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2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4 Road and Track Test

The view from behind the wheel of the new Caliber SRT4 is unlike any other

The meanest, angriest sport compact car wears the Dodge ram horns. How appropriate, considering it's got 285 chargin' horsepower. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

sport compact car. Behind the carbon fiber woven look of the steering wheel, the copious red stitching, the bear hug of the bolstered sports seats and the turbo gauge offset in peripheral vision is a view that's more akin to a compact sport utility vehicle. At the very same time, this is a car that's capable of hitting 60 mph in a claimed six seconds, will go on to a top speed of 155 mph, out-braking, out-steering and out-muscling its rivals any day of the week. This is the magic of the new SRT4, the car that authoritatively puts the hammer down for The New Chrysler.

The SRT (Street and Racing Technology) family is a funny mix of traditional, all-American muscle, modern street tuner scene, and in previous years, European sophistication delivered by the now dead Crossfire SRT6. Where the rest of the SRT product lineup comes from the school of no replacement for displacement, the Caliber is the opposite, bubbling with the sort of engineering done on computers by men in lab coats. The engine for instance is 2.4 liters in displacement, small compared to its sibling 6.1-liter Hemi V8s, and it has dual variable valve timing plus other elements that can

A lot of work has been done to massage such high figures from such a small powerplant. It makes nearly 120 hp/liter. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

change to optimize power, the sort of things that traditional American muscle machines might sneer at. But really, the sort of mods you'll find under the hood will garner true respect in other more global circles. The little GEMA World Engine has stronger internal components, a higher compression ratio and a big Mitsubishi-sourced turbocharger, plus uprated fuel and cooling devices which enable it to deliver its 285 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. At the very last minute, the car's output jumped by 5 horsepower (it was previously rated at 280 hp, down from the originally claimed 300), which has to do with the way the engine makes its power. It ensures that SRT4s in Aspen, Colorado make the same power as those in Death Valley, controlled by the amount of boost generated by the turbo.

While SRT has a strong reputation, for old time's sakes the new Caliber really ought to have been called the GLH as per the old Shelby-tuned Omnis, because it really Goes Like Hell. As previously mentioned, it'll do

Strap yourself in nice and tight - the SRT4 is a wild, but highly enjoyable ride. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

60 mph in about six seconds and the engine's strength should have no problems combating its flying brick aerodynamic rating of 0.40 cd at higher speeds. On a rough stretch of pavement with a mediocre start, using the optional Performance Pages which are within 0.1 second (so an SRT engineer tells me), I was able to record 5.5 seconds to 60 mph; a perfect start could easily trim that down to 5.2 or perhaps even less. Mid-range performance is shocking, with pick-up from the 2,500 rpm point and up. Using the Performance Pages, you can also keep track of eighth and quarter mile times, and G-Forces in all directions. The sound that it makes is also particularly mean; you can hear the intake greedily slurping air down, the big Mitsubishi turbo build up boost and the dump valve letting go of that pent up pressure every time you let go of the gas. It's exhilarating and dangerously addictive.

The SRT4 is a tuner's dream, a melting pot of visual spunk and most importantly, functionality. The body kit wasn't just designed in the studio,

Seats just like those from the SRT8 family hug your torso. They're not trimmed in leather, but "Caprice Vinyl" and cloth. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

it was tested in the wind tunnel and then tested again on the track. It's an all-encompassing package consisting of valances, skirts, spoilers and diffusers that manage air, feeding it into the right places (intercooler, radiator, brake ducts), while keeping it out of the wrong places (drag, lift, etc). SRT engineers beamed that they were capable of doing 150 mph lane changes all day long with no issues of stability. Our run in with the SRT4 at Putnam Park race track in Indianapolis wasn't at such hairy speeds, but the claims of this car producing zero lift are absolutely believable. In fact, in general the stability that the SRT4 possesses on the track is amazing; you'd really have to be a ham-fisted novice hell-bent on getting things out of shape to provoke this Caliber into any degree of oversteer. Another tendency for cars in this category is for the rear end to get light, squirrelly or worse, swap ends under hard trail braking, but the SRT4's tail stays resolutely planted.

Cars that work well on the road oftentimes don't work too well on the track and vice versa, but the SRT4 is more than happy to be your best buddy

SRT4's a real barn stormer... (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

on a lapping day and a spirited companion to and from work. Its larger rear sway bars counteract understeer, giving it a more neutral bias through long, sweeping corners where your foot is planted to the floor. The retuned steering rack also adds much-needed heft to the wheel. The ZF-Sachs twin-tube dampers and uprated coil springs in front and in back create a brilliant compromise between ride quality and resistance to roll. For its high center of gravity and tall shape the Caliber admirably resists lean and it rides over an inch lower than other stock Calibers. To and from the track, the car isn't terribly noisy (it now has a proper muffler), the seats comfortable, the stereo system good and the suspension is pleasingly supple, filtering out the sort of bumps that would clang and rattle a Mazdaspeed3 about. Did we mention the SRT4 rides on 45-profile 19-inch wheels as standard equipment?

