SRT Is Back From the Dead With Ram Boss Tim Kuniskis at the Helm
Four years ago, as Fiat Chrysler was reformed into Stellantis, it seemed the North American SRT performance division wouldn't make the journey. That didn't stop existing SRT products, like Hellcats and Demons, from continuing to be sold, but it did mark the end of the line for new ones. Stellantis has undergone some serious global changes over the last six months, however, from the departure of former CEO Carlos Tavares to the retirement and return of ex-Dodge, now Ram boss Tim Kuniskis. Today, Stellantis announced that in addition to Ram, Kuniskis will be overseeing all of the North American group's operations. And, as his first order of business, he's bringing SRT back from the dead.
Kuniskis formally reintroduced the division in a video posted to YouTube this morning, titled 'SRT Returns.' As the camera dives deep into the bowels of Stellantis' North American headquarters, bearing that familiar Pentastar logo, Kuniskis references SRT's start as the skunkworks group that developed the original Viper, way back in 1989.
'We're getting the band back together,' Kuniskis was quoted in a press release. 'SRT is another box we needed to check as we head into a product launch cadence enabling more performance than we've ever seen before. We're working with our product development and technology organization to select the best engineers in powertrain and vehicle dynamics to build a team worthy of the SRT name.'
In the video, Kuniskis does make mention of recruiting efforts, which is interesting as Stellantis previously downplayed the SRT dissolution by saying that the engineers employed by the division weren't leaving the company, but merely being distributed across other teams.
You'd have to imagine that SRT's first target will be the new Charger, which has certainly had a challenging debut. The electric muscle car didn't review particularly well out of the gate, and Dodge quietly killed off the entry-level R/T trim, while reportedly refocusing efforts around the Hurricane inline-six-powered versions of the coupe and sedan. Additionally, Kuniskis' return to Ram coincided with the revival of the Hemi V8 in its trucks, and the company has danced around the engine's long-rumored comeback in the Charger. The original 1989 Dodge Viper concept. Stellantis
SRT's relaunch should make enthusiasts happy, though, if I have one wish, it's that the division doesn't entirely focus on Chargers with four-digit power figures. The Viper was powerful, sure, but the later ACR variants were renowned for their handling, which earned it a Nurburgring lap record. The Neon SRT-4 was a bastion of accessible performance about 20 years ago, and the Neon already had a reputation as an autocross monster.
Chrysler's performance division used to be about more than dominating the drag strip, and I hope SRT remembers that in its next chapter. We never got a fast Dart, which seemed like a missed opportunity; I wouldn't be against a Hornet SRT. What would you like to see the crew whip up? Let us know in the comments.
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