Dodge SRT-4
Encyclopedia
The Dodge SRT-4 is a sport compact
car manufactured by Dodge from 2003-2005. A turbocharged variant of the Neon, the car was developed by DaimlerChrysler
's in house PVO (Performance Vehicle Operations) tuner group. PVO was officially renamed SRT (Street and Racing Technology
) in 2004. The "4" in the SRT-4's name denotes the number of cylinders of the engine. ACR (American Club Racing) and Commemorative Edition models were later introduced as well.
The production SRT-4 was introduced in 2003. At the time, the car was the second fastest stock production vehicle in the Dodge
lineup, second only to the Viper
. Built in Belvidere, Illinois
with 84% US content, the SRT-4's entire powertrain (engine and transmission), suspension, braking system, exhaust, wheels, tires, and a small portion of the interior were upgraded from the base model Neon. On the outside, the SRT-4 also featured a unique front fascia and hood, featuring a functional hood scoop. The car also featured side skirts, a unique rear fascia, large rear wing, and model-specific 17x6 inch wheels.
Under the hood was a turbocharged 2.4 L inline-4 gasoline engine
. This engine was nearly identical to the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
GT (A855 engine), though the SRT-4 version (A853 engine) did not have the unique intake manifold required to package the engine in the compact PT Cruiser engine bay. The SRT-4 used a New Venture Gear
T-850 five-speed manual transmission
(based on the unit from the European turbodiesel
minivans), equal-length half shaft
s, and a high-capacity Sachs performance clutch. The suspension used stiffer springs, SRT tuned Tokico struts (with travel reduced to provide clearance for the large wheels), larger sway bars front and rear, a unique steering gear, PT Cruiser steering knuckles, and a unique K-member. 11 in (279.4 mm) vented disc brakes (with extra-thick rotors to prevent warping) were used in front, with 10.6 in (269.2 mm) non-vented discs in the rear.
Inside, the front seats featured enhanced lumbar and lateral support for performance driving, and a faux carbon fiber steering wheel, shift boot, and satin silver "cue ball" shift knob were used. The gauges had special SRT faces and silver rings matching those on the climate controls. An Auto-Meter brand boost gauge was used as well. The front windows were power operated, while the rear windows were manual.
The 2004 model was updated with more power and torque, a torque-sensing Quaife
limited-slip differential, larger fuel injectors, BF Goodrich KDW2 three-season ultra-high performance tires, newer engine management hardware, and paint and trim changes. 2005 also featured new colors and the return of the American Club Racer (ACR) edition. The ACR package included wider 16"x7" BBS
RX lightweight racing wheels with wider 225/45R16 B.F. Goodrich KDW2 tires, 5-position adjustable Tokico Illumina shock absorbers (with full travel restored), a thicker rear sway bar, front seats with pass-through slots for racing harnesses, increased allowable front camber adjustment, and ACR logos on the exterior and embroidered on the front seats. The struts on the ACR also used common spring seat height locations as a base Neon, which lowered the front 10 mm (0.393700787401575 in) and the rear 23.5 mm (0.925196850393701 in) from a base SRT-4. A limited edition and numbered 2005 SRT-4 Commemorative Edition appearance package (in white with blue "Viper
stripes") was also offered, but not with the ACR package.
With the demise of the PL platform
after model year 2005, the SRT-4 ceased production. In 2008 Dodge introduced the Caliber SRT-4 as a replacement.
Braking consists of an ABS system with 11 in (279.4 mm) F vented/ 10.6 in (269.2 mm) R discs and single piston calipers (57 mm front/36 mm rear).
17 × 6-inch cast aluminum wheels with an offset of 43 mm, coupled with 205/50/17 Michelin Pilot Sport tires helped put the power to the ground on 2003 models, with 2004 and 2005 models getting BF Goodrich KDW2 tires. Even wider 225/45/16 BF Goodrich KDW2 tires on lightweight BBS racing wheels (40 mm offset) were offered on the ACR model in 2005. The standard 17 in (43.2 cm) wheels were purposely designed to look like aftermarket wheels, and the unique spoke pattern allowed for better airflow to the brakes. The design showed much similarity to the TSW VX1 wheels found on the 2001 concept supercharged Neon S-R/T.
