2007 Dodge Demon Concept: We Drive it!

Climb behind the Demon's wheel, turn the same-as-any-other-Chrysler key, and you're met with a bundle of different sensations. First off, it stinks: the Demon may be surprisingly polished for a concept, but it's still a concept. And as in most concepts, from the moment things get hot, your nose gets smacked with a heady cocktail of baking laminate and curing paint. Epoxy smells waft up from under the dash like so many shop-class flashbacks. Second, surprisingly enough, it doesn't vibrate, rattle, or clank that much. Everything seems screwed together fairly well, and you feel no more engine thrum here than you do in the MX-5. And third, there's a boatload of room. Despite being roughly the same size as the Mazda, the Demon offers far more interior space (perhaps because it hasn't gone through the rigors of being prepared for production, but the space is there, nonetheless). One of Chrysler's six-foot-tall technicians sat in the passenger seat, and he was actually comfortable. On the road, the spunky Dodge presents itself well. Push it too hard and you end up with a creaking and moaning chassis, a lot of tire rub, and a hefty dose of cowl shake. But overall, it's surprisingly satisfying. Even saddled with poor wheel alignment, ten degrees' worth of play in the steering, and a permanently disengaged reverse lockout (you can grab reverse easily when going for a second-gear downshift), the Demon is hefty, chunky fun. You can sense its potential. The Demon rides on its own unique platform--that's manufacturer-speak for "it was built from scratch"--and although it shares its rear-wheel-drive chassis with no other Chrysler product, it does use more than a few production components. The compact independent rear suspension originally made its home in the Viper, and Chrysler's coarse 172-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder lives under the hood, bolted to a six-speed manual sourced from the Crossfire. Like the MGs, Triumphs, and Austin-Healeys of old, the Demon is the result of a few off-the-shelf components assembled with a hefty dose of positive thinking. When parked next to the MX-5, the Demon appears awfully similar to the Japanese droptop. The two cars' proportions are largely the same, and dimensions vary little between the two. The Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky have been lauded for their styling, but in truth, the two General Motors roadsters are awkwardly high-waisted and large in comparison to the Dodge or the Mazda. (Both the Demon and the MX-5 offer more usable interior and cargo space, as well.) Common to both GM offerings--and absent in both the Dodge and the Mazda--is an interior that simply feels cut-rate. It's a reminder that for a low-cost car to truly succeed and be memorable, it has to feel like it's cut from more expensive cloth. What does all this tell us about what a production Demon might be like? Beyond the obvious potential, not a lot. Too many variables are involved in the transition from show-car star to showroom success to go down that road, regardless of how well-executed the concept is. What with Chrysler's current financial and ownership problems, the Demon will probably never see production. This is a shame, because it has promise. Even in concept form, it's a lot more visually compelling than most of what comes out of Auburn Hills--or, for that matter, the MX-5 itself. A fully realized, fleshed-out Dodge Demon will likely never see the light of day. But that doesn't mean it deserves that fate.