There have been seemingly endless rumors about the future of the SRT Dart and whether or not it will see production or – if it does arrive in dealerships – what will be found under the hood. It has long been expected that the SRT Dart would follow in the footsteps of the uber popular Neon SRT4 with a front wheel drive, turbocharged drivetrain. However, many Dodge diehards have discussed the possibility that the Dart SRT4 would pack all wheel drive so that it could better compete with the likes of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution or the Subaru Impreza WRX STi. Additionally, I have had discussions with sources within the Chrysler Group who have suggested that at one point, a far more powerful V6 has been discussed in cooperation with a model that recalls the Demon name.
A Twin turbocharged Pentastar would easily make the SRT Dart the most powerful sport compact on the market but that technology would come with a cost – both financial and functional. The V6 seems like the easy choice for a big power model but we should all keep in mind that with that extra engine volume comes a significant increase in weight and that will likely hurt the handling of a super high performance Dart. Also, that larger engine with extra hardware (two turbos, for instance) would lead to a higher price.
With all of that in mind, we want to know what you think should motivate the SRT Dart to greatness. Should it be similar to the Neon SRT4 with front wheel drive and a turbo 4 or should it be more like the Evo and STi with all wheel drive? Or should this new SRT compact sedan pack Pentastar power and all wheel drive?
"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.
