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Stellantis SRT To Still Make Performance Models
By Dave Ashton
We recently reported how the new Stellantis group is to disseminate the SRT team into the various branches of the company. Initially, this was bad news for all Dodge/SRT fans, but it seems that the shift is more a re-organization of the team. The Street and racing technology department may no longer exist, but all the engineers will be retained and incorporated into the Stellantis global engineering division. They will also work on future SRT models.
The new Stellantis group is well aware of the heritage of SRT, meaning we will continue to see the SRT badge in the future. The integration of the SRT team also means that their performance know-how is a valued asset. Moving forward, we could see the SRT badge or at least the technologies on any of the 14 car brands under the new umbrella.
The SRT Story
The SRT division has been in existence in one form or another since its inception in 1989. One of the standout developments was the Dodge Viper, with other notable vehicles including the Dodge Neon SRT-4, Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, Plymouth Prowler, and Ram 1500 TRX. The SRT badge became its own brand in 2011 but went back to being a development team in 2014.
The SRT Future
Luckily, Carlos Tavares Stellantis chief executive officer is a keen racer and supporter of performance vehicles. This means that Dodge and SRT will likely continue their performance heritage. However, echoing recent words from Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis, the future of muscle cars is most likely to be electric.
This doesn’t mean that the Hellcat V8 engine is going away anytime soon. And at the least, we have some reassurance that Dodge and the SRT brand are here to stay. stay tuned for future updates….
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