As modern Dodge products go, the Caliber hatchback has proven to be one of the less popular vehicles offered in the past 15-20 years but the disagreement over the styling didn’t stop the SRT division from building a high performance Caliber SRT4 – nor did the negative reception by some stop people from buying up the 285 horsepower hot hatch. One complaint that many people had with the Caliber SRT4 was that it was front wheel drive rather than all wheel drive, a factor which limited the Caliber’s ability to put that power to the ground and while speaking with Autoblog.com, SRT’s Erich Heuschele explains why the company opted not to go with all wheel drive in the Caliber SRT4.
In addition to discussing the company’s decision to make the Dodge Caliber SRT4 front wheel drive rather than all wheel drive, Heuschele runs through the many other aspects of the Caliber SRT4 package that make it unique compared to the other Caliber models including the braking, suspension and design elements of the sporty hatchback.
Click here for a closer look at the discussion with Erich Heuschele that details why the Caliber SRT4 did not have the all wheel drive system that would have allowed it to better compete with the likes of the Subaru STi.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
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