Latest news with #TimKuniskis
Motor 1
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Big Surprise: The Hemi V-8 Ram 1500 Is Explosively Popular
It's never easy to admit a mistake, but that's what Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis did last month. The brand had dropped the Hemi V-8 engine from the 1500 with the 2025 revamp, which some buyers didn't like. Ram is rectifying that error for 2026, and it appears customers are eager for the engine's return. The automaker said that it had received over 10,000 orders for the Hemi-powered 1500 within the first 24 hours after announcing its return . Kuniskis said in Stellantis's second-quarter sales results that the brand is already seeing 'consumer interest spurred by the return of the Hemi V-8.' Photo by: Ram Hemi Availability Ram said the V-8-powered 1500 will go on sale this summer, each one wearing a special " Symbol of Protest " badge. The 5.7-liter engine makes 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque, as it did before, while featuring the same eTorque hybrid system. This was one way Ram could speed the development and get the truck on sale as quickly as possible. The engine is an optional upgrade for the 2026 1500, which costs up to $1,200 on trucks equipped with the standard engine. Ram is offering the V-8 in Tradesman, Big Horn, Express, Warlock, Laramie, Limited, and Longhorn trims to start, with the Rebel arriving later. The V-8 is a free upgrade on the Limited and Longhorn, which comes standard with the high-output 3.0-liter inline-six high-output engine. What Comes Next Back in April, Kuniskis said Ram had 25 product launches scheduled for the next 18 months, and this is one of the first. The brand is also returning to NASCAR. However, it's unclear what Ram will launch next. There are rumors the TRX could return in 2026 . And with the announcement that Stellantis is reviving SRT , it seems like anything and everything is back on the table, even passenger vans . Here's More Ram News: 2026 Ram 2500 Warlock: An Even Tougher Off-Road Truck Ram Lengthened Its Warranty Because We're Keeping Cars Longer Than Ever Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: Ram Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Auto Blog
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Stellantis Revives SRT Brand as Part of New High Performance Push
View post: Could Lotus Soon Build Cars in the U.S. to Dodge Tariffs? Welcome back, SRT In an announcement on July 2, the multinational automaker Stellantis announced that it is reviving a long-dormant nameplate that once adorned the high-performance offerings of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles: Street and Racing Technology, better known colloquially to Mopar enthusiasts and the like as SRT. The 14-brand strong automaker says the return of SRT is 'a bold step in unifying high-performance engineering across Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram under a single, dedicated identity,' adding that the brand will consilidate the 'best performance engineering talent' from the four respective American brands to 'deliver vehicles that push the boundaries of power, aerodynamics, handling and technology, on both the street and the track.' 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat — Source: Stellantis In a statement, newly tapped SRT head Tim Kuniskis stated that the label's return is part of an increased effort to promote more high-performance vehicles from brands under the Stellantis umbrella and that only the best of its engineers will be involved. Furthermore, Kuniskis told viewers in a teaser video that 'it's time to get loud again.' 'We're getting the band back together,' Kuniskis said in a statement. '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.' SRT was Mopar's performance heart Before it was axed back in 2021, SRT traces its roots back to 1989, when Team Viper was established to develop the Dodge Viper. Though the division went through several name changes before officially adopting the SRT moniker, the special team developed some particularly loud and hair-raising vehicles under the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands over the years, including the Dodge Neon SRT-4, the Chrysler 300 SRT-8, as well as the infamous Hellcat versions of the Dodge Challenger, Charger, Durango and the related Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk. Details are slim about any potential future vehicles; however, the lone Stellantis vehicle available with the SRT moniker is the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, a supercharged, 710-horsepower, 6.2L Hemi V8-engined three-row SUV that has been perpetually in the Dodge lineup since 2020. In its statement, Stellantis noted that the newly reestablished SRT division will oversee its Direct Connection parts operation, as well as North American Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram motorsports programs, including its NHRA drag racing efforts and Ram's return to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2026. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Tim Kuniskis has been named Head of American Brands, Marketing, and Retail Strategy, while continuing to serve as CEO of Ram. — Source: Stellantis A fresh, but familiar face comes back at the helm The announcement of SRT's revival comes at the same time as Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa appointed Tim Kuniskis head of American brands and North America marketing and retail strategy. On top of his Ram CEO duties, Kuniskis will be expected to work across the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands to further build and enhance customers' connections with its products and oversee its marketing efforts and dealer network in the region. Kuniskis has previously been hailed as a marketing genius who created excitement around the vehicles he was tasked to sell. In his previous role at Dodge, he was credited with promoting the 'Brotherhood of Muscle' tagline for Dodge vehicles—more than adequate faith for Filosa to lock him in this position. 'Connecting with our customers, delivering the products and experiences they want, is critical to reaching our full potential,' Filosa said in a statement. 