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[Stephan]

Well well well.... Nice Write up ToasterOven...

Yes, the 1st Generation SRT-4 production is coming to an end later this year. Alternative means to continue production of the SRT-4 in it's current trim were investigated, but the cost was astronomical.

My affair with the fastest car for <$20K started, like many of you, in the fall of 1999 with the SRT show car (supercharged) that Marques McCammon, Dave Chyz, Marc Musial, and a young designer (no longer with DCX) had built. I was a young engineer in the company's college graduate rotational training program at the time and had spied it in my travels through the Chrysler Tech Center.

When the yellow car was built (Turbocharged), it was more easily spied in the tech center (cat was out of the bag already) and it was constantly peppered with signs on it - "If you build it, we will come." You have no idea how much enthusiasm these intital show cars generated WITHIN the company... Each day at lunch, there would be a crowd of ppl oogling over it in the hallways.... I had met Marques (also in the rotational program), Dave, and Marc while working on my projects in one of my rotations. They let me drive the black show car on the 'test track' at the tech center. It was fast, but it wasn't "OMFG" fast... It handled well, but remember - this was a show car and was made to look good first and drive well second. It was a blast and we talked about how cool it would be if Chrysler built the car. Marques & Crew had built a business case for the program, and it needed management approval.

PVO takes on the SRT-4

While Marques and crew were busy selling the program to management, I finished up my rotational program and landed my full-time job in PVO. I worked on the 2003 Viper Dynamics under the wing of their lead dynamicist. One day, shortly after I started, my Manager asked to speak with me in his office. He pitched the idea of me being the development engineer on the SRT-4. I didn't believe him. He was serious. Marques and crew had spoken to John Fernandez. He wanted to build it. I accepted the assignment. We began piecing together the business and development plans immediately behind the scenes.... How many test cars to build, what features to include, how much power to make, when to start production, how much should it cost.... The whole ball of wax. I worked 50/50 on the Viper and SRT-4 for a few months until the SRT-4 program got the official stamp of approval from the PVO Board of Directors in the spring of 2001.

The show cars weren't really appropriate for engineering cars (plus they were busy on the show circuit to gage/build interest) so we had to build a few more just to prove out the concept and do some initial testing.... These were early mules built with SBEC engine controllers and parts that were 'borrowed' from the PT Turbo engine program. Dave's bay in his shop looked like an operating room.... Pieces and parts all over the place... It was a daunting task at first, but he built the first few test mules in no time at all. The engine dyno boys were busy developing the base calibration for the cars while Dave was building the cars. These first few mules were built on 'scrap car' chassis and looked like an everyday 2nd gen neon that someone had bolted PT 5-spoke wheels onto. They drove like mothing Chrysler had built for at least 8 years (Spirit RT).... These mule cars were stupid fast. We dyno'd one at 280 ft lbs and 260 HP @ the front wheels on 93 pump gas, the same car ran 13.99's @ 102mph @ Milan - the engine calibration was lean and mean and the acceleration performance of these cars became the benchmark for the production car.

At this point the SRT-4 team had grown. A dozen core engineers within PVO and a HUGE number of people from outside PVO that were enthusiastic to build this car....Development of the car continued fast and hard for 18 months. We built prototypes at the plant, tested cars on durability, tuned suspension, tweaked the interior a bit, ran engine durability tests, tuned tires, went on press events to tell our story, packaged the biggest intercooler we could fit in the car without compromising the structure, etc. etc. etc. You know, all in a year's work....

Build 'em boys

Then the time came to build production cars at Belvidere in December of 2002. The SRT-4 team had been at the plant for each of the prototype builds and the launch was no exception. The plant built up bodies, and released the first car onto the trim lines.... Every one of the people there had a grin on their face...... Almost 2 years of hard work was about to pay off.... The cars lumbered down the line and the workers did their thing. The cars rolled off the trim line and made their way thru rolls test, alignment, headlight aim, etc.... The first couple of SRT-4's built were for engineering, so we took the cars immediately for a shake down run.... I had tears of joy in my eyes. I recalled reading the SRTFORUMS and felt the anxiety everyone had for the arrival of the SRT-4.... My heart pounded.

