SRT Track Day: Dodge Ram SRT10

After talking about hybrids the past few days, it's nice to talk something that is definitely not a hybrid. Chrysler had brought out two Dodge Ram SRT10 trucks. One was a crew cab, and the other was the original standard cab style. The crew cab is a relatively new addition to the SRT10 truck line up. It comes standard with a four-speed automatic transmission where the other Ram SRT10 only comes with a manual.

While some people thought the Viper was powered by the truck series V10, these trucks are actually powered by the Viper?s V10. It is an interesting combination. These trucks are seriously fast. Their brakes, tires, suspensions and interiors are also tweaked to get the full SRT effect.
You can get a lot of details about the equipment specifications all over the ?net. What you cannot get is our driving impression. This is clearly a lot of truck with a lot of power. After spending all day in lighter vehicles, the Ram SRT10 trucks feel overweight and chunky. However, you could not hustle a regular truck around the track with this sort of speed. They are deceptive. Compared to the Viper, it feels like you?re driving a skyscraper. This tall driving position is off-putting while cornering. When you look at the speedometer when you?re deep in a corner, it is shocking. How can a truck be this fast?

The two-door RAM SRT10 is clearly more nimble than the crew cab. However, the automatic transmission in the crew cab is convenient. It?s mash-n-go simplicity is appreciated in such a large vehicle. Having the option to choose is much better than being stuck with no choice. Around the track, the two-door was the winner, but at home the four door would be more appealing. Since trucks do not make the best track vehicles, the choice is really about personal preference.
There is one complaint we had. The SRT10s come with a push button start. In the Viper, such a feature doesn?t seem out of place. In the trucks, it is an irritation and seems to be added on as an afterthought. It feels ?low-rent tuner? to us, and our recommendation is to go back to a normal twist key ignition in the trucks.

So, if you absolutely need to have the most powerful production pickup, there is no better option than the SRT10 Ram. However, just remember that this is a truck. Oh, check out this short video of the SRT burning out.