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The Dodge Demon was developed under a cloud of smoke

The Dodge Demon needs no introduction. The car is so full of superlatives that most of it sounds unbelievable until you see and hear it in action. The car was revealed after months of teasers and cryptic messages, but the public weren't the only ones in the dark. From the start, the Demon's development was a closely guarded secret. There were even some within SRT that didn't know about the project. The people behind the car went through a lot of effort to keep it that way. At an event covering the finer details of the Demon's supercharged 6.2-liter V8, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis and SRT Powertrain Director Chris Cowland spoke about the smoke and mirrors used to hide the Demon's development. Work on the car progressed for nearly two years before it was made public, with just a small team having full access to the project. Numbers were altered. Secret meetings were held. SRT engineers worked nights and weekends while parts suppliers were given as little information as possible to move progress forward. Preliminary work on the Demon began in April of 2015, not long after the standard Hellcat hit the streets. The goal wasn't to create a faster Hellcat. Kuniskis said that would have been easy. They wanted a single-minded vehicle that could also be driven on the road. It's the same mindset that brought about the Dodge Viper ACR. Dodge wanted a car that could sell the brand to both enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. 840 horsepower is going to raise anyone's eyebrows, including the Camry owner parked down the street. While preliminary work started in April, the final greenlight wasn't given until September. The project was originally going to revive the American Drag Racer, or ADR, name. When we saw the first hints of the Demon last fall, we labeled the spy photo above the Dodge Challenger ADR. It was set to have 10-percent more power and 20-percent more launch force than the already gut-punching Hellcat. It was also only going to have a quarter-mile time in the 10s, just slightly quicker than the Hellcat. Somewhere along the line, the team realized that the ADR wasn't enough. It was just going to be a Hellcat plus, and that wasn't exciting. The main goal was changed: 9s with light. Translated, that means a 9-second quarter mile with light under the tires (read: a wheelie). From that point forward, everything about the Demon's development, from power to suspension to weight, would be done in pursuit of that goal.

Chrysler set to make $266M-investment into 8-speed transmission production

Chrysler will shortly make a significant $266-million investment into its Kokomo, IN transmission factory in a bid to expand production of its eight-speed automatic transmissions. The gearboxes, which are built under license from Germany's ZF Friedrichshafen, have been well received by customers and critics, and according to an SEC filing obtained by Automotive News, the transmissions will eventually find their way to all of Chrysler's rear-drive offerings (Viper and heavy-duty Ram models, aside). According to AN, a Chrysler spokesman says the investment has not been confirmed, but once it is, it'll mark the company's latest in a growing line of investments at the facility. Chrysler has poured $1.5 billion into Kokomo since 2009.

Sunday Drive: The future looks bright, and the present ain't bad, either

A look at the week that just passed proves that Autoblog readers love looking into the future. Spy photos of the next Porsche 911 and a mysterious Dodge Demon prototype led the way last week as some of our most popular stories. A teaser from Subaru has our appetites whetted for the next WRX, and we're intrigued by the value proposition offered by the rear-wheel-drive Kia Stinger. Long-distance motorcycle tourers went gaga over leaked images of the next Honda Gold Wing. Such intense interest comes as no surprise considering that it's the standard by which all its competitors are judged, and it looks to be getting some serious new technology in its next iteration. And finally, we can't help tooting our own horn a bit. Autoblog just launched a brand-new Car Finder tool, which, after getting a few data points to work with, offers up a perfect list of vehicles for new-car buyers. As always, tune in to Autoblog next week for a front-row seat to all the happenings worth following in the automotive industry. 2019 Porsche 911 to get digital interior — only the tach will be analog Spy Shots: What the devil is Dodge up to with this narrow-body Challenger Demon? Subaru previews Viziv Performance Concept and 2 tuned STIs for Tokyo Leaked 2018 Honda Gold Wing shows off new suspension, hints at DCT 2018 Kia Stinger will start at $32,795 Dodge Honda Kia Porsche Subaru Coupe Hatchback Motorcycle Future Vehicles Luxury Performance Sedan recap sunday drive