Motor head {test drive}: Dodge and burn

NEW RAM PICKUP HAS VIPER POWER

By Ron Moorhead

Dodge has taken the power and performance it captured in the Viper sports roadster and transferred the 500-horsepower and 525 lbs.-ft. of torque from the Viper V-10 engine into a Ram pickup. While the Viper can be a handful at times, the Ram SRT-10 is downright comfortable to drive.

Taking some of what it has learned in the NASCAR Truck Series, Dodge truck engineers and designers have produced what they call the boldest and baddest pickup truck on the planet. This is a truck that can outperform some of the world's best sports cars. Dodge has made the Ram SRT-10 a truck to reckon with.

Dodge has slipped the entire Viper engine and transmission into the Ram. A number of modifications have been made to help keep this big, all-aluminum, V-10 engine happy. With horsepower and torque in the 500s, it is an engine you better keep happy. If you do, it will reward you with lots of smiles per mile.

Even though there are huge Pirelli Scorpion tires on the rear of this truck, you must take care in releasing the clutch while applying power. It is easy to light the tires up. Launch the truck properly and the authority from this wonderfully powerful engine will slam you back in the seat and not let you up until you roll off the throttle.

The six-speed manual transmission right out of the Viper is crisp and sure. With an incredible amount of torque, the engine will respond even if you forget to downshift. Leave the solid Hurst Shifter in third gear while cruising at a paltry 35 mph, then stomp on the accelerator pedal. Without hesitation the big V-10 comes to life.

New suspension components are designed specifically for this truck and have added tremendous handling characteristics. Short, stiff coil springs are installed in the front, while the rear axle is mounted under the springs. This lowers the front of the Ram SRT-10 one-inch and the rear by 2 1/2 inches. Front and rear sway bars, along with Bilstein mono-tube shock absorbers, accentuate the handling abilities.

With a mega-amount of performance, you better have a darn good brake system. Large 15-inch front rotors and dual-piston calipers with 14-inch discs in the rear make stopping an easy task. Not so subtle are the four calipers coated in a bright Viper red.

The Ram SRT-10 has a certain individual appearance, but this isn't just for looks. Using the huge Ram grille, Dodge installed special baffling to direct a larger volume of cooling air for the big V-10. The front air dam creates aerodynamically beneficial air flow under the truck. Small closeouts at the ends of the air dam may seem insignificant, but these small additions reduce air turbulence at the ultra-large 22-inch wheels.

Those not in the know may mistake this Ram for just another truck. However, it doesn't matter, because once they see the power bulge and hood scoop, they'll know there is a venomous snake coiled under the hood.

As a pickup, the Ram SRT-10 may not seem practical; I won't be loading it up with a load of gravel. Launch this truck from a dead start and it will not just send shivers down your spine, but anyone riding with you will be impressed at this Ram's attributes.