For a study in contradictions, consider Chrysler’s roadsters. On one hand, there’s the Dodge Viper SRT10, an immensely powerful and expensive all-American beast with a worldwide following. On the other, we have the Chrysler Crossfire, an underwhelming yet relatively costly cult-appeal two-seater built on a cast-off Mercedes-Benz SLK chassis.

Consider what’s missing and you’ll likely arrive at the same conclusion as Chrysler’s long-range planners: A small, affordable roadster. Enter the Dodge Demon concept, a Mazda MX-5/Pontiac Solstice-class roadster intended to attract Viper/Crossfire lovers who still have a nagging need to pay the rent and eat. Demon makes its world debut next month at the Geneva International Motor Show, a fitting venue given Chrysler’s Euro-ambitions for the Dodge brand.

“While the iconic Dodge Viper is a dream car for many, the Demon is designed to be an attainable dream car,” says Jae Chung, lead exterior designer on the project. Chung and interior designer Dan Zimmermann took on the project in late 2005 with marching orders to build a minimalist show car, but one with the potential to one-up the segment-leading MX-5.

“We wanted to target the best—and be better,” says Zimmermann.

Chung’s exterior incorporates strong Dodge cues (crosshair grille, chunky Charger-like sides), roadster proportion and stance, and enough artistic license to allow the concept to suggest where Dodge styling will fit in the future between sophisticated Chrysler and the boxy and rugged world of Jeep. The result is a clean, simple style, one that can be viewed as a whole or studied for its intricate detail, Chung notes.

For instance, in side view Demon’s main character line starts at the front fascia and wraps up over the front wheel well before slashing diagonally down the side of the car to the brake-cooling vent. From there, the line sweeps upward and back to create the trademark Dodge fender kick before terminating in the tail lamp and rear fascia. Trapezoidal shapes repeat in the details—the exhaust tips, brake cooling vents, wheel design and roll bars.

“I wanted the car to have one nice line first, and then the rest of the details just fall into place,” says Chung.

The simple theme continues inside, where gauges, vents and the radio fit in a single cross-car piece of brushed aluminum trim. Secondary controls, such as heat/air conditioning knobs, are located lower on the dash. The center console houses a short gearshift handle, while a three-spoke steering wheel (think Triumph) completes the interior.

“In the manner of timeless British sports cars, the interior of the Dodge Demon is purposely functional, not frivolous,” says Zimmermann. “Everything relates back to the driving experience—there’s nothing to distract the driver.”

Interior and exterior styling merge in some places, such as the inner door panel which mimics the exterior character line by wrapping around the speaker housing and then slashing rearward, creating a map pocket. Dash-mounted speaker grilles also bring the shape of the exterior hood cooling vents inside the car.

Demon’s designers point out one more benefit to their economy of purpose: If Chrysler’s leadership gives the go-ahead to build the car, its simple styling could easily be put into production.

“We were trying to make it affordable, and so this is an exercise in execution,” says Zimmermann.

Underneath, Demon is a collection of off-the-shelf parts, the key piece being Chrysler’s global 2.4-liter 172-hp, 165-lb-ft inline-four engine, hooked to a six-speed manual gearbox. In production, the car would use 1.8- to 2.4-liter engines, with a 300-hp turbo engine at the top of the range.

But with Chrysler on the ropes and cutting jobs, it remains to be seen whether an affordable sports car in the Demon mold will fit the company’s future portfolio.

Design chief Trevor Creed hopes so: “The small sports car market would be ideal for Dodge. It’s a market that is relatively untapped and I would think there are opportunities there.”

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.