There are times when reality bites. Having a Viper is great, but you can carry only one passenger and very little gear. And you simply can't tow anything. What's a hot-blooded performance freak to do?
Until 2003, there were two choices: the Ford Lightning, with 380 supercharged V-8 horsepower and styling that screamed attitude (leader of the category since its launch in 1993), and the new-for-2003 Silverado SS, with full-time all-wheel drive and a 345-horsepower, 6.0-liter V-8. Last year, however, Dodge made it a threesome with the introduction of its Ram SRT-10 regular cab. With 500 horsepower and surprisingly good handling, it quickly snapped heads and brought new attention to the Ram line. Not to mention that it holds the "Guinness Book of World Records" run as the fastest production pickup truck in the world.
There have been no shots fired back at the SRT-10 since, and it looks like a new Lightning has been shelved for a few years. But that doesn't mean Dodge is willing to sit back and relax. For 2005, the Ram SRT-10 line has expanded--literally and figuratively--to include a Quad Cab model SRT-10 Ram. Unique features include a 20-inch-longer wheelbase and overall length increased by 16.1 inches; meaning, where two fit in the regular cab, now a family of four fits comfortably. In addition, while the regular cab comes only with the T-56 six-speed manual transmission, the Quad Cab's standard tranny is a 48RE four-speed automatic. Why the change? Dodge tells us the regular cab was designed for those interested in pure performance; the Quad Cab is for those who want their performance truck to, well, function as a truck. The SRT-10 Quad Cab can be equipped with a trailer hitch, unlike the first model, to pull up to 7500 pounds. Also helping the truck's towing ability are a transmission cooler and heavy-duty torque converter.
For those who've spent time in a Ram 1500, amenities are what you'd expect, plus a few unique accents. SRT touches include whiteface SRT gauges and special embroidery on the headrests of the heavily bolstered race-inspired seats. In addition, brushed-aluminum accents are on the doors and center stack and power adjustable pedals are aluminum. Exterior cues, like on the regular cab, include the hood scoop, dual exhaust tips, SRT badging, and a rear wing, mounted to the bed side rails. An aluminum tonneau cover comes standard on the Quad Cab and is a new option for regular cab models.
It's nice Dodge put the effort into making an SRT-10 Ram able to tow and hold more people, but performance is what this truck should be about. The extra wheelbase, two doors, and trailer hitch adding just over 350 pounds should translate into different driving dynamics and test-track times. And, of course, it would be impossible for this truck to get identical performance times as the regular cab. But the numbers are closer than you may think. The Quad Cab automatic is 0.4 second slower to 60 (it gets there in 5.3 seconds) and does the quarter mile at 103 mph, where the shorter six-speed manual pickup does it in 107. Braking is nearly identical.