
• First-ever, factory-production car with drag radials
• First-ever, factory-production car with SRT Power Chiller
• First-ever, factory-production car with After-Run Chiller
• First-ever, factory-production car with drag mode suspension
• First-ever, factory-production car designed to run on high-octane fuel
• First-ever, factory-production car designed to accommodate front runners
• First-ever, factory-production Challenger with a rear seat delete
• First-ever, factory-production drag car with torque reserve on demand
• First-ever, factory-production car with drag mode launch assist
• Most air induction sources of any production car using a single air box
• Largest air induction volume of any production car
• Highest fuel flow rate of any production car
• Largest factory gasoline supercharger of any modern production car
• Most technologically advanced factory-production drag car
• Largest functional hood scoop opening of any production car
• First-ever, factory-production car with a front passenger seat delete

Demon production is slated to begin this summer with deliveries to dealers beginning this fall.

The Demon was introduced at the New York International Auto Show back in April and has kept a low public profile ever since. We were lucky enough to get an up-close look at a recent Midwest Automotive Media Association event, and while we didn’t get to drive it (yet!), we were able to snap some shots.

So, until we can get you those first drive impressions, enjoy the photos.