'Last-ever' Dodge Demon pops up in Australia

The last 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon lives in Australia and it’s for sale on Carsales for $450,000.

Wearing build plate number 3300, confirming it is indeed the last of 3300 examples ever produced, the unique Dodge Demon has 22 miles under its belt and remains in original left-hand drive configuration.

In its advertisement, Brisbane-based importer and right-hand drive converter SCD American Vehicles says it’s willing to convert the super-rare Demon, but offers some advice for future values.

“This is the last Demon ever made,” says SCD. “For one of the first times [sic] in history, we have build #3300 out of 3000 made for the US market, and 300 for the Canadian market. This thing is only going to do one thing...appreciate.

“Considering that this is a collectors item, this price is non negotiable. It cannot be purchased anywhere else in the world. If you love cars for what they are (engineering masterpieces) then this is one you should add to your garage.

“The fastest production V8, and road legal car...in history. It will can be converted upon request, however, it is recommended that it remains in its current configuration.”

With just 20 cars allocated for Australia, where only six had arrived as of December – one of which was promptly stolen -- this Dodge Demon is certainly a collector’s item.

The special example is painted in the aptly-named ‘White Knuckle’ hue and the Demon Crate is pictured with the car, further maximising its collector’s potential.

The passenger seat – deleted as standard – has been optioned back in, something that cost $1USD on the dealership floor.

Interestingly, a scan of the Carsales classifieds shows three other Demons currently for sale in Australia, with a price range between $330K and $350K, all showing under 60km on the odometer.

Is the last-ever Demon worth an additional six-figure sum over these other examples? Or would you buy a RHD MY18 Hellcat Challenger with 75km for $179,000 and pocket the difference?

Let us know what you think.

With the popular culture saturation of the Ford Mustang in Australia, where the HSV-converted Chevrolet Camaro is finally now also available via official channels, you could be forgiven for thinking the third rung on America’s traditional ‘Big Three’ manufacturer ladder no longer existed.

It’s different back home in the US, where MOPAR products (particularly under the Dodge banner) remain some of the most extravagant muscle-cars available.

While Australian exposure to non-Jeep SRT products is limited to the ancient Chrysler 300, Dodge has a full range of reborn Challenger and Charger options on home tarmac… and they are unapologetically focused on grunt.

Yes, the chassis are as ancient as the 300’s, tracing its roots back to an old, heavy Mercedes platform that’s a hangover from DaimlerChrysler days. But rather than worry about dynamic shortcomings, Dodge has reinvested in 21st Century muscle at its finest.

We’re back to wild colours and even wilder engine tunes, of being seen at red lights but only heard when things turn green. Corners? Pah.

The Dodge Challenger is the most overt of all. A big, two-door coupe in best muscle-car tradition, the Challenger range competes against the Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, as it did on Trans-Am tracks in the early-1970s.

In 2019, the SXT base model is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 with 227kW and there’s not a downsized turbo-four donk in sight. Step-up to the famed Challenger R/T nameplate and you gain a further 50kW, thanks to installation of a HEMI-headed 5.7-litre V8.

With a Stateside start price of $33,995 (around $A47,000), those looks and that sound, it appears a bit of a bargain… even if it is heavy and slow compared to the far more modern ‘Stangs and Camaros.

Stepping over the optional 280kW R/T ‘Shaker’ package, we start to get into serious territory with the R/T ‘Scat Pack’, named after a highly-successful marketing campaign Dodge originated in the late-1960s.

This Challenger flavour raises the game to the familiar 6.4-litre HEMI V8, still naturally-aspirated but delivering 362kW (the Australian-market 300 SRT shares this engine, but makes ‘only’ 350kW). There are numerous other Challenger flavours at this point, but with no additional power on offer, let’s move things underground…

The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat arrived in 2014 and is a model in its own right – and really the first ‘modern’ Dodge nameplate that has truly resonated in the performance car world without relying on throwback marketing.

Hellcat shakes the earth with a supercharged 6.2-litre HEMI V8 that brings 527kW to the rear axle, along with 881Nm of torque. You can also option your Hellcat with a Widebody package which adds even more weight (it sits over 2000kg!), but gives the Challenger incomparable road presence.

Intimidated? If not, allow us to introduce you to the Hellcat’s bigger brother… the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.

The Demon takes Widebody Hellcat’s DNA and further strengthens the strands, pushing power to around 603kW with 972Nm. And it’s designed for one thing – to take down records, one ‘quarter mile’ at a time.

More than 50 per cent of the supercharged engine’s internals are Demon-specific. The 2.7-litre supercharger is larger, boost is raised to 14.5psi and it breathes through a specific ‘SRT Power Chiller’ liquid-to-air intercooler.

The tech really stands out here, with the air conditioning refrigerant taking an active role in engine cooling. There are also three sources of atmospheric air draw – from the ‘Air Grabber’ hood, an ‘Air Catcher’ through the driver’s side (left-hand drive only) inner headlight surround and an inner wheel-well cutout. This contributes to 18 per cent more intake air capacity than the Hellcat.

Pistons, connecting rods, valve train and fuel injection systems are also bespoke, with a two-stage pumping system for fuel delivery and a 6500rpm rev limit deployed.

As part of the uber-cool ‘Demon Crate’, there’s even a powertrain control module and ‘high-octane’ switch that can alter fuel and ignition mapping for race fuel and push outputs to 626kW and 1044Nm.

Other crate items include a race-spec air filter, a passenger mirror delete cover and narrow-section front tyres for even harder dragstrip performance.

Every other aspect of the Demon is modified to suit; the eight-speed torque converter automatic features 11 per cent increased stall speed, faster lockup and reduced friction. There’s even a transmission brake that allows revs to dial up to 2350rpm for optimal drag launching.

Then there’s the Nitto road-legal drag tyres with 315-section rears, larger axles and even a specific rear suspension setup that is designed to reduce negative camber and ‘stand up’ the tyre for optimal straight-line traction.

As standard, the cabin has only the driver’s seat as part of weight saving measures that Dodge says is good for a 200lb (91kg) reduction.

With the Demon, the devil is in the detail. We could go on. And on. But the net result of all this straight-line tuning is a record-taking 9.65sec 0-400m time. For reference, the McLaren P1 hypercar covers the same distance in 9.8sec.