2005 Mopar Dodge SRT-4

Who is Dodge kidding? One drive in a Neon-based SRT-4, and you'll know the advertised 230 horsepower is an underrated sham. Pull the trigger on a turbocharged SRT-4, and it spins its front hoops harder than a nitrous-powered Vegas roulette wheel. For SRT-4 owners who desire even more torque steer, Mopar Performance offers a wealth of bolt-ons that up the SRT-4's 2.4-liter I-4 by 10 horsepower (Stage I), 35 horsepower (Stage II), or even 120 horsepower (Stage III).

Super Street, one of MT's sister magazines, recently finished a buildup on an SRT-4 that makes use of a combination of aftermarket parts and hardware from Mopar Performance. "In the slalom, you need to drive it like a Viper--small throttle adjustments make for large results," notes test-driver Chris Walton. The tuner SRT-4 is brutish for a four-banger, yet it's far from Mopar's most powerful Stage III setup.

The Super Street editors went with Mopar's Stage I system, which incorporates larger fuel injectors matched with a reprogrammed computer. The ECU calibration delivers increased wide-open- and part-throttle boost, improved turbo response, a "boost hold" feature during wide-open throttle shifts, revised ignition timing, and a revised first-gear boost map for harder launches. Adding to the power mix is an Injen cold-air intake kit, while a Mopar Performance 2.5-inch mandrel-bent exhaust system sports four-inch-diameter tips. Power is routed through an ACT heavy-duty clutch mated to an ACT lightweight flywheel.

Helping put the power to the pavement is a Mopar performance front differential and a set of Kumho Ecsta V700 tires mounted on lightweight Work Emotion CR 17x7.0-inch alloys, plus Mopar Performance adjustable coil-over shocks. During acceleration testing, the Kumhos squealed as the DOHC I-4 produced copious wheelspin and strong torque steer. Despite tire smoke, in a quarter-mile showdown, the Stage I SRT-4 beats a stock SRT-4 by over one second.