Dodge Demon news - Demon daze - 2007

The words 'compact' and 'nimble' aren't often heard in close conjunction with the words 'American sports car'. Unless suffixed by '...as a walrus on heat'.

But compact and nimble is precisely how Dodge is describing the Demon, a concept roadster built on a brand-new and surprisingly small platform.

Due to be unveiled in Geneva in March, the Demon seems to be suffering a bit of an early life identity crisis.

The aggressive headlights and gaping crosshair grill are clearly Viper-inspired, but the Demon's compact proportions - fractionally shorter than the MX-5 - are about as American as a passive foreign policy.

So is the Demon's engine. Instead of some hulking truck-derived lump, the Demon gets Dodge's distinctly modest - by American standards at least - 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol-burner.

Putting out 172bhp through the rear wheels, it's clear that the Demon will be in the MX5's light 'n' lissom school of motoring rather than loud 'n' lairy redneck territory.

And it even gets a six-speed manual 'box. That'll confuse the good ol' boys from the deep South.

Styling-wise, well, we're not quite sure. If we were being cruel, we'd say that Dodge's designers have nicked a panel from every roadster going - Honda S2000, Audi TT, Nissan 350Z, BMW Z4 (can we stop yet?) - and bolted their own ridiculous coroporate nose on it.

If we were being generous, we'd call it, erm, different. Maybe it's a grower.