That was taken of me about a month ago on a tourist day. My wife was in the car with me like she usually is keeping an eye out for faster traffic...in this case a couple of GT3's.
I have a 240SX that is being shipped over here, and my whole goal in building that car was to run it on the Nurburgring. So, in the mean time I have been been tracking the SRT-4 there pretty regularly and I am amazed how well it performs on the track. I have done approximately 20 laps so far, 1 in the wet which was the scariest experience of my life
and I'm continuously impressed with how the car performs. As I get to know the track more, I find myself turning laps at a progressively quicker pace, and the car is always there, keeping right up with my demands.
Considering the company I often find on the 'Ring I am usually one of the faster cars on the track, and have been commended by a factory Audi driver, after a lap in the parking lot, for hanging with his S4 through a good section of track. I was even able to keep pace(almost) with the Ring Taxi for several corners until we ran into traffic and I was not able to pass through as quickly. Following the Ring Taxi allowed me to revise my lines and push the SRT even harder than I normally did. My logic being if that 4000lb car can break at that point why can't I...turned out I was right.
That brings me to the weakest point of the SRT, the brakes. I'm not complaining that the car's brakes are inadequate but, I find that I'm not always capable of using them to their fullest potential for two reasons:
1) Strange pedal feel.
The pedal on this car drives me crazy, it is unlinear and seems to vary in response for no reason. The pressure needed to stop the car is always different, sometimes moderate pressure will stop the car adequately and at other times you need to apply more pressure to stop at the same rate as before. I thought bleeding or a fluid change would cure this but, neither has helped.
2) Rear tire lock-up.
The rear wheel lock-up is equally annoying, I hate braking into a corner and suddenly ABS kicks on causing a moments chaos as I correct the car's line and try to settle the shuddering that resonates through the suspension. I know the Mopar rear tension strut kit is an easy fix to this but, the rear tires are way too sensitive under braking. Granted, the 'Ring is not always glass smooth but, there are times that only moderate braking levels, that woudln't even scare your mother, cause the rears to lock up.
Even with those two flaws the SRT is quite quick. I have not timed a lap since I'm still learning the track and I'm not a big fan of dying but, I know from estimates that I have done laps in the very low 9-min range. I am holding off on any upgrades until next spring, I plan on timing the car completely stock to see what it's capable of...my goal is to get in the mid 8-min range which I believe is entirely possible if the conditions are right. A time like that puts this car in some pretty expensive company.
I have to say the overall performance of the car is astonsihing for the price, I really didn't expect the car to be as fast as it is on one of the most demanding and difficult circuits in the world and I cant wait to see how it responds to some well thought out suspension modifications.
I'm taking a trip to the Hockenheim Ring in the near future, and if I can find an open day, I will see how it does on Spa as well. Any track I can get on I'm all for it...I'll keep you guys updated on the SRT as I tear through Europe.
-Rodney
SRT-4 on Nurburgring!
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