In the latest preview of the new Dodge Demon, drag racing math is explained in detail. Every automatic transmission has a torque converter. It connects the engine to the transmission once you hit the gas pedal. New cars are built with fuel economy in mind, so they will start moving forward under 1,000 rpm. But the first rule in drag racing is to launch when your car makes the most torque. A custom torque converter is the first modification racers usually make. Dodge is taking an old-school approach by building the Demon with a racing inspired converter. Unlike the clutch in a manual transmission, a converter actually multiplies the engine’s torque output when provoked. It takes years of experience and some intense math to build the perfect converter, and it can make or break your quarter mile times.
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Digging deeper for the perfect launch, the next logical upgrade is the differential. A higher ratio makes the car shift sooner because it goes thru the gears quicker. From personal experience, going from a 2.73 ratio to a 3.73 feels like adding 100 horsepower to your car. The Demon differential will be 3.09, a nice upgrade from the Hellcat’s 2.62 gears. To put that power to the ground will be 18×11″ rear wheels wearing 315/40 Nitto NT05R drag radial tires. Measuring in at 12.6″ wide, these street legal racing tires will be a handful in the rain. The press release outlines each of these features as a percentage upgrade over the Hellcat, with the tires having 15% more tread width than before. The torque converter and differential both offer around 18% each, so it will be a monster coming out of the hole. As soon as we get our hands on one, expect to see some impressive 60′ times at our local track, so stay with us for more Demon updates and muscle car news.