In 2003, Dodge engineers built a special SRT-4 Extreme LightWeight using only factory performance upgrade parts from Mopar in conjunction with lightweight, carbon fiber body pieces (produced in-house) for weight reduction. The car weighed only 2500 lb (1,134 kg) wet and was dyno'd at 360 hp and 383 lbft (at the wheels) by SportCompactCar magazine. On drag slicks, it ran an 11.83-second pass at 123 mph (197.9 km/h) in 70 °F (21.1 °C) weather.
exhaust valves. The PT Cruiser Turbo engine package differs from the SRT-4 because the intake manifold, turbocharger
plumbing and intercooler
are different. The SRT-4 intercooler
was a front-mounted cast aluminum 8-row unit produced by Valeo. The turbocharger was a reverse rotation Mitsubishi
TD04LR-16Gk with a 6 cm² (0.93000186000372 sq in) turbine inlet. Tight packaging forced some creative thinking on the turbocharger. The TD04 compressor has a compressor bypass valve built right into the compressor housing. The exhaust manifold and turbine housing were cast in one piece by Mitsubishi from high-nickel Ni-Resist steel. The one-piece design improved flow, reduced size and reduced thermal mass for quicker cat light-off. The turbine discharge was also part of the manifold/turbine housing casting, and it looped back around and hit the manifold again on its way to the catalytic converter. Where they met, there was a wastegate valve; keeping the wastegate valve away from the turbine housing improved flow where it mattered most. Maximum boost in stock form was around 14 psi (96.5 kPa). Piston velocities and valve-train components force a rev limit of 6240 rpm although MOPAR upped the ante with their Stage 2 and 3 kits which have a rev limit of 6500 rpm.
The exhaust system for the vehicle consists of 2.25 inches (57.15 mm) steel tubing, which is run first through the catalytic converter, then through two resonators. The exhaust then splits into two separate sections of piping, exiting through two 3.75 in (95.3 mm) stainless steel tips at the rear of the vehicle. The exhaust system is unique in that it does not rely on a muffler for noise reduction, instead relying on the turbocharger and resonators to reduce the exhaust volume. The end result is a very distinctive and audible exhaust note, specific only to the SRT-4.
in late 2002 prior to its release, they added two vents (Nostrils) on the front fascia to help with the upgraded cooling system, a revised boost gauge face, and standard pedals instead of the aluminum ones that would be used on later SRT-4s.
Inside the cabin, the SRT-4 front seats had enhanced lumbar and lateral sections for better support during racing-type maneuvers, modeled after the Dodge Viper SRT-10
's seats. The agate-colored cloth on the body of the seats was textured for better grip through the corners. The side bolsters of the front seats were trimmed in vinyl and curved to stabilize occupants. The car's rear seats also featured the textured fabric. Another seating option available was side-impact air bag equipped seats with an identical fabric and vinyl design with less pronounced side bolsters.
Carbon-fiber-look leather wrapped the top of the SRT-4's steering wheel for greater control. A satin silver cue ball shift knob topped a shifter that was surrounded by a boot made of the same textured carbon-fiber-look leather as the steering wheel. The steering wheel's unique three-spoke design also provided a better view of the instrument cluster gauges.
Unique gauge designs in the SRT-4 (which were exclusive to the SRT lineup) featured special silver faces with satin silver ring accents. The same satin metal trim was also featured on the instrument panel center stack, climate control knobs and on the door handles. A silver Auto-Meter brand turbo boost/vacuum gauge was to the right of the instrument cluster.
and Ram SRT-10
) was created to celebrate the SRT vehicles. The limited, numbered edition SRT-4 included "Electric Blue" stripes over the white-colored body, blue stitching on the floor mats, shifter boot, seats and steering wheel, stainless steel door sill plates and a numbered plaque. No performance extras were added on the Commemorative Edition. A total of 200 Commemorative Edition SRT-4 vehicles were made.
