The Dodge Demon nameplate has been used in the past 50 years in the Dodge lineup. The Demon was a two-door performance coupe that offered sporty looks and well-rounded performance at a budget price, introduced in 1971. The compact Demon lasted for only two model years in the United States, before being renamed the “Dart Sport” after criticisms from Christian groups about the car’s name and pitchfork-welding devil logo. The Demon name wouldn’t be used again until 2007, for a very unique concept car that almost looked like it was ready for production.
The 2007 Dodge Demon Roadster Concept was introduced at the 2007 Geneva International Auto Show in Switzerland. It was created to compete with the compact two-seat roadster segment, which included the Mazda Miata MX-5, the Pontiac Solstice, and the Saturn Sky. The Demon Roadster Concept created a lot of buzz among the media and Mopar fans alike, with its aggressive styling and unique features.
The Demon Roadster Concept was painted in Bright Amber Pearl paint, which reflected light across the Demon’s body lines. The bodyside of the Demon featured a character line that flowed up and over the front wheel, then dropped diagonally to an angular color-matched vent located on the rear fender to direct air to the rear brakes for cooling. The rear fender surface curved up and over the rear wheel, which swept onto a broad diagonal plane extending to the taillamp and creating a muscular fender form that projected boldly beyond the main body, putting emphasis on the fact that the Demon is rear-wheel-drive.
Upfront, the Demon featured the then-signature Dodge “crosshair” grille placed into a menacing trapezoidal opening that thrusts forward. The Dodge Demon’s hood was hinged at the front and sported two recessed air outlets, adding a just-for-fun performance-car look and feel. The Dodge design staff created a dramatic stance by pushing the wheels into the corners of the body, which enhanced the aggressiveness of the styling of the compact roadster and provided better handling. The Demon featured 19-inch x 8-inch brushed aluminum wheels made of asymmetrical openings and wrapped with Goodyear P225/35R19 run-flat tires.
Inside, the Demon Concept looked to be as close to production as a concept car could be, using inspiration from British sports cars of the past. The Demon Concept’s interior was designed to be purposeful without being flamboyant, with a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, bolstered-cloth seats, and simply laid-out cabin controls.
Under the front-hinged clamshell hood, the Demon Roadster Concept had a naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter “World Engine” inline-four-cylinder engine delivering 172 horsepower and 165 lb.-ft. of torque. The World Engine was mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, in which the driver could bang through the gears to a 0 to 60 mph time of 7.1 seconds.
Unfortunately, the Demon Concept never made it into production. However, the sporty roadster still does play a part in the Chrysler Heritage Collection and is currently housed at the former Viper assembly plant, now dubbed Conner Center.
