CARS.COM — Dodge dealers can start ordering the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon on Wednesday. That's, hmmm … tomorrow. Production of the 840-horsepower drag-strip slayer begins thereafter, but deliveries won't happen until fall, Dodge parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said today. And FCA will limit production to just 3,000 units for the U.S. That's a small number given the automaker sold 64,433 Challengers in 2016, and FCA will confine the Demon to the 2018 model year only.
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FCA says Demons sold at or below MSRP will get priority scheduling and lower serial numbers, while those sold above MSRP will come later on. The automaker will allocate Demons to specific dealerships, and dealers can order only as many as their allocation. For FCA to greenlight the production on any individual car at the outset, it must qualify as a "verified sold order," complete with a document signed by the dealer, the customer and a notary. The document will help determine when the automaker builds the car based on a "customer-facing contract price," FCA added.
The automaker will set up a Demon Concierge hotline (800-998-1110) and webpage at dodge.com for dealers and customers to track their specific car. FCA spokeswoman Kristin Starnes told Cars.com it's up to the dealer to determine if a reservation will require you to part with the Demon's cost — at least $86,090 — or a smaller deposit.
"We know some dealers may be tempted to sell to the highest bidder, but we are encouraging them to leverage the Demon as a halo for both the brand and their dealership," said Tim Kuniskis, head of passenger car brands at FCA, in a company statement.
Starnes added that anyone who pays above MSRP will have to acknowledge in writing that they are aware that "they are going to have to wait." It's also up to dealers if they want to take orders now or wait until Wednesday, but shoppers have to go to a dealer that has allocated vehicles.
Not every dealer will allow orders. To be eligible, FCA says dealers must have sold two or more Challenger or Charger SRT Hellcats — SRT's 707-hp erstwhile overlord — in the past 12 months. Allocation is based on sales performance for Hellcats and lesser Challengers and Chargers.