After the first few days of launch, many of the team members made their way home to be with their families for the holidays for a much deserved break. A couple of us stuck around at the plant to ensure everything went smoothly until they shut down for the break. One of those days, I sat in a Launch Coordinators office above the plant floor and listened to the many SRT-4's starting and moving around below... What a distinct sound, I thought, as I began to think about what got us to that point. I got all emotional again and called Marques. < Marques had kick started the program, but had other responsibilities with his job, so he was basically a consultant to us during the development phase of the program. > "DUDE !" I blurted out... "LISTEN TO THIS !!!" I held the phone up for him to listen to the noise of many SRT-4's burbling their way around the plant. We talked for a while about how cool it was that the SRT-4 became a reality and talked about some of the good times we had had over the years working together on the SRT-4. Good times.... The working year came to an end and I drove an SRT-4 home from Belvidere to begin the holidays and rest up for the next year. We had big plans for the SRT-4....

2004 SRT-4 gets changes

We had a few things to improve on the car and a 2004 model to launch. New engine controller, LSD, sunroof, new tires, color, etc. etc. The pace did not slow that spring as we developed and confirmed the 2004 SRT-4 would meet the customer's expectations. The new engine controller (NGC3 vs. NGC1 generation) was a corporate change that drove new software and calibration. Ethan and the boys felt that with the new injectors and software, they could squeeze a few more HP out of the engine - and it was done. It's a little known fact that we really wanted the LSD for 2003 launch, but the timing wasn't right... So we made the push to have it in for 2004 launch. The sunroof was a no brainer from an engineering side, but the plant had to address concerns over the complexity and build quantity - for sure the SRT-4 would have a higher sunroof take-rate than the base neon. The new tires were necessary due to the world shortage of 205/50R17 Pilot Sports - Micheling (BFG) promised to develop a tire for us rapidly. The KDW was the result. The color change was part of our internal desire to have a feature color for each model year. We snooped around multiple forums and Blue was the vote - Electric Blue it was.

While us go-fast geeks were making the car faster and developing MOPAR perf. parts for the SRT-4, the audio crew was working on the Kicker Audio System. That launched in the late fall of 2003 and is a great system for those that want some more bump without building their own system. The Kicker system was so well received that they adopted the option on the base neon where it has done very well....

American Club Racer

Late 2003, I was asked to work on the SRT-8 programs and do the dynamics work on that platform. At the same time, I was trying to sell an SRT-4 ACR program to the Board of Directors. We built a few mules to test and let the Senior Management drive them - they were a hit. Since the 2005 SRT-4 remained largely unchanged save for a few minor sensor and software changes, we developed the ACR over the next year (dampers, wheels, tires, seats) and planned it's debut at the NAIAS 2005. I got real busy on the SRT-8's and the SRT-4 ACR during 2004 and I started to look for a new job that would let me play outside of work a little more. I had worked on the coolest cars in the land and sacrificed some of the improtant things in life in the process. It was time to move on. So, I finished up my job at SRT in January 2005 in Arizona doing the last bit of tuning on the SRT-8's and showing the management the production version of the SRT-4 ACR.

A fitting farewell

Shortly before the senior management had sat down for lunch after driving our products all morning, a friend on the Cop-Car program and I conspired for a little 'demonstration'... Once the big-wigs had sat down for lunch in the tent by the Dynamics Facility and autocross course was clear, I fired up the SRT-4 ACR. I did a ridiculous smoky burnout and blasted down the straightaway of the oval. My friend made chase in the fully decked out Magnum cop-car - lights and sirens blazin'... We did a full loop of the oval tickling the century mark on the short straights. When I came onto the pad, I made a B-line for the A/X course and flew thru... My buddy gave chase but couldn't catch the ACR.. When I exited the autocross course, I pulled the E-brake and did a 180 degree slide where he met me. I shouted to him, "That was F**king awesome !!!" we headed back to the vehicle staging area and parked the cars. A small crowd applauded and cheered. My Manager and Director gave me a huge SRT-4 Dealer Banner which most of the SRT team had signed - including Dieter Zetsche !!! That was Friday in Arizona. On Monday, I would start the next chapter in my life on the east coast....

So, there you have it. From start to finish.... I hope the SRT-4 has brought you as much happiness, excitement, and adrenalin as it has to me.

-Stephan