2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 Road Test

While I wasn't able to experience its top speed, which set a new Guinness Book of World Records best for the pickup truck

NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughn displays his two-way average speed which earned the Dodge Ram SRT-10, a Guinness Record for World's Fastest Truck at DaimlerChrysler's Chelsea (Mich.) Proving Grounds. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada)

category of 250 km/h (155 mph) while circling the proving ground's high-banked oval, I nonetheless can hardly doubt the claim as I've felt the engine's thrust at full throttle.

The truck's body modifications make it slipperier than an average pickup's slab sided panels and wind blocking cargo box. That box is covered with a hard aluminum tonneau, capped at its end by a tasteful rear spoiler that adds downforce. The spoiler is removable, as is the tonneau, for practical purposes. Its sculpted

Atop the redesign hood, a massive functional scoop sucks air into the engine compartment. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

sides and wind splitter look racy, while sending air around the sides of the truck.

Up front Dodge gives the SRT-10 a NASCAR Craftsmen Truck Series-inspired aerodynamic package, which includes a new front bumper integrating a deep front fascia with an even deeper lip spoiler. Two large, circular fog lamps flank a bisected cooling duct, adding to its Viper-like mystique.

Atop the redesign hood, a massive functional scoop sucks air into the engine compartment. There's no guessing as to what lay underneath, as Dodge has emblazoned "Viper Powered" on each side of the sculpted power bulge. From front to back, there's nothing mild mannered about the SRT-10, especially when brushed in red.