Dodge Demon unveiled

By Tim Pollard

Motor Shows

08 March 2007 08:15

Another motor show, another demonic Dodge

That’s about the sum of it. Dodge has unleashed a tirade a different concept cars at recent motor shows and Geneva was no different. The evil-named Demon emerged from a cloud of dry ice amidst lightning-strike strobe effects - quite befitting for a company in the clutches of a possible fire sale. But DaimlerChrysler executives were eager to put to one side talk of a sell-off, instead placing the focus on the Demon show car. Which is fair enough, as it’s a confident roadster which looks very likely to go into production.

You bet. Dodge has watched the Mazda roadster’s success with envy and decided an affordable sports car would match its brand attitude-laden DNA perfectly. The Demon is the result, a back-to-basics roadster designed to add some sex appeal to its rather more butch current range. The car’s designers told CAR Online that they shamelessly targeted the MX-5, which has few real-world rivals since volume manufacturers turned their attention from roadsters to four-seat coupe-cabriolets. The Demon has been designed from the ground up to be more affordable than the Mazda, suggesting a starting price of around £14-15,000. One way to make the Demon affordable would be to team up with Chinese manufacturer Chery, with whom DaimlerChrysler has already struck a deal to build the Hornet supermini. Building a roadster in China would bring obvious price advantages.

By Tim Pollard