SRT Reviews - New SRT Cars

Once the division tasked with turning out the Chrysler Group's boldest cars and trucks, SRT is now a stand-alone make within the Chrysler portfolio. Since its formation in 2002, Street and Racing Technology's (SRT) cast of die-hard, performance-obsessed engineers have done just that, building high-performance turbo sport compacts and Jeeps that...

Once the division tasked with turning out the Chrysler Group's boldest cars and trucks, SRT is now a stand-alone make within the Chrysler portfolio. Since its formation in 2002, Street and Racing Technology's (SRT) cast of die-hard, performance-obsessed engineers have done just that, building high-performance turbo sport compacts and Jeeps that can outrun Corvettes. They're also responsible for one of the most fearsome and distinctive sports cars in automotive history.

SRT's roots extend as far back as 1989, when Dodge unveiled the Viper concept car at the Detroit auto show. Enthusiastic industry and consumer response convinced Dodge to produce the car with a beastly 8.0-liter V10 based on an existing truck engine. A nucleus of engineers from the Viper development, Dodge Motorsports and Mopar teams continued to refine the Viper for street and track use, culminating in endurance racing success in the late 1990s.

Chrysler integrated a separate team working on the Plymouth Prowler into the early Viper skunkworks, gathering both units under one roof and re-christening it the Special Vehicle Engineering group, and then in 2002 the Performance Vehicle Operations.

The PVO took its official bow with the launch of the 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10, a thorough makeover for the second generation of the now-iconic supercar that offered a slightly larger 8.3-liter V10 and 500 horsepower. In 2004 Chrysler consolidated the confusing acronyms into one: SRT. The SRT group followed up with the Dodge Neon SRT-4, a reworked and muscled version of the econosport sedan with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder. SRT also brought its high-octane touch to eight more cars and trucks, including the Chrysler 300 and Crossfire; the Dodge Caliber, Challenger, Charger, Magnum and Ram; and finally the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Familiar traits among SRT models include high-performance V8 engines, bigger wheels and tires, larger brakes (usually Brembo), upgraded and adaptive suspensions, adjustable stability control, aggressive exterior design and race-inspired interiors. Now on its own, SRT's mandate won't change. Only now it brings the full resources of its Chrysler parent to bear on its creations. First up: the all-new, resurrected 2013 SRT Viper.