Interior is pretty much the same as the regular Caliber, with the exception of the seats, special trim for the steering wheel and shifter, and a revised instrument bin. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

For something that has 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque on tap, the SRT4 isn't as unruly as you'd think. It doesn't just spin its wheels in a fury of tire smoke and simply give up. The Caliber is much more concrete in the way it goes about things. Unlike the Mazdaspeed3 which limits the amount of power that can be put to the ground in the first three gears, or a mechanical limited slip differential as might be found in a Cobalt SS Supercharged or Civic Si, the Caliber has an unusual electronically controlled brake lock differential. When the sensors detect slip, the differential will slow down the spinning wheel. It's an odd way of going about things, the car putting an effort to slow a wheel down when accelerating, at a time when all you want the wheels to do is speed up.

While a brake lock differential is a great makeshift solution to a locking diff for an off-roader like the Patriot, it's not as effective in performance applications due to the exacerbation of the feeling of torque steer. When unlocking the full-force of its power, the front wheels have a mind of their own, scurrying to the left, then to the right, back and forth till the power

The little needle twitters about, displaying boost. How cool's that? (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

can freely flow to the ground without slip. They also have a habit of following the crest and crowns of the road despite efforts to keep things pointed straight. Driving the SRT4 hard therefore requires a firm hand to keep everything under control, and you'll still manage to get the tires scrapping for grip when rounding out of a corner. It's not so much a violent, snapping fight, but rather it's a vehicle that will keep you on your toes.

To this explosive engine is a brand new Getrag six-speed manual gearbox that was specifically designed for the SRT4. There's nothing fancy about the cable-operated shifter, but for the fact that it's mounted in close proximity to the steering wheel making changes easy. It requires a pretty strong hand to get it through the gears, and the clutch while heavier and sharper than most offers more feel than the featherweight R/T.

With performance like this, the brakes had better be good and indeed they

Serious power needs serious brakes. They're so big, you need at least 18-inch wheels to clear them... of course, the standard 19s do just fine. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

are. SRT8 cars all feature Brembo-branded calipers, but not the littler Caliber. Instead, its brakes are the heavy duty units sourced from the Charger R/T Police Package, so you know they're not only up to the job but are professional grade too. Hard braking will lacerate your torso with seatbelt-shaped bruises as the twin-pot calipers squeeze down on those humongous front discs. Lap after lap, the car was able to haul us down from 110+ mph off the front stretch of the course without faltering or fading. What's more is that our testers had survived four hard, hard, hard days of track driving from previous waves of journalists, without replaced rotors or pads. This is performance that you can depend on.

Because underneath it's still a Caliber, all of the standard ups and downs of the original are present. ChillZone, Music Gate, illuminated cupholders, and plenty of cargo space is a part of the fare, as is the mediocre build quality and cheap plastics. The interior also looks a bit better in Slate Gray (read: black) than in the usual utility workhorse light gray or beige, and in truth most customers will be too busy focusing on the road ahead and gloating about the awesome performance to be poking and prodding at the cabin. The SRT4 is also porkier than the car it replaces by a rather large amount, tipping the scales at 3,189 pounds, which means in the real world it isn't vastly quicker than the much lighter and less powerful Neon-based SRT4. Then again, the new SRT4 doesn't feel like it's made from tin, and is packed with comfort features and has a safety record that the old car would kill for, including track-tuned ESP and ABS brakes as standard, plus front, knee and curtain airbags (plus optional side airbags), very useful things to have should you get it very wrong while on the move.

As for value for the money, the SRT4 is simply untouchable. Pricing starts at a paltry $22,435. It will leave the 200 horsepower segment sucking on its dust. Sorry GTI, sorry Si, there's just no contest because the SRT4 is in a different league. It's about $2,300 more than the old SX-based SRT4, costs just $60 more than its closest rival, the Mazdaspeed3, and will probably be cheaper than the less powerful HHR SS too. You could take that leftover money and buy years' worth of tires, gas, insurance, or even some Mopar performance parts, which will soon be available. But our praise of the SRT4 isn't just bang for the buck, as it's more than just another little car with a ton of horsepower. SRT's engineering team has once again made something superb out of rather humble beginnings. Isn't that what the spirit of sport compact tuning is about?

Specifications (Caliber SRT4):

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