The Dodge Demon's Factory Trans Brake Will Make For Fast And Ferocious Launches

You know the drill by now: it’s Thursday, which means Dodge has put out yet another shouty teaser video, accompanied by some more information about the incoming Challenger SRT Demon. This time it’s all about the car’s trans brake system.

Something usually found on serious drag racing machines, a trans brake puts a car in first gear and reverse simultaneously, giving the same effect of the brake being held on, as per a more conventional launch control system.

The Demon does this by locking the output shaft of the automatic gearbox. Once this has happened, the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters of the automatic gearbox are used as a launch trigger, which Dodge says allows for a 30 per cent improvement in reaction time over foot brake launch.

The trans brake means a much more forceful launch is possible, and with the entire driveline preloaded, there’s no shock damage to components when the car belts off the line.

Given that all this trickery is only possible with an automatic gearbox, and that none of the teasers have mentioned a manual gearbox, we can only assume the SRT Demon will be automatic only. We’ll find out for sure when the car is at last revealed on 11 April at the New York Auto Show.