Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/future/future_vehicles/1201_2014_dodge_dart_srt4/#ixzz1l3WL5jk0
http://www.motortrend.com/future/future_vehicles/1201_2014_dodge_dart_srt4/

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/future/future_vehicles/1201_2014_dodge_dart_srt4/#ixzz1l3WL5jk0Although the Dart has just been released to great acclaim, you know Ralph Gilles and his SRT team are already honing a fine tip on the SRT4 performance variant. Here's what you can expect:
That makes sense, I guess... but remember, this is 100% specualtion. This new Dart may not have anywhere near 300hp. The Caliber SRT-4's 2.4 turbo was good for 280 crank hp. What if they have a hard time pushing past that from a reliability/effeciency standpoint? There are too many uncertainties for the ST guys to be this worried at this point.The new SRT4 is a complete unknown at this point, the uproar is about Chrysler giving it 300hp and since we already know Ford is giving us a 250hp ST we know the ST is going to be down on power.
The uproar is simply because we all want Ford to step up this time and actually compete in the small car market instead of their typical "that'll do" attitude.
You know very well that a lot of the buyers only ever look at horsepower numbers, that's one reason the SVT didn't do as well as it should have even though it could run circles around much more powerful cars on a road course or auto-x.
So yes, lets hope that the SRT boys work their magic and beat the ST and at the same time I'm going to be hoping that Ford responds and crushes the SRT with an all new RS. :thumbup:
It's already got WAY more potential than the Caliber did. The fact that they made the Caliber SRT-4 look as good as it does (I would rock a Caliber SRT-4 in a heartbeat) is a miracle in and of itself. Look how good the Dart looks from pretty much every angle. Look how good the interior looks. Now let the SRT engineers loose on THAT as a starting point :thumbup:That would really kick ass if this came to fruition. No fancy crap - nothing like revoknuckle to increase cost - just a bulletproof drivetrain and an LSD for another "Neon recipe" SRT4, just a much more comfortable place to spend time than the original SRT-4. Please Dodge, give us another hooliganmobile. :thumbup:
That hp number is a big factor... but it's not the only factor. Look how well all those cars you mentioned are selling :thumbup:The HP thing scares me though because they really aren't anywhere near the leader in any catagory in HP. The Challanger has always been a disappointment to me. The Viper was basically a race car they tried to sell on the same platform as the Corvette with not nearly as many niceties. The 300 is nice by the Caddys kill it in HP and the Charger is a 4 door pig dressed up to go to a dance no one really wants to go to.
The last nice car they built that was a HP leader was honestly the SRT Neon.
STi's are over 30 large, no?Comparing prices to a Subaru STi? Well if thats the case I hope its going to be AWD. 300hp to the front wheels just doesnt sound right.
Diamler was a mess with communication and technology. Diamler screwed up the minivans really bad by trying to put lightweight brakes on the fronts. Too light for the US driving and weight of vehicle. Kiling brakes every 12000 miles. The the NAG1 tranny in the 300 and Grand Cherokees is a seive. Leaks all the time. The Crossfire was a joke, some of the SUVs they worked on were garabage.Let's keep this momentum, yes?
Is Marchionne really that good? Or was Diamler really that bad?
You know, I think I have heard that story. I believe every word. That's just the kind of guy Marchionne is. No nonsense. Gets ish done the right way. He knows people wont buy cars unless unless they are what they want. A nicely put-together automobile that looks good.Diamler was a mess with communication and technology. Diamler screwed up the minivans really bad by trying to put lightweight brakes on the fronts. Too light for the US driving and weight of vehicle. Kiling brakes every 12000 miles. The the NAG1 tranny in the 300 and Grand Cherokees is a seive. Leaks all the time. The Crossfire was a joke, some of the SUVs they worked on were garabage.
The Cirrus or whatever took over and killed us bad. They basically wanted to sell off the parts and make money that way.
Marchionne came in with one goal. Build Chrysler back up and get Fiat back in North America. So far so good. He has done wonders for us in fit and finish and build quality. Better product fast and lastly he understands how to sell cars or make them sell anyway.
Best story I heard from him was he came to review the 1st run of new Grand Cherokees. 5,000 of them or something adn a trim piece was misaligned. He said scrap the lot and fix that problem and start over. Someone said "let the dealers deal with it." That person was fired on the spot and 5,000 Grand Cherokees were scrapped due to fit and finish issues and the line was retooled in that area to fix the problem.
Hmm, wondering how those two statements make any sense whatsoever. :lol: If anything, the SVT was underpowered and the MS3 & SRT-4 were ideal.I like the SVTF because it's powered well for it's chassis. It's a good balance. I hated the MS3 and original SRT4.
I mostly agree, though the SRT-4 was a *huge* turning point from "adequate" to "excess" being the norm in small compacts.Hmm, wondering how those two statements make any sense whatsoever. :lol: If anything, the SVT was underpowered and the MS3 & SRT-4 were ideal.
I know exactly what you're saying. However, over here it seems we have to build that beautiful combo you speak of or hunt down something that's far from today's standard of "modern". With the porky dimensions of current "compacts", I welcome the surplus horsepower in the SRT & MS3 since any potentially beautiful engine sound gets drowned out by 120lbs of sound deadening material. It just seems to me that magical connection between car & driver is harder to come by these days or those cars that do such a good job of it are far out my reach.I mostly agree, though the SRT-4 was a *huge* turning point from "adequate" to "excess" being the norm in small compacts.
I love surplus horsepower, but the downside to the big power compacts is that manufacturers can't compete with the finesse approach of high revs and peaky power output. There is a beauty to those engines that is lost in the horsepower war.
Which do I prefer? I'd take one of each.![]()