Dodge demands owners sign waiver when ordering Demon
Ever since the maniacal Dodge Challenger SRT Demon arrived in a cloud of hoopla and tire smoke, pundits both amateur and professional have been gabbing about the sheer irresponsibility of Mopar’s streetlegal drag car, a monster in the grand tradition of the 1968 Hemi Dart. Of course, the legal environment has changed markedly in the past five decades, which means you’re not taking a Demon home without signing a rather extensive waiver. Which we’ve now seen in detail.
The folks at Allpar have dug up a copy of what FCA calls the 2018 Dodge Demon Customer Acknowledgment form, which the company requires owners to initial 15 times upon purchase. (To see the full document, visit http://bit.ly/2sIYS9G).
Of the more interesting highlights, a few involve the car’s specialized Nitto drag radials. While these are technically DOT legal, FCA points out that the meats wear quickly on the highway, suck in the rain and should not, under any circumstances, be used in any way, shape, or form at temperatures below 15 degrees Fahrenheit. To wit, the document actually states, “Customer shall not move the Vehicle in temperatures below 15oF ... the Drag Tires can lose flexibility and that may lead to cracking and other tire damage” [italics ours].
Aside from assuring FCA that you know exactly what purposes the tires are for (and not for), the company would also like to be sure you know that if the car is delivered with one or both of the seat-delete options, “in the case of a collision or other accident, people riding in those areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed.” Furthermore, Dodge would like you to promise not to install a passenger seat if the car was delivered without one.
Presumably in the interest of pre-empting forum posts stewing about late deliveries from customers who’ve spec’d B5 Blue, Indigo Blue, Plum Crazy, or F8 Green paint, you’ll acknowledge that you know those colors won’t arrive until the first quarter of 2018 at the earliest.
And finally, Dodge wants to be sure that you know that only Demons sold at or below MSRP qualify for priority scheduling. If your dealer gouges you (or you opt for one of the colors listed above), be prepared to wait. There’s a “Hell Awaits” joke in there somewhere, but instead of lamenting missing out on a lazy attempt at metal humor, why not just crank up some Slayer and dream of all the wheelies you’ll do when your Demon shows up?
Just remember, you’ve agreed to hold FCA and your dealer blameless if it all goes terribly wrong. We’re pretty sure you can’t sue Slayer, either. Unless, perhaps, you’ve hired the reanimated corpse of Saint Thomas More as your attorney.