Standard performance features in this truck include antilock four-wheel disc brakes, a heavier front stabilizer bar, performance tuned shocks all around, suede inserts in the form-fitting leather seats to keep everyone in place, and tighter steering. Standard luxury features are almost as extensive, including dual zone a/c, power six-way driver’s seat, power windows and locks, cruise, tilt steering, heated front seats, in-dash six-disc, eight-speaker, 508 watt stereo with subwoofer, wheel-mounted audio controls, power heated foldaway mirrors, fog lights, cargo light, rear spoiler, and a hard, removable tonneau cover. So you know it’s an SRT, a bunch of plastic stuff has been added to the nose, and a hood similar to that of the Ram Daytona – complete with scoop that directs cool air onto the top of the engine, but not into the intake – is used. “Viper powered” plates decorate the sides of the hood scoop, and SRT-10 badging surrounds the truck. The hard rear tonneau cover helps aerodynamics and keeps the rear of the Ram cool looking; it lifts up on hinges and stays in place with hydraulic tubes, but taking it off requires two moderately burly and adept people (though to be fair it doesn’t take long). A plastic bed cover, with SRT-10 emblazoned in huge letters, is standard.

The white-faced gauges had sharp backlighting at night, making them easy to see day or night. Gauges were all sensibly placed, save for the AutoMeter oil temp gauge, inserted amusingly into the roof support for lack of any other reasonable place. The “overdrive off” button has been replaced by a GM-like tow/haul mode button on the end of the column shifter; the lights are all together in a single pod, as are the climate controls. Finally, in a rather ostentatious move, the SRT team added an “engine start” button to the dashboard, so that you have to put the key into the conventional steering-column lock, turn the key to RUN, then press the button until the engine catches.

Headlights are on the dashboard, with a large, traditional switch, in the same cluster as the dimmer and cargo light; in a similar sensible vein, the climate control features are all in one bunch, and the stereo/navigation system is set up as an easily replaceable square of standard size.

The seats in our test vehicle were comfortable, grippy, and very adjustable, down to electrically adjustable pedal height. A switch on the dashboard makes it possible to bring the pedals up to your feet, or down to a comfortable depth. Rear seats are typical straight-backed pickup style, with decent enough legroom and good headroom. The middle seat is for occasional use only. The rear seats are high enough from the floor to be useful for adults.

The white-faced gauges had sharp backlighting at night, making them easy to see day or night. Gauges were all sensibly placed, save for the AutoMeter oil temp gauge, inserted amusingly into the roof support for lack of any other reasonable place. The “overdrive off” button has been replaced by a GM-like tow/haul mode button on the end of the column shifter; the lights are all together in a single pod, as are the climate controls. Finally, in a rather ostentatious move, the SRT team added an “engine start” button to the dashboard, so that you have to put the key into the conventional steering-column lock, turn the key to RUN, then press the button until the engine catches.

While the cargo and interior lights go on when you unlock the doors, there is no power memory – when you take out the key, the radio and power windows suddenly stop working. However, the standard trip computer mounted in the roof provides the outside temperature, compass bearing, and the average gas mileage.

Our test car had the optional navigation system, at $1,600. In addition to providing simply superb sound, the navigation system proved to be surprisingly easy to use, because audio controls were not integrated into the navigation screen; instead, they remained as solid buttons, making it easy to change channels or adjust audio without taking eyes off the road. The navigation system itself had all the usual features, and indeed we’ve reviewed it in depth in other Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep reviews. While not as flashy as the current Toyota system (which also allows faster data entry), it does have the advantage of dealing well with small roads that Toyota simply ignores.

The center console has two deep layers, the top one having pop-up sub-dividers so that you can either store large things in it, or small things in separate compartments. It also has an internal power outlet and a sensibly designed, removable coin holder with no room for pennies. Another clever feature is storage room under the rear seats; yet another, the new, probably cheaper cup holders which, like their cousins in minivans, can hold large or small containers tightly. There are other little places to put coins, highway passes, and such in the dashboard and front of the center console, along with large map pockets and smaller odd-thing pockets in the front doors.

