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Jeff Yip | 9/6/2007 | Dodge
I’m hopelessly snakebit. No, I didn’t just get back from Vegas. It’s worse. Far worse. I let a $51,835 jackpot of sinful fun get away.
And with 500 horses on tap, it didn’t go quietly.
The sordid tale began with a phone call. We’ve got a Ram SRT10 available, but only for a week. Would you like it?
Does Britney Spears have issues?
So that’s how Big
Red wound up on my driveway. Its “power bulge” hood and scoop, “Viper
powered” badges and 22-inch “Viper-styled” alloys scream that this
truck’s specialty is dusting the competition, not gathering dust.
Climb into the
cabin, settle into the sculpted seats and place your paws on the
leather-wrapped steering wheel. You sensory inputs go into overdrive.
Black-on-white-faced gauges. Red start-engine button. There’s even a
nostalgic satin-finished Hurst shifter, only this time used to stir six
forward gears, not four.
Even
if there wasn’t the sexy pushbutton start button, there’d be no
replacement for the thrill of firing up the V10’s 505 cubic inches of
displacement. The Hurst and T-56 gearbox help conduct 525 lb-ft. torque
to a stoutly-geared (4.56:1) Dana 60 rear diff. Your left leg will get
quite a workout, as the clutch is old-school heavy.
For 2006, the
Ram SRT10 gets a stronger hydroformed and boxed frame. The suspension
has been tuned for performance and includes rear sway bar and Bilstein
montube shock absorbers, yet the SRT10 Ram’s on-road manners impressed
us as quite livable. Just remember it’s a hulking truck, not a cushy
Lexus.
Not
once did I hesitate to pass up more practical modes of transit during
our all-too-short time with the Hairy One, enlisting the SRT10 for runs
to the grocery store and Costco. My wife and I were nicely surprised at
how friendly this muscle truck’s cabin can be. Of course, features like
standard dual-zone AC, large storage bins, Infinity 508-watt sound
system and the optional Sirius satellite radio didn’t hurt.
When
you want unleash the beast, just hold on while the world goes by at
warp speed. Dodge cites 0-60 mph times in the 5.5-second zone. From the
“kids, don’t try this at home” school of marketing, Dodge proudly notes
that a 2004 Ram SRT earned an entry in the Guinness record book as the
world’s fastest production pickup with a 154.587 mph clip in the
“flying mile.” Meanwhile, the “whoa” matches the go, thanks to 15-inch
rotors up front and 14s out back. Calipers are red, of course.
For
the more practical and disciplined, the SRT treatment is also available
in a Quad Cab version. However, that utilitarian package gets a
heavy-duty four-speed automatic instead of the T-56, Pirelli Scorpion
all-season tires replace the Pirelli Scorpion 305/40R22 performance
rubber, and cooling enhancements help boost rated towing capacity to
8,150 pounds.
The Ram SRT10
starts at $48,505 (including destination) but the Inferno Red pearl
paint, Sirius radio, side air bags, navigation system and polished
wheels inflated the bottom line to $51,835.
Speaking
of costs, it’s our duty to report that the EPA fuel mpg numbers are a
miserable 9 city and 15 highway. But let’s put it in perspective. If
you lust to have those sexy long red cam covers under your hood and can
afford a $50 thou drive-out price, you’re most likely not going to
worry over the cost of a fill-up.
Just think of this eye-catching, power-crazed pickup as the most practical of the SRT family.
Our
favorite valet, a gentleman who monitors our test cars the way Warren
Buffet analyzes annual reports, summed it up best the first time he
laid eyes on our SRT10 tester.
“Man, when I was 16, I would have killed you for that thing!”
Specifications:
Base price: $48,505
Engine: 8.3 liter OHV V10
Drivetrain: six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 500 @ 5600
Torque: 525 @ 4200
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