SRT Team Integrated to Other Departments for Future Products

SRT is no longer a dedicated group, but those team members are still with the company.

Last week, rumors were floating around the internet that Chrysler’s high performance SRT group had been disbanded. These rumors were confirmed by an official statement from an unnamed Stellantis spokesperson and that led many people and outlets to freak out. Some Mopar fans feared that the end of the SRT group meant the end of SRT performance products and some media outlets fueled those fears, talking about how looming emission and fuel economy regulations are sure to kill the likes of the SRT vehicles from Dodge, Jeep and Ram.

Fortunately, we don’t think that the news regarding the SRT team is anywhere near as bad as some people are making it out to be. After all, those folks haven’t been released from the company, they have just been “integrated” into other parts of the company, where they will continue to share their knowledge to create the future of fun-to-drive Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles.

SRT Stellantis Statement

After rumors of the demise of SRT turned up on a few small websites, we reached out to Stellantis to see if there was any official word. We kind of figured that the rumors would prove to be untrue, but sadly, that is not the case.

“Stellantis Statement in Regard to SRT

In February 2021, all of the core elements of the SRT performance engineering team were integrated into Stellantis’ global engineering organization.

This action will have the two-way benefit of ensuring that our brands’ SRT and performance-focused product offerings continue to meet the highest quality standards and expectations, while delivering key learnings from motorsports and other high-performance-technology applications across a wider mix of our company’s product lines.

These products have delighted enthusiasts for nearly two decades, and Stellantis will continue to sell and develop the next generation of Dodge//SRT-branded vehicles, as well as Jeep and Ram vehicles that utilize high-performance SRT technology.”

In other words, this seems to be very normal corporate restructuring, which is normal for a company that has just entered into a massive merger with another industry giant. While this isn’t great news, as the dedicated SRT engineering team created a long list of legendary vehicles, but we don’t think that they are done yet.

The Future of Mopar Performance

As much as we all love our modern high performance Mopars, with vehicles like the SRT Hellcat cars, we all know that tougher federal emission and fuel economy restrictions are coming. Some people believe those new regulations will kill off high performance machines altogether, but those folks should keep something in mind. All of the concern about the future of performance vehicles is based on federal CAFÉ laws. Those laws are not based on the individual fuel economy levels of each vehicle but rather, the average fuel economy figure for all vehicles sold.

This means that a company that sells a ton of small, efficient vehicles has room in their fleet fuel economy number for high performance vehicles. Basically, if Dodge offered a popular compact car with a hybrid or electric drivetrain, it would free the brand up to continue selling Hellcat-powered cars.

While the SRT engineering team has traditionally focused on going fast, if those minds can apply their knowledge to smaller, more efficient vehicles, they can help to create high volume models. Those models will lower the company’s fleet fuel economy numbers, allowing the folks from the SRT team to use more of their knowledge to help the individual brands create vehicles that are fun to drive and efficient.

Many Mopar lovers scoff at the thought of a hybrid Hellcat car, but if it comes down to a Challenger or Charger with 700 horsepower and a hybrid drive or no 700 horsepower cars at all, the hybrid is the clear choice. The folks who spent time as the SRT team will likely use their high performance knowledge to improve many more vehicles in different ways, which in turn procures the future of proper high performance vehicles.

Photos: Dodge

Join the Dodge Forums now!

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

Facebook   Twitter