Press Kit: 2004 Dodge Ram SRT10 Reveal

rad " i " cal adj. 1. extreme 2. favoring basic or extreme change

While Dodge owners have been busy grabbing life by the horns, Chrysler Group executives and engineers have been grabbing life by the throttle with plans for some of the most outrageous production vehicles ever developed.

Officially known as Performance Vehicle Operations (PVO), the engineering team combines Chrysler Group's specialty vehicle and motorsports know-how, much like the profitable high-end vehicle conversion group at Mercedes-AMG.

Dodge SRT models developed by PVO are already on their way to dealerships, beginning with the 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10, the most outrageous sports car on the market. Following the all-new Viper into the performance lexicon is the Dodge SRT-4, featuring the fastest 0-60 mph performance for less than $20,000. And now comes the most outrageous full-size truck ever, the Dodge Ram SRT-10 with Viper V-10 power.

"No other automaker has leveraged such resources to this extent," said Jim Schroer, Executive Vice President - Global Sales and Marketing. "We are combining our extensive motorsports experience, along with our legendary Viper development team and our Mopar Performance Parts, to create a line of extreme performance vehicles that will blow past everyone else.

"PVO brings together the best performance development processes, durable high-performance parts and some of our most talented and experienced motorsports and performance car engineers to produce truly exciting cars and trucks," added Schroer.

Chrysler Group executives see an opportunity to expand the Chrysler Group's portfolio of specialty vehicles, performance models and performance parts. Performance Vehicle Operations will become a profit center within the Chrysler Group focusing on enhancing Dodge, Jeep® and Chrysler brand product lines and image through high-end, limited-volume specialty vehicles.

PVO performance models engineered for the Dodge brand will carry the SRT badge. Chrysler and Jeep performance lines will be announced in the future.

For Dodge, the SRT model-line philosophy represents a new twist, offering significant performance enhancements and visual appeal. But compared with Dodge's R/T credo of "contemporary interpretations of performance," SRT will come to stand for "ultimate interpretations of performance."

The Dodge SRT performance signature includes high-output engine performance, sport suspensions, fully functional aerodynamic packages, higher performance wheel and tire packages, sporty interiors and performance-oriented exhausts and brake systems.