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2005 Dodge SRT-4 Road Test

Hardly Stealth

To hell with subtlety. Forget stealth, quiet exhausts and simple skirts. In the world of sports compacts, whats hot is attention, and the more you can grab, the better off you are. Power, speed, ear-bleed stereos and style are what matter most here, and if you have it, theres only one thing to do - flaunt it.

And it turns out that the flamboyant, fast-paced world of sport compacts isnt just another thirty-second trend, its spawned a multi-million dollar industry thats caught the eye of the consumer, as well as manufacturers. But if theres connotation associated with the world of sport compacts, its that the scene is dominated by imports. JDM, HKS, Bride, VTEC, Veilside, GReddy are all terms and brand names in this world, and not surprisingly they hail from the orient. But since 2003, tuners had something American to add to their vocabulary - SRT-4.

The Dodge SRT-4 is a product of DaimlerChryslers Performance Vehicle Operations (PVO for short). This particular group is the brains, which

The Dodge SRT-4 is a product of DaimlerChryslers Performance Vehicle Operations (PVO for short). (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

provided the guts and brawn for SRT (Street and Racing Technology) branded DaimlerChrysler products. Following the legend of the Viper SRT-10, PVOs duty was to deliver the same kind of excitement out of the Neon without breaking the bank, while retaining everyday usability. For the project, the team created a new identity for the SRT familys smallest member, using different tuning methods to create the same thrilling performance effect. Not only did they do a superb job, proving to the public that American cars can not only keep up, but exceed the Japanese and Europeans on the street and track, they also have created this decades performance bargain, and a lineup of cars that

Beauty, of course, may be subjective, but the Blast Orange Pearl paint, this years "hot" color, will certainly turn its fair share of heads. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

has some serious street cred.

For the styling of the Vipers little punk brother, Dodge took a page from the same book as the Lancer Evolution and Subaru Impreza WRX, one that coincides with gravel-slinging rally cars. Like a candidate on Extreme Makeover Challenge, the mundane Neon has been thoroughly transformed, sporting massively bulging fenders, and a completely reworked nose fitted with enough scoops, vents and intakes to make an industrial air conditioner feel insecure. Many an ear-splitting decibel is expelled through twin canon exhaust tips, which rudely poke through the plain rear bumper. Everything from the gigantic crosshair lower intake, to the hood scoop and the bow-shaped rear spoiler are functional,

The heart of the matter, and what the SRT-4 will be best known for, is its 2.4-liter DOHC I-4 turbo. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

each serving the purpose of bettering the cars performance. Beauty, of course, may be subjective, but the Blast Orange Pearl paint, this years "hot" color will certainly turn its fair share of heads. As far as I can remember, the first generation Neon was a remarkable handler. It might not have had the same feel-good interior as latter day Hondas or VWs, but in the right hands no new car on the flip side of $30,000, aside from the Mazda Miata was quicker through the cones at an autocross. It was also a consistent performer in budget car comparison tests in most magazines, particularly in R/T or ACR trim. The SRT-4 takes everything anyone ever knew about the Neons handling abilities and cranks it up to eleven. PVO tweaked the already capable steering slightly, adding new front suspension knuckles, revising overall geometry, increasing

The SRT-4 now makes 230-horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque, some 15 horses and 5 lb-ft of torque more than when it first appeared. (Photo Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

the front sway bar to 0.94 inches. Also fitted are Tokico dampers with higher-rate springs to snuff body roll. Brakes have also been upgraded with larger four-wheel discs and extremely powerful single-piston calipers.

The heart of the matter, and what the SRT-4 will be best known for, is its 2.4-liter DOHC I-4 turbo. This is the most powerful application of the turbo-four, which is also featured in the PT Cruiser and Mexican-market cloud cars (Stratus, Cirrus). As a part of last years update, the SRT-4 now makes 230-horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque, some 15 horses and 5 lb-ft of torque more than in its first appearance. It trounced the major competition and many sports cars that cost thousands of dollars more.

The gain in power is attributed to new fuel injectors, which are able to supply the hungry engine with more fuel. Prior to the adjustment, Dodge found that at

The amount of boost the turbo whips out is registered on a tiny Autometer gauge. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

high revs the engine was starved for fuel, causing it to run lean. To prevent permanent engine damage in those instances, the computer cut the turbos boost. The difference isnt noticeable from inside the cabin, but its present in the figures, being some 0.3 seconds quicker to 60 mph (5.4 seconds) than before.

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