SRT Dart Hinted at by Brand Boss
SRT is Chrysler’ s high-power tuning branch, and its latest creation is the 640-hp Viper, a car which brand boss Ralph Gilles said is necessary today because of the high horsepower competition coming from the companies rivals.
“When we see a Camaro ZL1 that develops more than 500 hp and a Mustang that develops more than 600 hp, we don’t get upset, because those cars create inspiration for us,” said Gilles in an interview with Ward’s Auto. “I welcome a ZL1 and a (Shelby) Mustang because if they can do it, why not us with our SRTs?”
The market for retro-styled muscle cars really started picking up steam in the last five years, with the re-introduction of the Dodge Challenger, the Chevy Camaro, and now the SRT Viper. The Ford Mustang is one of the only muscle car nameplates that never went out of production, and it continues strong today with its GT500 version making making 662 hp.
When pressed with questions about upcoming SRT projects, Gilles said, “We are looking at an SRT Dart and are interested in whether there is a business case for one. But I can’t talk about it now. How soon could we have one? I can’t talk about that, either.”
The new Dodge Dart does seem to be the perfect contender to become the next SRT tuned Chrysler car, the question really is how soon will it happen.
What we do know is that this battle for the most horsepower isn’t going anywhere. And luckily for us, with long standing rivalries re-ignited, all consumers can do is benefit, as each company is working extra hard to bring us the most powerful, yet still practical and affordable cars.
[Source: Ward’s Auto]
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
More by Stephen Elmer
Comments
Join the conversation