To show you how crazy North Americans are for performance, consider that DaimlerChrysler's Dodge division has just provided details of what may be the world's fastest station wagon.
That would be the 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8, which Dodge describes as ''Beefed-up American muscle'' and a ''Dodge Magnum on steroids,'' and in the real world will likely be mostly the terror of the parking lot at the Sears store.
According to Daryl Jackson, vice-president of marketing for Dodge, says the SRT8 with its 6.1-litre Hemi V-8 with its five-speed automatic transmission will take a little more than five seconds to go from 0 to 100 kmh and another 10 seconds or so to get back to 0.
Jackson's theory is that ''there is no rule that says you have to give up utility for high performance, but if there were such a rule the all-new 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 would break it.''
With a 425-horsepower 6.1-liter V-8 up front and 2027 litres of cargo space in the rear, Jackson notes, the 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 ''hauls in more ways than one.''
This new variation on the Hemi theme is supposed to quench what Jackson says is a ''thirst for even more power."
Street and Racing Technology (SRT) is Dodge's performance wing, and Jackson says its engineers were able to ''inject SRT DNA'' into what was already a competent package and carry some not-too-heavy goods while doing the quarter-mile drag in under 14 seconds.
For more driver fun, the five-speed automatic gets Chrysler's AutoStick feature, which allows for simulated manual shifting.
Dan Knott, SRT's director, says the 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 ''offers key SRT attributes in ride and handling across a dynamic range, benchmark braking, performance-inspired interior appointments and exterior styling, as well as the raw performance of SRT's big-bore version of the HEMI engine.''
The new engine also matches the legendary "Street HEMI" of the 1960s and 1970s with its 425-horsepower rating, but it does so with less displacement and emissions, and greater fuel economy.
SRT took Chrysler Group's 5.7-liter Hemi and developed 85 more horsepower by adding more displacement (the cylinder diameters were each bored out 3.5 mm), increasing the compression ratio (to 10.3:1 from 9.6:1), redesigning the cylinder head, intake and exhaust systems for increased flow, and increasing engine speed.
Jackson explains that engine breathing was increased with new higher-flow cylinder heads, a specially designed intake manifold, and exhaust headers with individual tubes encased in a stainless steel shell, all unique to the 6.1-liter HEMI engine.
Larger-diameter valves and reshaped ports in the heads allow for maximized air flow, the intake manifold was designed with larger-diameter and shorter runners for higher-speed tuning, and the exhaust is routed through a larger-diameter (2.75-inch vs. 2.5-inch) exhaust system with 3.5-inch chrome tips.
To further increase horsepower, says Jackson, performance-oriented camshaft profiles were developed to allow more air in and out of the cylinders, as well as manage a higher engine speed.
SRT engineers increased the Hemi's peak power output engine speed nearly 20 percent, to 6,000 rpm from 5,000 rpm. Intake and exhaust valve stems are hollow, and the exhaust valve stems are filled with sodium to help dissipate heat more efficiently.
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According to Daryl Jackson, vice-president of marketing for Dodge, says the SRT8 with its 6.1-litre Hemi V-8 with its five-speed automatic transmission will take a little more than five seconds to go from 0 to 100 kmh and another 10 seconds or so to get back to 0.
Jackson's theory is that ''there is no rule that says you have to give up utility for high performance, but if there were such a rule the all-new 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 would break it.''
With a 425-horsepower 6.1-liter V-8 up front and 2027 litres of cargo space in the rear, Jackson notes, the 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 ''hauls in more ways than one.''
This new variation on the Hemi theme is supposed to quench what Jackson says is a ''thirst for even more power."
 |
For more driver fun, the five-speed automatic gets Chrysler's AutoStick feature, which allows for simulated manual shifting.
Dan Knott, SRT's director, says the 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 ''offers key SRT attributes in ride and handling across a dynamic range, benchmark braking, performance-inspired interior appointments and exterior styling, as well as the raw performance of SRT's big-bore version of the HEMI engine.''
The new engine also matches the legendary "Street HEMI" of the 1960s and 1970s with its 425-horsepower rating, but it does so with less displacement and emissions, and greater fuel economy.
SRT took Chrysler Group's 5.7-liter Hemi and developed 85 more horsepower by adding more displacement (the cylinder diameters were each bored out 3.5 mm), increasing the compression ratio (to 10.3:1 from 9.6:1), redesigning the cylinder head, intake and exhaust systems for increased flow, and increasing engine speed.
Jackson explains that engine breathing was increased with new higher-flow cylinder heads, a specially designed intake manifold, and exhaust headers with individual tubes encased in a stainless steel shell, all unique to the 6.1-liter HEMI engine.
Larger-diameter valves and reshaped ports in the heads allow for maximized air flow, the intake manifold was designed with larger-diameter and shorter runners for higher-speed tuning, and the exhaust is routed through a larger-diameter (2.75-inch vs. 2.5-inch) exhaust system with 3.5-inch chrome tips.
To further increase horsepower, says Jackson, performance-oriented camshaft profiles were developed to allow more air in and out of the cylinders, as well as manage a higher engine speed.
SRT engineers increased the Hemi's peak power output engine speed nearly 20 percent, to 6,000 rpm from 5,000 rpm. Intake and exhaust valve stems are hollow, and the exhaust valve stems are filled with sodium to help dissipate heat more efficiently.