THE PONTIAC Solstice and Saturn Sky are affordable two-seat sports cars, but they're not, strictly speaking, Miata-fighters. They're a half size bigger, they're heavier, and they need the optional turbo engine to provide enough fun to match the World's Most Popular Sports Car, which conversely is designed more for handling than for speed. Chrysler's Dodge Demon concept, making its debut at the Geneva motor show and named after a tarted-up early 1970s Dodge Dart, may ultimately become the sports car GM's Bob Lutz says he's dreamed of since his Chrysler days.
As a just-shown concept, the Demon isn't ready for evaluation drives. Even given the chance to wring it out on a twisty road, the oversize 19-inch wheels and tires don't leave enough room in the wheelwells for a claimed 32.9-foot turning circle, which, coincidentally, splits the difference between the Miata's 30.8 feet and the Solstice's 35.1. For now, accept design chief Trevor Creed's word that the Demon is designed to be a tighter, lighter sports car more in the mold of the Mazda and less so the Pontiac and Saturn. Its "production" weight of an estimated 2600 pounds with 50/50 distribution also splits the diff between the Miata's 2476 and the Solstice's 2878. And it has a trunk, not a mail slot nor a rearward-placed glovebox-a trunk that takes a set of golf clubs, thanks to Goodyear P225/35R19 runflats and a tall rear cowl section that packages the big, 17-gallon fuel tank and hard tonneau stack. This leaves room behind the tonneau and fuel tank for a fairly large, deep trunk.
Other Demon numbers also are Miata-esque: It's 156.5 inches long on a 95.6-inch wheelbase. Front and rear track are 58.7 inches, width is 68.3 inches, and height is 51.8 inches.
A multilink rear suspension is set low to make room for the big tank and top combo. A kick-up in the profile at the rear cowl helps. The Demon starts out thin, low, and slinky in front, while the sheetmetal behind the doors is somewhat chunky. Especially with brake ducts in the rear fenders that look like engine air-intake ducts, the back of the car comes off as a combo Porsche Boxster/Ford Ka/Audi TT.
Actually, the concept is all carbon fiber, not sheetmetal. And it shows off a carbon-fiber-look windshield header, seatbacks, and dual individual rollbars.
The Demon's nose combines a "crosshair" grille above front brake ducts (not too big, this time, thank you), with "cat's-eye" headlamps and a hood that looks a bit more Jaguar XK8 than Dodge Viper, the latter the inspiration for much of the profile and front-end styling. Look more closely, and you'll see added curves and angles in the front clip. The profile starts with that homage to the Viper and a squared-off wheel opening and a beltline that drops off quickly through the door to those rear brake ducts. Walk around the car, and the falling beltline shapeshifts as the Bright Amber Pearl paint plays with the light. Dodge Avenger and Razor concept designer Jae Chung's lines provide a lot of drama.
Not so designer Dan Zimmerman's (Jeep Rescue concept) interior. It's as realistic as any you'll find in a concept car, with familiar Dodge/Jeep switchgear and three-spoke steering wheel. It's a purposeful interior, offering sturdy, well-bolstered cloth seats.
How realistic is this concept? The Demon's unveiling at Geneva hints at production viability. Chrysler has been playing around with small, affordable four-cylinder sports cars since 1998. With Chrysler/Dodge's push into Europe, such a car becomes more economical because a "world market" sports car could have demand of about 40,000 units, double, at least, North American demand.
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