In SCCA ProRally racing, the SRT-4 (and more recently the ACR version) has dominated the Group 5 (2WD) class since 2003. In just its first year competing, the Dodge ended the stranglehold that the FWD DSMs and Volkswagen
s had on the class. With three competing the following year, the SRT-4 won every 2004 series race and end-of-season award. The SRT-4 has won every Group 5 and 2-Wheel-Drive class championship in US ProRally and Sno Drift since 2003, and its unprecedented dominance in 2004 helped Dodge earn its first US ProRally Manufacturers Championship in 28 years.
In 2005, Jeff Lepper drove the SRT-4 to its first ever national road racing win in the NASA US Touring Car Championship at California Speedway in Fontana.
In 2005, Dale Seeley, Kolin Aspergren, and Jamin Cummings drove an SRT-4 to a 1st in class and 8th overall finish in the Tire Rack Cannonball One Lap of America.
In 2006, the Dodge SRT-4 officially became the world's fastest production 4-cylinder car, averaging 221 mph (355.7 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in a car built by Dave Harris and Phil Hurst for Racedeck Racing.
Multiple SRT-4s were raced in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge - Touring Car Series, and in 2006 - their second year of competition - had become one of the more successful platforms in the series. Robb Holland, of 3R Racing, became the first Pro driver to put the SRT-4 on the podium with his 3rd place finish at Road America
in August 2006. This was Dodge's first podium and first manufacturer's points in World Challenge Touring Car competition. Holland would finish the season with 3 top 10 finishes and two top 5 qualifying efforts in the SRT-4.
In 2007, Doug Wind, Devin Clancy, and Ken Brewer drove an SRT-4 to a 1st in class and 5th overall finish in the Tire Rack Cannonball One Lap of America.
In 2007, Curt Simmons won the U.S. Touring Car Championship in an SRT-4 and Dodge won the season manufacturers points championship by 29 points over Honda behind the strength of several SRT-4's.
In 2007, Stan Wilson won the Speed World Challenge Touring Car Rookie Driver of the Year and the Sunoco Hard Charger of the Year awards driving the Sorted Performance Dodge SRT-4. This was Dodge's first title in Speed World Challenge Touring Car.
In 2008, Curt Simmons attempts to defend his USTCC series championship, winning most recently June 29, 2008 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA.
Sport compact
A sport compact is a high-performance version of a compact car or a subcompact car. They are typically are front engined, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive coupés, sedans, or hatchbacks driven by a straight-4 gasoline engine. Performance-oriented sport compacts generally focus on improving...
car manufactured by Dodge from 2003-2005. A turbocharged variant of the Neon, the car was developed by DaimlerChrysler
DaimlerChrysler
Daimler AG is a German car corporation. By unit sales, it is the thirteenth-largest car manufacturer and second-largest truck manufacturer in the world. In addition to automobiles, Daimler manufactures buses and provides financial services through its Daimler Financial Services arm...
's in house PVO (Performance Vehicle Operations) tuner group. PVO was officially renamed SRT (Street and Racing Technology
Street and Racing Technology
Street & Racing Technology is a high-performance automobile group within Chrysler LLC. SRT began as "Team Viper" to develop the Dodge Viper. It later merged with "Team Prowler", the developers of the Plymouth Prowler, to become Specialty Vehicle Engineering . This was renamed Performance Vehicle...
) in 2004. The "4" in the SRT-4's name denotes the number of cylinders of the engine. ACR (American Club Racing) and Commemorative Edition models were later introduced as well.
History
The original concept Neon SRT was a 2.0 L 16-valve four cylinder topped with a 45-cubic inch Eaton supercharger, which produced 208 hp and 180 lbft of torque at the flywheel on 11 psi (0.75842330223 bar) of boost. (Sport Compact Car magazine tested the car in the Feb. 2001 issue and dynoed 179 hp and 149 lbft torque at the wheels.)The production SRT-4 was introduced in 2003. At the time, the car was the second fastest stock production vehicle in the Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
lineup, second only to the Viper
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
. Built in Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere is a city in Boone County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,585 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Boone County. Belvidere is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
with 84% US content, the SRT-4's entire powertrain (engine and transmission), suspension, braking system, exhaust, wheels, tires, and a small portion of the interior were upgraded from the base model Neon. On the outside, the SRT-4 also featured a unique front fascia and hood, featuring a functional hood scoop. The car also featured side skirts, a unique rear fascia, large rear wing, and model-specific 17x6 inch wheels.
