I did my part in fact-checking those statistics, but could never take the split-second needed to glance at the stopwatch. Whether driving a Viper or this Ram SRT10, it takes diligence to stay within the speed limit. It just wants to cruise at 85 - on the street or the highway.
The quad-cab test truck, which has a starting price of $52,710, was $57,110 as tested. The SRT treatment is notable and adds 22-inch Pirelli Scorpion high-performance tires on polished aluminum wheels, bolstered leather-trimmed seats with suede inserts (for seat-of-the-pants grip), white-face gauges and an auxiliary oil temperature gauge on the driver-side windshield pillar.
There's also a red starter button, but it's just a gimmick to impress passengers. The driver still has to insert the ignition key, then press the button, but it's not used to switch off the motor. For a $57,000 truck, I'd expect keyless starting. Get in, buckle up, hit the button and go.
Funny thing about this 505-cubic-inch engine. It chatters like a UPS truck at idle and the driving attitude around town is quite civil. Brisk but civil. It's not until the driver jumps into the throttle that the Viper attacks, and, mercy, that engine sounds sweet at 4,500 rpm and up. Think thunderboat under hard acceleration.
To help owners keep the shiny side up, Dodge provides as standard equipment the SRT Track Experience - a day at a Skip Barber Racing School, held at various tracks around the country. There's no better way to learn the thresholds of this shaggy beast, because the difference between finding the limit and going a hair over the line could be a lot of body work - human and vehicular.
This kind of horsepower doesn't appeal to every enthusiast, but the quad cab makes it more family-friendly than, say, a Corvette. For those Ram fans not in a family way, there is also a regular-cab SRT10.
The standard transmission is a Hurst T-56 six-speed manual that sends power back to the heavy-duty anti-spin rear differential. The optional four-speed automatic is a column shift that doesn't do the truck justice. It deserves a floor shift AutoStick with steering wheel shift buttons. There's a huge console with multiple layers of deep storage between the front bucket seats, so a shifter would not displace a seat.
But what do you do with this much power?
Every now and then, the discreet driver will let that horsepower run free, but the risk of speeding tickets is just too great to make that a hobby.
Use it to tow a vintage race car? Definitely. But the nearly 19-foot-long truck is unwieldy in tight situations. The turning circle has to be 52 feet or more, a complication from the 22-inch tires with a foot-wide footprint.
And any truck this big needs a rearview camera for parking assistance. GM adds a rearview camera to its optional navigation system, but there is none for the Dodge navi system, which the test truck had. And the front end is so high and mighty that parking sensors that alert to nearby objects would have to preserve the low spoiler and smooth bumper fascia.
It's not likely an owner would back this Ram down the boat ramp, particularly into saltwater that will gnaw on those shiny red brake calipers. And what civil engineer or construction foreman would risk those gorgeous Pirelli Scorpion tires and polished wheels at a muddy work site?
The long wheelbase handles the highway without bucking or harshness, but it is firmly sprung. However, at 9 miles to the gallon of premium fuel around town - if you stay off the gas - it won't be a long-distance commuter.
But watch out on cruise night. This rad Ram gets plenty of looks - though there's the temptation to lower it a few inches to add to its menacing stance, but that would cause fatal impacts to the front spoiler on any curb in town.
And when it is time to turn loose the Viper power, this Ram is a smoky burnout king for impressing friends and leaving your mark on the highway.
SPECS BOX
2006 Dodge Ram SRT10 Quad Cab 4x2
Body style: 4-door, 5-passenger pickup with 6.3-foot bed
Engine: Aluminum, OHV 8.3 liter V-10
Horsepower: 500 at 5,600 rpm
Torque: 525 foot-pounds at 4,200 rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Acceleration: 0-60 mph, mid-5 seconds
Fuel economy: 9 mpg city, 12 highway; 91 octane recommended
Fuel tank: 26 gallons
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase/length: 140.5/227.7 inches
Tow rating: 8,150 pounds
Front head/leg/shoulder room: 40.8/41/67 inches
FEATURES
Standard equipment: remote locking, dual-zone air conditioning, power 6-way driver's seat, leather-trimmed seats with suede inserts, 8-speaker Infinity audio system with 6-disc CD/MP3 player, cruise control, power windows-locks, power heated and folding mirrors, fog lights, visors with vanity mirrors, rear underseat storage compartment, 60/40 split folding rear seat and fold-flat load floor, cargo light, rear body-color spoiler and hard tonneau cover, 22-inch aluminum-machined wheels and 305/40R 22-inch Pirelli Scorpion tires, performance-tuned shock absorbers, performance steering
Safety: multistage front air bags, power adjustable pedals, anti-spin differential rear axle, performance four-wheel disc brakes with red calipers and ABS
PRICING
Base price: $52,710, including $900 destination charge; price as tested, $57,110
Options on test vehicle: Inferno Red crystal pearl coat paint, $225; Package 2XS, $520, includes Sirius satellite radio and auto-dimming rearview mirror; side air bags, $490; power sliding rear window, $120; power sunroof, $850; navigation system with 6-disc CD/MP3 player, $1,595; 22-inch polished aluminum wheels, $600
Warranty: 3-years/36,000 miles with towing
Where assembled: Saltillo, Mexico
PLUSES: The pride of cruise night or the racetrack when you arrive pulling your Hemi 'Cuda.
MINUSES: High-tech should be part of the SRT package, such as keyless starting instead of the gimmicky starting button, rearview camera and front-end object detection, and a floor shifter AutoStick with steering wheel shift buttons; 50-foot-plus turning circle.
SIDEBAR: What is SRT?
By Mark Maynard
© Copley News Service
What began with the Dodge Viper has evolved into the Street and Racing Technology division: the powerlink of Chrysler Group motor sports, the Viper development team and Mopar Performance Parts.
Chrysler defines an SRT vehicle as having a performance appearance, a race-inspired interior and enhanced power, braking and handling.
2007 SRT vehicles:
- Dodge Viper SRT10 (coupe and roadster)
- Chrysler 300C SRT8
- Dodge Magnum SRT8
- Dodge Charger SRT8
- Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8
- Dodge Ram SRT10
Mark Maynard is driving in cyberspace at mark.maynard@uniontrib.com.
© Copley News Service
