Auto Extreme

Chrysler exhibited the all-new Dodge roadster concept, called the Demon, at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The vehicle is designed to compete with the popular Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, as well as the Mazda MX-5.

Power comes from a 172 horsepower 2.4 liter engine, offering peak torque of 165 pound-feet. A six-speed manual sends power to the rear wheels. Weight is estimated a 2600 pounds. Dodge officials say an SRT version could also be offered with a 300 horsepower four-cylinder from the Dodge Caliber SRT-4.

The Dodge Demon is a concept car that forecasts a possible low-priced two-seat convertible to compete with the Pontiac Solstice, Mazda MX-5 and other four-cylinder roadsters. Dodge does a devilish little sports-car concept that could reach showrooms in 2009, and the latest word from Chrysler is that the production version will be front drive. The 2010 Dodge Demon could turn out to be the new star of affordable sports cars, but it could just as easily be a pale imitation of what’s already out there. The 2010 Dodge Demon revives a name Dodge used on a compact car in the 1970s. The 2010 Dodge Demon is based on a front-drive platform that will be sourced from Chinese automaker Chery.

What We Know About the 2010 Dodge Demon

The Dodge Demon Concept is a “compact, nimble ‘roadster with attitude’” and “an attainable dream car,” according to its maker. To us, it was Chrysler’s answer to the Honda S2000, Mazda MX-5, Pontiac Solstice, and Saturn Sky. In early 2008, Chrysler announced the production version will use a front-wheel-drive chassis sourced from Chinese automaker Chery, so the Demon’s sporting pretensions may be in question.

As you’ve probably heard, former owner Mercedes-Benz sold a majority in Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management. So it is not a complete surprise that the Demon’s mission may have changed along with ownership of the company. Assuming a best-case outcome, the general view is that your local Dodge Boys could be selling Demons by model-year 2010.

The 2010 Dodge Demon bowed in concept-car form at the 2007 Geneva Auto Salon in Switzerland, which observers took as a sign that the Demon would spearhead a major Dodge sales push into overseas markets, where the brand is largely unknown.

Chrysler has lately been trying to increase its non-U.S. business, no surprise given recent sales reverses at home. It’s not hard to imagine the Demon introducing Dodge as a sporty “performance” brand to Europe, as well as to fast-growing markets like China.

The 2010 Dodge Demon would be a “halo” vehicle to spark sales of mainstream fare like the compact Caliber hatchback and Avenger sedan. All of which explains why the Demon concept looks so realistic and producible compared to your average pie-in-the-sky show car.

Styling of the 2010 Dodge Demon borrows cues from the hulking V-10 Dodge Viper and would likely carry over with little change from the Demon concept. Ditto dimensions, which are very close to those of the Pontiac Solstice.

The Dodge Demon Concept used a 172-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission. At this point it is unclear if the 2010 Dodge Demon will use an engine that is part of the U.S.-built Global Alliance family shared with Mitsubishi and Hyundai, or an engine sourced from Chery.

The Dodge Demon Concept sported 19-inch wheels, which could be a bit much for a showroom model. Expect 17s to be standard, with 18s optional.

Other concept features would likely survive with little or no alteration. These include the semi-retro cockpit design heavy on brushed-metal trim (or facsimiles); a manual-folding cloth top that hides beneath a hard cover just behind the cockpit; and a stubby rollbar behind each seat to protect occupants in case of a flip.

The rest of the 2010 Dodge Demon package will hinge on marketing decisions based heavily on competitors’ pricing, but standards should include modern must-haves such as antilock disc brakes, traction control, and seat-mounted torso side airbags. We also wouldn’t rule out a turbocharged Demon as a year-two addition with standard stability control, performance-tuned suspension and special trim.

One thing that might be changed is the name, a point missed entirely by press reports we’ve seen. Perhaps the writers are too young to remember, but Dodge used Demon way back in 1971-72 for its version of the popular compact Plymouth Duster, complete with logo decals of a cute little cartoon devil. It was all innocent fun, Dodge thought, but some people thought otherwise and wrote nasty letters, enough that Dodge adopted the prosaic Dart Sport handle. Such are the perils of modern automotive marketing.

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