Under the hood was a turbocharged 2.4 L inline-4 gasoline engine
Four-stroke cycle
A four-stroke engine, also known as four-cycle, is an internal combustion engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes—intake, compression, power, and exhaust—during two separate revolutions of the engine's crankshaft, and one single thermodynamic cycle.There are two...
. This engine was nearly identical to the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Chrysler PT Cruiser
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a retro styled compact automobile launched by Chrysler as a 5-door hatchback in early 2000 and as a 2-door convertible in early 2005 ....
GT (A855 engine), though the SRT-4 version (A853 engine) did not have the unique intake manifold required to package the engine in the compact PT Cruiser engine bay. The SRT-4 used a New Venture Gear
New Venture Gear
New Venture Gear, a division of Magna Powertrain, is a automobile transmission company. It was founded in 1888 under the name "New Process Gear" then in 1934 it was purchased by Walter Chrysler. In 1999 New Process Gear was renamed "New Venture Gear" when it became a joint venture between General...
T-850 five-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
(based on the unit from the European turbodiesel
Turbodiesel
Turbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines...
minivans), equal-length half shaft
Half shaft
The term half shaft is another name for a front-wheel drive shaft, which is also called the constant velocity axle or CV axle. There is one half shaft per wheel. Some may further to this part as a CV shaft....
s, and a high-capacity Sachs performance clutch. The suspension used stiffer springs, SRT tuned Tokico struts (with travel reduced to provide clearance for the large wheels), larger sway bars front and rear, a unique steering gear, PT Cruiser steering knuckles, and a unique K-member. 11 in (279.4 mm) vented disc brakes (with extra-thick rotors to prevent warping) were used in front, with 10.6 in (269.2 mm) non-vented discs in the rear.
Inside, the front seats featured enhanced lumbar and lateral support for performance driving, and a faux carbon fiber steering wheel, shift boot, and satin silver "cue ball" shift knob were used. The gauges had special SRT faces and silver rings matching those on the climate controls. An Auto-Meter brand boost gauge was used as well. The front windows were power operated, while the rear windows were manual.
The 2004 model was updated with more power and torque, a torque-sensing Quaife
Quaife
R.T. Quaife Engineering, Ltd. is a British manufacturer of automotive drivetrain products. It designs and manufactures replacement gearboxes and gear sets, some of which are for four-wheel drive systems....
limited-slip differential, larger fuel injectors, BF Goodrich KDW2 three-season ultra-high performance tires, newer engine management hardware, and paint and trim changes. 2005 also featured new colors and the return of the American Club Racer (ACR) edition. The ACR package included wider 16"x7" BBS
BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik AG
BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik AG is a high performance automobile wheel design company headquartered in Schiltach, Germany. BBS serves North America through BBS of America, located in Braselton, Georgia, adjacent to the Road Atlanta Racetrak...
RX lightweight racing wheels with wider 225/45R16 B.F. Goodrich KDW2 tires, 5-position adjustable Tokico Illumina shock absorbers (with full travel restored), a thicker rear sway bar, front seats with pass-through slots for racing harnesses, increased allowable front camber adjustment, and ACR logos on the exterior and embroidered on the front seats. The struts on the ACR also used common spring seat height locations as a base Neon, which lowered the front 10 mm (0.393700787401575 in) and the rear 23.5 mm (0.925196850393701 in) from a base SRT-4. A limited edition and numbered 2005 SRT-4 Commemorative Edition appearance package (in white with blue "Viper
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
stripes") was also offered, but not with the ACR package.
With the demise of the PL platform
Chrysler PL platform
The PL platform was Chrysler's automobile platform for the 1995-2005 Dodge Neon compact car. It is a front wheel drive platform with no provision for all wheel drive. Contrary to early reports, PL was not the basis for the Chrysler PT Cruiser's PT platform...
after model year 2005, the SRT-4 ceased production. In 2008 Dodge introduced the Caliber SRT-4 as a replacement.
