Goodbye SRT – Hello 2016 Dodge Dart SRT All Wheel Drive Turbo!

2013 dodge dart tail rear
Could this upcoming Dodge Dart SRT bring the fight to the Subaru WRX? Bring it on! Competition is the best thing for consumers and it keeps automaker on their toes.

Just announced: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is canning the SRT name as a separate brand and folding it back to Dodge. This means that SRT vehicles, like the Viper, will wear a Dodge nameplate soon.

2014 viper srt la girlOne of the things that makes FCA so threatening to other automakers is their ability to be light on their toes. They can change their engineering, identity and vehicle lineup so quickly, it is unnerving to some. Movement of the SRT brand is logical and will happen rapidly. Remember when Ram was part of Dodge?

There are lots of announcements, but the ones covering the Dodge brand – now the performance American brand for FCA – is commanding our attention at the moment. srt-cars-logo-emblem

Try to think back to a day when a turbocharged American vehicle had all-wheel drive (AWD) and was built to perform. There aren’t too many, are there? Better still, the 2016 Dodge Dart SRT will have Italian blood – which is pretty awesome for fans. Also, given that Subaru will be the competition, we can expect the 2016 Dodge Dart to match or exceed the output from the Subarus (265 horsepower WRX or 305 hp for the WRX STI). That could mean an over 300 hp four-banger coming from SRT.

2014 dodge dart la girl
Cool no?

Here’s more news mixed with speculation: FCA also announced SRT versions of the 2017 Dodge Journey and 2017 Dodge Durango. That means that the next Durango might get the supercharged HEMI Hellcat and the 2017 Dodge Journey SRT could get the punchy aforementioned four-banger from the Dart SRT.

Could you imagine a manual transmission, 300+ hp and AWD in a Dodge Journey? How freekin’ cool would that be?

I can’t wait to see how the other automakers react to this new bent on power. We have yet to drive a Dodge Dart GT (bummer), but the small taste I had made me very aware that the platform has oodles of performance potential.

A lot more to come!

Speaking of power…

Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum.  His words, good humor and videos are enjoyed worldwide.
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism – Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. His words, good humor and videos are enjoyed worldwide.