cars news 10: 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Chills Charge Air With AC

Today marks a cool dozen teaser videos showcasing the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon coupe’s drag-racing-focused, factory-equipped features. The street-legal drag car will feature another production car first: a liquid-to-air charge air cooler chiller system.

Unlike conventional air-to-liquid intercoolers that use non-evaporative warm or hot antifreeze cycled through a radiator to cool the charge air induction temperature, the Demon’s system uses evaporating R134a refrigerant from the car’s air conditioning system to cool the charge air. The AC system’s refrigerant has a higher potential to reduce intake air temps. Dodge claims the system can lower the intake air temperature by as much as 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

The only drawback from this design we can see would be that the cabin air temperature would suffer while running the climate control inside the cabin. But as any drag racer – or any racer – knows, air conditioning is one of the first things to turn off before a race.

Last week, Dodge revealed that the 2018 Challenger Demon would receive the world’s first application of a TransBrake for a production car. Other unique features to the SRT Demon include a wide-body with drag radials, an after-run chiller, a larger cold air intake, and reduced weight via removing the carpet and making the front passenger and rear seats optional.

Check out the 12th teaser video below and keep hanging in there as we wait for the tease to finally end on April 11 at the New York auto show.

Source: Dodge