Performance
| Power: | SAE 215 hp (2003 model) SAE 230 hp (2004-2005 models) In 2004, the SRT-4 received a power increase, with larger fuel injectors and a recalibrated engine computer. Manufacturer's specification when the SRT-4 was released was 230 hp. However, several independent tests have produced results indicating that the SRT-4 produces more power than the manufacturer claims. The estimated flywheel power is to be around 265 hp. |
|---|---|
| Torque: | 245 lbft @ 3200-4200 rpm (2003 model) 250 lbft @ 2400-4400 rpm (2004-2005 models) |
| 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) time: | 5.3 seconds |
| Rev Limiter/Redline: | 6240 |
| ¼ mile (400 m) time: | 13.8 seconds |
| ¼ mile speed: | 103 mph (165.8 km/h) |
| Top speed: | Car and Driver magazine achieved a maximum speed of 153 mph (246.2 km/h). |
Braking consists of an ABS system with 11 in (279.4 mm) F vented/ 10.6 in (269.2 mm) R discs and single piston calipers (57 mm front/36 mm rear).
17 × 6-inch cast aluminum wheels with an offset of 43 mm, coupled with 205/50/17 Michelin Pilot Sport tires helped put the power to the ground on 2003 models, with 2004 and 2005 models getting BF Goodrich KDW2 tires. Even wider 225/45/16 BF Goodrich KDW2 tires on lightweight BBS racing wheels (40 mm offset) were offered on the ACR model in 2005. The standard 17 in (43.2 cm) wheels were purposely designed to look like aftermarket wheels, and the unique spoke pattern allowed for better airflow to the brakes. The design showed much similarity to the TSW VX1 wheels found on the 2001 concept supercharged Neon S-R/T.
In 2003, Dodge engineers built a special SRT-4 Extreme LightWeight using only factory performance upgrade parts from Mopar in conjunction with lightweight, carbon fiber body pieces (produced in-house) for weight reduction. The car weighed only 2500 lb (1,134 kg) wet and was dyno'd at 360 hp and 383 lbft (at the wheels) by SportCompactCar magazine. On drag slicks, it ran an 11.83-second pass at 123 mph (197.9 km/h) in 70 °F (21.1 °C) weather.
Engine details
The SRT-4 used an identical block as the naturally aspirated Chrysler 2.4 L block used in the PT Cruiser and mid-size cars such as the four-door Stratus. Both naturally aspirated and turbo engines (PT Cruiser GT Turbo and SRT-4) used the same cylinder head with the exception of the InconelInconel
Inconel is a registered trademark of Special Metals Corporation that refers to a family of austenitic nickel-chromium-based superalloys. Inconel alloys are typically used in high temperature applications. It is often referred to in English as "Inco"...
exhaust valves. The PT Cruiser Turbo engine package differs from the SRT-4 because the intake manifold, turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
plumbing and intercooler
Intercooler
An intercooler , or charge air cooler, is an air-to-air or air-to-liquid heat exchange device used on turbocharged and supercharged internal combustion engines to improve their volumetric efficiency by increasing intake air charge density through nearly isobaric cooling, which removes...
are different. The SRT-4 intercooler
Intercooler
An intercooler , or charge air cooler, is an air-to-air or air-to-liquid heat exchange device used on turbocharged and supercharged internal combustion engines to improve their volumetric efficiency by increasing intake air charge density through nearly isobaric cooling, which removes...
was a front-mounted cast aluminum 8-row unit produced by Valeo. The turbocharger was a reverse rotation Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
TD04LR-16Gk with a 6 cm² (0.93000186000372 sq in) turbine inlet. Tight packaging forced some creative thinking on the turbocharger. The TD04 compressor has a compressor bypass valve built right into the compressor housing. The exhaust manifold and turbine housing were cast in one piece by Mitsubishi from high-nickel Ni-Resist steel. The one-piece design improved flow, reduced size and reduced thermal mass for quicker cat light-off. The turbine discharge was also part of the manifold/turbine housing casting, and it looped back around and hit the manifold again on its way to the catalytic converter. Where they met, there was a wastegate valve; keeping the wastegate valve away from the turbine housing improved flow where it mattered most. Maximum boost in stock form was around 14 psi (96.5 kPa). Piston velocities and valve-train components force a rev limit of 6240 rpm although MOPAR upped the ante with their Stage 2 and 3 kits which have a rev limit of 6500 rpm.
