The reason is that it makes sense to want to make an already near top of the line vehicle that's fast - faster. That's what the Jeep Wrangler SRT8 was designed for. To be one of the fastest SUVs out there it's completely designed for performance. The Dodge Durango you'd be working from near bottom of the list in performance so it wouldn't make any sense to invest in making it faster just so that you could reach stock performance of another vehicle at best.

If I could paint a better picture analogy, how do you feel about someone supercharging their Nissan Altima? Wouldn't it make more sense to invest performance money on the G37 or 370Z, something already meant to go fast? Why waste money making your Chevy Malibu faster when you can buy a Camaro SS and then do the performance mods on it instead? Because unless you spend a ton of money on your Malibu and Altima, they're never going to be as fast as the stock G37 nor Camaro SS

 

I purchased my Citadel in August and seeing the interior upgrades, i wish i would have waited. I knew that eventually the D would get the 8.4 since the Charger and even the freakin Journey had it. If i could afford to deal with taking a HUGE hit on my 12, i would trade it in in a heartbeat. I love my truck, but i'm a gadget geek and love the new interior upgrades. Plus, most of the mods i've done, i can just transfer over. I would imagine that the interceptor can be update with new code to adjust for the 8 speed. I guess i'm torn.

 

Let's not be picky-choosey. Why waste $80k on a Z06 vette, when you can buy a GS Vette for $50k and put an Edelbrock E-Force blower on it and get bigger/better numbers?

If you want to play that game, why spend $57k on an SRT8 Jeep that runs 13.40's when you can buy a new 5.0 Mustang, Boss 302 Mustang, Camaro SS, SRT8 Charger, SRT8 Challenger, SRT8 300, Audi S4, etc and outperform the Jeep all day?

Different strokes for different folks.

I think my first post totally flew right over your head. All I stated was that I'm interested in finding out how much (if any) the new 8spd improves performance. This doesn't mean I'm considering buying one to make it my budget inflated Project SRT8 Killer.

 

I can understand your point, but if you do a search there are currently 41 three row suv sold in the US. Of those the only ones with much performance are the Dodge Durango, Ford Explorer sport (Which is quicker but doesn't handle as good, and is cramped on the inside), The Audi Q7 which costs more and isn't any quicker, and the Mercedes GL 63 which is about $117,000. I can drop my Durango off at API and for less then $10,000 get a supercharger. Am I going to win any races or be the badest thing on the street, no. Is it going to be fun to drive, yes. Could I get another car to have fun in yes, but then every time I get in the Durango I will wish it was more fun. So, I'm going to cut out the middle man and mod my Durango until I'm satisfied.

 

I totally get it, I'm a go fast guy too my other car is a 98 vette.

That said, I assume you're not racing the D at the track but if you did Im certain they don't have a category of "SUVs but only with 3rd row". And if you're racing people on the highway, do you then only keep your eye out for vehicles that have 3rd row before you stomp on it? That's strange to me. Otherwise, how do you choose who to out accelerate on the street? You'd have to be pretty darn selective even the Toyota Camry 6cyl would spank you it runs a mid 14 quarter mile. You see - that's my point why bother?

FWIW, my friend has a Mercedes R63 and it has 1/4 times in the 13 second range he bought it used certified and was in the <$45k range used CPO w/ less than 30k miles on it. It seats 7 (3 rows) I believe the GL63 series is also in the same range of performance and price and it also has 3 rows seats 7

Also note, even if you put a supercharger in your D and made it fast in a straight line, it still wouldn't be on par with a much faster vehicle built from the ground up (like the R63 or a Grand Cherokee SRT8) because it doesn't have any of the other parts designed to support that type of speed. Brakes, suspension, wheels, safety, tech features such as the stabilization algorithms, etc, etc, etc. It's a slippery slope and that's my point is that it would make more sense if you wanted to go fast get something built for it.

In regards to D handling - it's crap. As matter of fact, that was my biggest complaint going from a Mercedes R350 to the D. The R350 handles like a sedan (I realize because it's a crossover built on a car platform) the D handles like... a truck.

 

My point is, I don't care one way or the other. I can appreciate any increase in performance from one model year vehicle to the next given the price premium isn't out of line with the updates/gains. Doesn't matter if it's a Chevy Cruze, a Dodge Durango, an F250 Turbo Diesel, or a Lamborghini Aventador. Better performance is exactly that. Better.

 

Have you ever owned a full size truck, because I have owned a few and the R/T Durango handles NOTHING like a full size truck.

 

Mine is an AWD and as far as I am concerned it handles well.
I drive a Toyota tacoma for work everyday and I will tell you it handles and bounces around like ****. There is so much potential in the pkg and in time these mods will be available.

 

No but I've owned a G1 Durango

 

I think you miss understand me. I'm not looking to race anyone period. I just want my car to be more fun to drive. I do agree I would rather have a from the factory Durango SRT8, but that evidently isn't going to happen. I can put the SRT8 brakes and rear sway bar on, Bwoody endlinks, and add better wheels and tires and improve my handling and braking over stock.

As far as handling, I understand this isn't a lotus Elise. It is a 5000 pound 3 row SUV, and I think in that context it handles remarkably. Read any auto magazine on the R/T and they praise it's handling and complain about it's acceleration. So I don't think I'm the only one out on this limb. One of the first articles I ever read on the Durango it said it was a great handling SUV in need of a transmission. This was in 2011. Now here comes the 2014 with a new transmission. I would like to see how it improves the driveability of the car.

If they aren't coming out with an SRT then the least they could do is make a special option R/T with different mapping for performance instead of gas mileage, higher stall torque converter, different gears, SRT brakes and suspension and 22's. Maybe call it a Mopar 14.