7 670 horsepower, 19 cars, enough said.
If you are reading this, you are probably a little like me: You like cars. As we tread on through life, we hit some lows and sometimes some highs. A few weeks ago, I received an invitation from DaimlerChrysler asking if I would be interested in stopping by Le Circuit du Mont Tremblant to test drive some of their SRT cars. Of course, when already having been smitten by the SRT4, the Crossfire Roadster, Magnum R/T and 300 C, not even death could have prevented me from going.
Last year, Le Circuit celebrated its 40th year of operation. On a few occasions between 2000 and 2004, the course underwent a few modifications and improvements to make the 15-corner 4.26 km track safer and more enjoyable for drivers and spectators alike. The new track is spectacular with blind corners, high-speed straights and heavy braking zones.
Once at the track, a certain Ralph Gilles standing in front of his creations in the pit lane greeted us. For a person that could be credited with the rebirth of Chrysler, he is impressively down-to-earth and approachable. Hearing him describe these cars almost as though he was a proud father
adds to the effect that the Street and Racing Technologies team is really on the ball and committed to producing an awfully desirable product.
The first portion of the day involved a drive in the country followed by acceleration runs on an airport strip. The afternoon consisted in doing laps around one of the nicest tracks in North America. All of this to find out what DaimlerChrysler and the SRT team can really do.
The SRT4
I have had three experiences with the SRT4 and every time, I have found that I like one aspect of it more and another, less. For example, the front seats are not height adjustable. My first stint at the wheel found me
wrestling with the driving position. On the track, I was very well supported and positioned. There is no doubt that the SRT4 is competent and markedly fast. Make sure you do not drive a Viper before or after.
Being mostly familiar with a front-drive compact on a track, I felt very confident when lapping the Circuit. The SRT4 provides tons of grip and plenty of fade resistant hard braking. The steering wheel is too large and creates an exaggerated movement of the hands and arms. It also reduces the steering effort. On boost performance from the turbocharged 2.4L 4 cylinder is tops in its class. With 230 hp and 250 lb/ft of torque, this pumped up SX 2.0 is the most tuner-crowd oriented creation from SRT.
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Last year, Le Circuit celebrated its 40th year of operation. On a few occasions between 2000 and 2004, the course underwent a few modifications and improvements to make the 15-corner 4.26 km track safer and more enjoyable for drivers and spectators alike. The new track is spectacular with blind corners, high-speed straights and heavy braking zones.
Once at the track, a certain Ralph Gilles standing in front of his creations in the pit lane greeted us. For a person that could be credited with the rebirth of Chrysler, he is impressively down-to-earth and approachable. Hearing him describe these cars almost as though he was a proud father
 |
The first portion of the day involved a drive in the country followed by acceleration runs on an airport strip. The afternoon consisted in doing laps around one of the nicest tracks in North America. All of this to find out what DaimlerChrysler and the SRT team can really do.
The SRT4
I have had three experiences with the SRT4 and every time, I have found that I like one aspect of it more and another, less. For example, the front seats are not height adjustable. My first stint at the wheel found me
 |
Being mostly familiar with a front-drive compact on a track, I felt very confident when lapping the Circuit. The SRT4 provides tons of grip and plenty of fade resistant hard braking. The steering wheel is too large and creates an exaggerated movement of the hands and arms. It also reduces the steering effort. On boost performance from the turbocharged 2.4L 4 cylinder is tops in its class. With 230 hp and 250 lb/ft of torque, this pumped up SX 2.0 is the most tuner-crowd oriented creation from SRT.