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Chrysler's SRT Lineup at the Track: Heat Seekers!
Remember the stories and movies of yesteryear that featured American muscle car magic? Cars were fast and manufacturers weren’t afraid to squeeze as many ponies into their big blocks and small blocks as possible. A single car from back in the day had as much or more horsepower and torque than many of whips in the 80s and early 90s combined.
Well, thankfully the “Big 3” are starting to get it again and no one is stepping up their game as strong or fast as DaimlerChrysler (D/C), which is turning up the heat and cranking out some serious performance whips under their SRT (Street and Racing Technology) badge.  What is SRT and why should I care you ask? Think of the SRT as D/C’s Bad-Boy or G-Unit crew…without the warrants. That is assuming you don’t begin racking up speeding tickets. The SRT team is dedicated to creating knuckle-gripping, asphalt-kicking, heart-pumping beasts! There are more than eleven power-packed vehicles carrying the SRT badge, ranging from the Neon-based Dodge SRT4 to the heavy hauling Dodge Ram SRT10 Quad Cab to the trend setting Chrysler 300C SRT8 and the top of the list, the venomous Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe. There’s literally a ride for every category and driver’s style and taste. If you see the SRT logo on any of D/C’s vehicles, double-down your chips because it’s a safe bet, as rapper Jadakiss put it after taking a spin in our Dodge Ram SRT10, “You will Loose Your Mind!”
 Automotive Rhythms had the opportunity to take a few of these beasts out on one of the fastest track in the west – Willow Springs International Motorsports Park. The weather was nice, the track was dry and I was ready to see if the SRTs would live up to the hype.
My first weapon of choice was the slithery $85,745 510-horsepower Dodge Viper SRT10. With performance numbers of 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds, 60-0 braking in less than 100 feet, and 0-100-0 mph in the low 12s, why wouldn’t I start at the top? This vehicle was built for the track! When I first laid eyes on the Viper, my respect for it was instantaneous and any possible negative thoughts were drowned out with a little voice telling me to keep my mouth shut. However, upon the push of the red start button I heard this incredibly odd weak sound from this warrior of a car when I was expecting to hear a beastly medieval growl. An experience very similar to seeing Mike Tyson for the first time and then hearing the sound of his “interesting” voice. Instead, all I heard was a sound comparable to a wannabe racer. My respect immediately began to drop. However, just as with the old Mike Tyson, out of no-where the power hits you square in the gut and you wish you had kept your mouth shut and kept your guard up.
 I then moved onto the Dodge Charger SRT8. This is truly one vehicle that suffers from a personality complex. The SRT8 thinks it’s a stealthy, trim-muscular sprinter, but in the body of an Olympic power-lifter. There’s nothing wrong with that if you can get away with it. The Charger SRT8 does! On the track, the SRT8’s whopping 425-horsepower 6.1-liter HEMI engine was easily able to maneuver the curves, twists, and changes in elevation and loved the straight-aways without breaking a sweat. The surprising thing about this one is its ability to comfortably seat two large adults in the back and enough trunk space that would make the Corleone family proud. Pack up the family for a trip to Big Momma’s house and hit the drag strip or circuit track along the way…all in the same car. Starting at $38,095 and with performance numbers of 0-60 mph in the low 5 seconds, 0-100-0 mph in less than 17 seconds, and 60-0 mph in approximately 110 feet, this makes for a competitive bargain. However, there’s little to be desired with the interior layout and design. It works, but there’s room for improvement. Yet, those buying the Charger SRT8 are probably going for the performance aspects before the aesthetics.
 D/C also had a big surprise for us. They are unleashing another SRT vehicle onto the unsuspecting public by way of a 420-horsepower 6.1-liter HEMI V8 Grand Cherokee SRT8, which has a race-inspired interior, aggressive front grille, 4” exhaust tips, and Brembo brakes and hits 0-60 mph in under five seconds. With such performance driven numbers as those, the Cherokee SRT8 is quicker than the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and BMW X5. So how did it do on the track and how much is it? Sorry, you’ll have to check out our follow up story in December for more details. Nothing like a good cliffhanger, huh?
By this point I was running out of time, so taking advantage of the opportunity, I jumped in the Dodge Ram SRT10 to give it a spin. A pickup on a racetrack? Odd isn’t it? Not really, because with pickup utility and prodigious power, the Dodge Ram SRT10 will get the job done in a hurry.
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