![2018 Dodge Demon, [Image: Fiat chrysler Automotive]](https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/srt_demon_lockandloadotdh0sq10d4echc7piqk28un2t-610x343.jpg)
The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon’s teasers continue, with this week’s spot showing yet another way the Demon will launch like a bat out of… well, hell.
The new Demon will sport a new feature that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles calls TransBrake. According to the automaker, TransBrake does exactly what it says: locks the output shaft of the automatic transmission to keep the vehicle stationary until launch.
Apparently, it does its job well.
Most cars use a system that holds the front brakes for launch control. Most of the time, this requires using more than one foot, and it only works if the front tires actually have enough grip to hold the car back. If you plan on using the narrower front tires that come in the Demon Crate, you probably won’t have enough traction.
The Demon utilizes its TransBrake in such a way that the driver can employ one of the paddle shifters to signal the car to launch, instead of releasing the foot brake. FCA claims this method yields a 30-percent quicker reaction time compared to traditional methods.
In addition to locking the output shaft, TransBrake will preload the system all the way to the tires. This provides near instant (150 milliseconds after releasing the shifter, FCA says) torque delivery to the rear tires. The automaker claims that preloading the driveline reduces unnecessary wear and tear on parts.
With TransBrake and other track assists outfitted on the Demon, Dodge posted some impressive launch figures. A 105-percent increase in launch boost pressures, 120-percent increase in engine launch torque, and up to 40 percent more launch torque than vehicles with front runners using a foot-brake launch, to name a few.
To add to the list of Easter eggs, the Demon’s screen in the video shows different two times. The “Last” time is 7.57, and the “Best” is 8.15. We’ve seen that 757 figure before, which is thought to be the power output, so “815” in the same context could mean a track-only engine configuration, according to AutoGuide, or a hint at the vehicle’s torque.
With less than a month before the Demon’s April 11 reveal, there’s (thankfully) only three more teaser videos scheduled before its launch.
At the end of this last video, a license plate that reads “8.3+317=534” is seen briefly. Unlikely a quarter-mile time, we are still unsure of the code. Any suggestions about what this mystery could mean?
[Image: Fiat Chrysler Automotive]
For a moment I thought there was going to be a LGBT element to this story…
I wonder if it pertains to the numbers off the line on the two step.
8.3 pounds of boost, 317hp 534 lb ft of torque.
I had that 833 transmission in a slant-6, ’80 pickup. Not too sporty, but if it gets the job done, OK.
I don’t think they’ve announced the anticipated production numbers but if low enough, the Demon could be a modern day equivalent of stuf like the Yenko Camaros and very collectible decades hence.