The exhaust system for the vehicle consists of 2.25 inches (57.15 mm) steel tubing, which is run first through the catalytic converter, then through two resonators. The exhaust then splits into two separate sections of piping, exiting through two 3.75 in (95.3 mm) stainless steel tips at the rear of the vehicle. The exhaust system is unique in that it does not rely on a muffler for noise reduction, instead relying on the turbocharger and resonators to reduce the exhaust volume. The end result is a very distinctive and audible exhaust note, specific only to the SRT-4.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Block height: | 9.375 in (23.8 cm) |
| Displacement: | 2429 cc |
| Stroke: | 3.976 in (101 mm) |
| Bore: | 3.445 in (87.5 mm) |
| Rod length: | 5.944 in (151 mm) |
| Main journal diameter: | 2.36 in (6 cm) |
| Deck clearance: | 0.2 in (0.508 cm) |
| Combustion chamber volume: | 50 cc |
| Head gasket thickness: | 0.04 in (0.1016 cm) |
| Compression ratio: | 8.1:1 |
External key features
Of note aesthetically, when Dodge was redesigning the SRT-4 pre-production carPre-production car
Pre-production cars are vehicles that allow the automaker to find problems before a new model goes on sale to the public. Pre-production cars come after prototypes, or development mules which themselves are preceded by concept cars...
in late 2002 prior to its release, they added two vents (Nostrils) on the front fascia to help with the upgraded cooling system, a revised boost gauge face, and standard pedals instead of the aluminum ones that would be used on later SRT-4s.
Inside the cabin, the SRT-4 front seats had enhanced lumbar and lateral sections for better support during racing-type maneuvers, modeled after the Dodge Viper SRT-10
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
's seats. The agate-colored cloth on the body of the seats was textured for better grip through the corners. The side bolsters of the front seats were trimmed in vinyl and curved to stabilize occupants. The car's rear seats also featured the textured fabric. Another seating option available was side-impact air bag equipped seats with an identical fabric and vinyl design with less pronounced side bolsters.
Carbon-fiber-look leather wrapped the top of the SRT-4's steering wheel for greater control. A satin silver cue ball shift knob topped a shifter that was surrounded by a boot made of the same textured carbon-fiber-look leather as the steering wheel. The steering wheel's unique three-spoke design also provided a better view of the instrument cluster gauges.
Unique gauge designs in the SRT-4 (which were exclusive to the SRT lineup) featured special silver faces with satin silver ring accents. The same satin metal trim was also featured on the instrument panel center stack, climate control knobs and on the door handles. A silver Auto-Meter brand turbo boost/vacuum gauge was to the right of the instrument cluster.
ACR model
This factory competition version included:- Wider 16×7 inch (410×180 mm) BBS RX racing wheels with 40 mm (1.6 in) offset
- Wider 225/45/16 BFG KDW2 tires
- Lowered ride height (Front: 10 mm (0.393700787401575 in) from spring seat lowering, additional 22 mm (0.866141732283465 in) through smaller diameter tire; Rear: 23.5 mm (0.925196850393701 in) from spring seat lowering, additional 22 mm (0.866141732283465 in) through smaller diameter tire)
- 5 position adjustable performance Tokico Illumina dampers. Proportional compression and rebound damping adjustment is accomplished via multiple oil bleed orifices within the damper.
- Thicker rear stabilizer bar (19 mm)
- Stiffer bushings in the rear tension struts
- ACR embroidered, Viper-styled, racing seats with pass-throughs for a racing harness
- ACR decals on the bottoms of the front doors
- Full diameter P205/60R15 spare tire
- Vehicle Speed Sensor gear changed from 20 tooth to 21 tooth to correct speedometer for different stock tire heights.
- There were a total of 1,175 SRT-4 ACR’s produced for the public: 225 Flame Red (PR4), 211 Orange Blast (PVK), 306 Stone White (PW1), 433 Black (PX8).
2005 Commemorative Edition
Available for 2005 was the SRT-4 Commemorative Edition. This model (along with the Viper SRT-10Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
and Ram SRT-10
Dodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...
