With the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Honda S2000, and Mazda Miata all riding on rear-wheel-drive platforms, it was no surprise the Dodge Demon Concept‘s drivetrain sent power to the car’s rear wheels. But when it comes to the production version, Chrysler has decided to make the Dodge Demon front-wheel-drive, CEO Tom LaSorda has announced.
LaSorda spoke with members of the press at the Detroit auto show today, stating the car would ride on a platform made by China’s Chery Automobile. He did not say whether Chery would be responsible for all of the car’s engineering, nor did he say where the car would be produced.
In concept form, power comes from a 172 horsepower 2.4 liter engine, offering peak torque of 165 pound-feet. A similar motor is expected to propel the production car, which should weigh around 2,600 pounds. Dodge has stated an SRT version could also be offered with a 300 horsepower four-cylinder from the Dodge Caliber SRT-4.
LaSorda suggested part of the reason for the switch to front-wheel-drive was high emissions and fuel economy regulations. However, we suspect most of the motivation is reduced cost. Chrysler is expected to price the Demon below any of its competition.
