Oh, I suppose there's something even crazier... the Dodge Ram SRT-10 pickup truck. Again, there are a few automakers that dreamed up
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| The SRT-10 is amazingly easy to drive, unlike the old model which was replaced in 2002. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
concept vehicles to wow show goers in Detroit, but none dared build their 500+ horsepower pickups. I tested the two-door, six-speed manual equipped version at the Chelsea proving grounds last year, where the four-door, automatic was introduced. Now it was time to take the larger quad cab for a spin, and what an outrageous ride it is. Somehow the SRT techs have managed to make the thing handle like a massive sports car. Sure it's a bit top-heavy, but it's surprisingly easy to keep within the race line even when pushed way beyond what should be possible in a vehicle of this type. Its performance down the back straight was extraordinary, as potent as the Viper which donates its engine, and feeling almost as fast at top speed.
The Viper, however, is in another league altogether. I've driven this beast on a few occasions, and each time was impressed by its Jekyll-like docility when puttering around town and Hyde-like brute strength when
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| A few laps with a real professional is a great experience for anyone who considers him or herself to be a good driver. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
annihilating almost any rival to cross its path. On the track, where it was designed to entertain lap after lap, the SRT-10 is scintillating. It's so amazingly easy to drive, unlike the old model which was replaced in 2002, with such a predictably balanced personality, that I felt like a pro.
Of course, a few laps with a real professional behind the wheel and I was quickly brought back to earth. This is a great experience for anyone who considers him or herself to be a good driver. Really, unless you spend every day on the racetrack and then, on top of that, happen to have been blessed with a God-given talent for driving, you'll be humbled.