'Tim has proven time and time again that he is masterful at building brands that reach the heart and soul of the customer. We will leverage his energy, his strategic mindset, and his competitive spirit to supercharge all our brand activities.' 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat — Source: Stellantis Final thoughts Words cannot describe SRT's impact on contemporary automotive culture. Even years after several models were discontinued, the SRT Hellcat Chargers, Challengers, and Jeep Trackhawks are still regarded as halo cars for many muscle car enthusiasts in America and abroad. Although the Hemi V8's return to the Ram 1500 lineup is a positive sign that things are 'returning to normal' at Stellantis, Kuniskis' statement that it is still searching for its engineers suggests that we may not see the first Stellantis-era SRT for some time. However, I am hopeful. On June 18, the Windsor Star, the paper located near Stellantis's Windsor factory in Ontario, reported that production of the SIXPACK Dodge Chargers has started and is ramping up. Perhaps shoving in a Hemi, putting in bigger turbos, or making an AMG E-Performance-style hybrid version could be SRT's first assignment. The sky's the limit. About the Author James Ochoa View Profile
Car and Driver
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
SRT Is Making a Comeback, and Tim Kuniskis Is Leading the Charge
Stellantis is resurrecting the SRT performance brand a fter it was unofficially disbanded during the FCA merger with PSA Group. Tim Kuniskis, the CEO of Ram, will head the reestablished SRT division, which will oversee the group's motorsports initiatives. The brand's revival aims to bring high-performance engineers from Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram under a single umbrella. Stellantis is relaunching the SRT name as the brand reignites its focus on high-performance models. When Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (a.k.a. FCA) merged with PSA Group to create Stellantis, FCA's established performance division was quietly left on the shelf to collect dust. A new video from Dodge reverses course on that, and it announces an intent to revive the original spirit of the brand. Tim Kuniskis, the CEO of Ram, will lead the reestablished SRT (Street and Racing Technology) performance division. "We're getting the band back together," said Kuniskis of the revival. Specifically, Kuniskis plans to cherry-pick the best powertrain and vehicle dynamics engineers from each brand and bring them together on one dedicated team. Once established, the SRT team will oversee Dodge's Direct Connection division along with Stellantis's North American motorsports initiatives. According to Stellantis, it will also "deliver vehicles that push the boundaries of power, aerodynamics, handling, and technology." The automaker says those performance promises include precision on the track as well. "It is time now for us to harness our past, to accelerate harder and faster towards our future," Kuniskis said in the video. As part of today's announcement, Stellantis also said that Kuniskis has been appointed head of American brands and North America marketing and retail strategy. He will report to Antonio Filosa, the newly minted Steallantis CEO. Stellantis hasn't yet made any specific promises regarding the revival of SRT, but paired with the automaker restarting production of the Hemi V-8 in August, it all could lead to a resurgence of Hellcat models. Jack Fitzgerald Associate News Editor Jack Fitzgerald's love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn't afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. Read full bio
Motor 1
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
'It's Time to Get Loud Again:' SRT Is Back
SRT is back. The dormant performance sub-brand from Stellantis has been officially revived as of Wednesday morning, promising to deliver new enthusiast-focused, highly capable machines from the likes of Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Chrysler. Tim Kuniskis, Ram CEO and newly appointed head of American brands for Stellantis, has been tapped to oversee SRT's resurrection. The sub-brand, originally founded in 1989 to build the Viper , is currently used on just one model, the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat , an SUV that's been on sale in limited numbers since 2020. "We're getting the band back together," Kuniskis said in a statement . "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." Stellantis hasn't said what exactly the new SRT team will be working on, but we can make a few educated guesses. With the return of the Hemi V-8 , SRT will likely go back to making burnout-centric muscle cars that focus on speed and noise, similar to what was happening in the golden age of the Hellcat . A teaser video (above) depicting V-8 noises and telling viewers "it's time to get loud again" supports that theory. Cars that carry the SRT badge will "push the boundaries of power, aerodynamics, handling, and technology, on both the street and the track," according to Stellantis. There's no telling when the next new SRT-branded vehicle will arrive, though considering the speed at which Kuniskis has reformed Ram so far , we wouldn't be surprised to see something before the end of the year. Either way, Stellantis CEO Antoino Filosa is putting a lot of faith in the recently-unretired former Dodge CEO. 'Connecting with our customers, delivering the products and experiences they want, is critical to reaching our full potential,' Filosa said in a statement. 'Tim has proven time and time again that he is masterful at building brands that reach the heart and soul of the customer. We will leverage his energy, his strategic mindset, and his competitive spirit to supercharge all our brand activities.' More on Stellantis's Comeback Stellantis Is Worried About Paying Billions in Emissions Fines 'Respectfully, Maserati Is Not for Sale:' Stellantis Denies Another Rumor About the Brand's Possible Sale Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The Drive
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
SRT Is Back From the Dead With Ram Boss Tim Kuniskis at the Helm
The latest car news, reviews, and features. 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. Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@