) was created to celebrate the SRT vehicles. The limited, numbered edition SRT-4 included "Electric Blue" stripes over the white-colored body, blue stitching on the floor mats, shifter boot, seats and steering wheel, stainless steel door sill plates and a numbered plaque. No performance extras were added on the Commemorative Edition. A total of 200 Commemorative Edition SRT-4 vehicles were made.
Awards
- Car and Driver magazine's 2005 John Lingenfelter Memorial TrophyCar and Driver Supercar ChallengeCar and Driver is home to the John Lingenfelter Memorial Trophy. This award is given annually at their Supercar/Superfour Challenge.* 2001 Winner - 2000 Lingenfelter Twin-Turbo Corvette Stage II* 2002 Winner - 2000 Lingenfelter Twin-Turbo Corvette Stage II...
- Was one of "Eight Great Rides" as decided by Sport Compact Car magazine (SCC) in 2003, 2004, and 2005 - all three years the SRT-4 was produced.
- Named the 2003 Car of the Year by SCC.
- Won numerous comparisons in several U.S. automotive magazines from 2003 to 2005, including:
- 1st place -, Car and Driver magazine, November 2005. The SRT-4 competed against 14 other performance vehicles, finishing 1st in the front wheel drive division.
- 1st place -, Serial Thrillers comparison test, Car and Driver magazine, May 2004.
- 1st place -, Automobile magazine, March 2004.
- 1st place -, Sport Sedans Comparison, Edmunds, August 2003
- 1st place -, Sport Compact Car Shootout, January 2003.
Racing
In 2003, Cory O'Brien and Erich Heuschele drove an SRT-4 to a 1st in class and 8th overall finish in the Tire Rack Cannonball One Lap of America.In SCCA ProRally racing, the SRT-4 (and more recently the ACR version) has dominated the Group 5 (2WD) class since 2003. In just its first year competing, the Dodge ended the stranglehold that the FWD DSMs and Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
s had on the class. With three competing the following year, the SRT-4 won every 2004 series race and end-of-season award. The SRT-4 has won every Group 5 and 2-Wheel-Drive class championship in US ProRally and Sno Drift since 2003, and its unprecedented dominance in 2004 helped Dodge earn its first US ProRally Manufacturers Championship in 28 years.
In 2005, Jeff Lepper drove the SRT-4 to its first ever national road racing win in the NASA US Touring Car Championship at California Speedway in Fontana.
In 2005, Dale Seeley, Kolin Aspergren, and Jamin Cummings drove an SRT-4 to a 1st in class and 8th overall finish in the Tire Rack Cannonball One Lap of America.
In 2006, the Dodge SRT-4 officially became the world's fastest production 4-cylinder car, averaging 221 mph (355.7 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in a car built by Dave Harris and Phil Hurst for Racedeck Racing.
Multiple SRT-4s were raced in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge - Touring Car Series, and in 2006 - their second year of competition - had become one of the more successful platforms in the series. Robb Holland, of 3R Racing, became the first Pro driver to put the SRT-4 on the podium with his 3rd place finish at Road America
Road America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
in August 2006. This was Dodge's first podium and first manufacturer's points in World Challenge Touring Car competition. Holland would finish the season with 3 top 10 finishes and two top 5 qualifying efforts in the SRT-4.
In 2007, Doug Wind, Devin Clancy, and Ken Brewer drove an SRT-4 to a 1st in class and 5th overall finish in the Tire Rack Cannonball One Lap of America.
In 2007, Curt Simmons won the U.S. Touring Car Championship in an SRT-4 and Dodge won the season manufacturers points championship by 29 points over Honda behind the strength of several SRT-4's.
In 2007, Stan Wilson won the Speed World Challenge Touring Car Rookie Driver of the Year and the Sunoco Hard Charger of the Year awards driving the Sorted Performance Dodge SRT-4. This was Dodge's first title in Speed World Challenge Touring Car.
In 2008, Curt Simmons attempts to defend his USTCC series championship, winning most recently June 29, 2008 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA.
External links
*Dodge SRT-4 at the Open Directory ProjectOpen Directory Project
The Open Directory Project , also known as Dmoz , is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links. It is owned by Netscape but it is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors.ODP uses a hierarchical ontology scheme for organizing site listings...