The Geneva Show will see the unveiling of something devilishly good; Dodge’s MX-5-baiting Demon Concept. It certainly looks good enough to produce, but Dodge will wait to see the reaction of the show-going masses.
By Gareth Dean
When you think of fun, economical open top motoring the instant Pavlovian response is to think of the venerable Mazda MX-5. Well, Dodge is looking to counter this association of the evergreen Mazda with its striking Demon concept.
The styling of the concept, which will be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Show, attempts to graft as many striking features onto a small frame and should, therefore, look downright nasty. However, the combination of curvaceous BMW Z4-esque rump, Honda S2000-inspired profile and Viper-aping nose with the company’s signature egg-crate grille make the Demon a devilishly handsome little brute.
“While the iconic Dodge Viper is a dream car for many, the Dodge Demon is designed to be an attainable dream car,” said Dodge Demon Principal Exterior Designer, Jae Chung.
Concept car interiors usually involve the manufacturer using a degree of poetic license before reducing the production equivalent to a non-descript grey plastic impersonation, but the interior of the Demon is an exception to the rule.
Rendered in black with the addition of silver thread stitching on the materials and an impressive brushed aluminum panel (which houses the ventilation and audio controls and bisects the dashboard), the Demon’s interior is neat and coherent. The design strikes a good balance between overly fanciful and pleasingly functional and there is nothing in the cabin that Dodge couldn’t put in production right now.
DaimlerChryslers’ 2,4-litre inline four-cylinder engine delivers a reasonable 128 kW and 224 N.m of torque to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Combine this powertrain set-up with the light kerb weight of the Demon (roughly 1 179 kg – that is about 70 kg lighter than the MX-5) and you a contender that could Mazda MX-5 loyalist more than a couple of sleepless nights.
Dodge officials have also hinted at the possibility of offering an SRT version of the Demon with the 224 kW four-cylinder engine from the Caliber SRT-4.
The Demon looks ready to hit showrooms, but there is no word yet as to whether this car will go into production. Some argue that Dodge has no vehicle architecture suitable for a car such as the Demon, which will remain nothing more than a concept to increase awareness of the Dodge brand in Europe.
However, if public response to the Demon is favourable (and we see no reason why it wouldn’t be!) at the Geneva Show, the company may change it’s stance and do a feasibility study into turning the Demon into a production reality.
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