We also liked the little touches – overhead lights that go on when you press them, the built-in, universal garage door opener (built into the trip computer) with room in its memory for three different garage doors or gates.

While the heater is powerful and works quickly, the vent fan can be noisy – despite huge, square vent openings. The air conditioning did not seem to have any drag on the engine.

The white-faced gauges had sharp backlighting at night, making them easy to see day or night. Gauges were all sensibly placed, save for the AutoMeter oil temp gauge, inserted amusingly into the roof support for lack of any other reasonable place. The “overdrive off” button has been replaced by a GM-like tow/haul mode button on the end of the column shifter; the lights are all together in a single pod, as are the climate controls. Finally, in a rather ostentatious move, the SRT team added an “engine start” button to the dashboard, so that you have to put the key into the conventional steering-column lock, turn the key to RUN, then press the button until the engine catches.

The rear gate is far easier to lift than the Silverado’s, and the cargo light seems to be more effective. However, there is no step built into the bumper, and it can be hard to launch one’s self into the bed.

We were constantly stopped, and even pulled over, by people itching to have a look at this truck – all men. We raised the hood for other Ram owners and for the town public works folk, blipped the throttle a bit, and showed off the interior, which gained universal praise – though we thought the massive expanses of gray plastic and faux carbon fiber were not quite as phenomenal as most of the visitors did. What really surprised people, though, aside from seeing (and hearing) a Viper engine inside a Ram, was the price tag. The base price is $52,710, really not as bad as it could be for a high-performance V-10 that can tow a trailer and carry four people; we doubt you can get a four-passenger Mercedes in this price range with this kind of performance, much less another truck (and you can easily pay more for a truck that gives you less). With the options, some silly and some sensible, on our truck, the sticker price came to $57,460. That includes inferno red paint ($225), satellite radio ($520), side airbags ($490), rear power sliding window ($120), navigation system ($1,600), polished wheels
($600!), and, yes, believe it or not, a rear seat DVD player integrated into the roof, at a whopping $1,200.

The Dodge Ram SRT-10 is clearly an unusual truck; what they have brought off is a vehicle nearing the performance of a prior-generation Corvette, with room for four (for real), and the ability to do serious towing or hauling work as well. In normal traffic, where the throttle never needs to go down very far, the Dodge SRT10 is docile, patient, and quiet; but it’s always, and we do mean always, ready to spring forward with a deep roar and little fear of doing an unexpected U-turn. Given the price of gas it’s not for everyone, but the cost is well within reason for either performance cars or big pickups, and we think people who buy it will continue to enjoy it… as long as they’re not in a hurry, because there are an awful lot of people out there who want you to stop and show it off.

(from DaimlerChrysler Press Release) February 2, 2004 – The Dodge Ram SRT-10 unleashed its Viper power today, taking its place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Fastest Production Pickup Truck.”

Only recently off the Saltillo, Mexico, assembly line and not modified in any way for additional power or enhanced aerodynamics, the Dodge Ram SRT-10 posted a two-lap, both-directions average speed of 154.587 mph over a “flying kilometer” on the 4.71-mile oval at the DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds here in Chelsea. The record run by the Dodge Ram SRT-10 was certified by Guinness World Records and the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). The previous record was 147.54 mph, set last July by the Ford SVT F-150 Lightning, before the Dodge Ram SRT-10 went into production.

(from DaimlerChrysler Press Release) If a Dodge Ram pickup — complete with 500 horsepower courtesy of the Dodge Viper SRT-10 engine — is good, a Viper-powered Ram with four doors is even better.

Following on the success of the Dodge Ram SRT-10 regular cab pickup, Dodge introduces the Ram SRT-10 Quad Cab, targeted directly at the truck enthusiast who wants SRT performance in a pickup with room for the family and towing capacity.

The first SRT-10 was produced November 11, 2003. Ram SRT-10 production ended after the 2006 model year. Total production for the 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 was 3,057. For 2005, the total production was 4,097 and the 2006 total production was 2,373. Over the 3 year lifespan of this truck, just 9,527 Dodge Ram SRT-10s were manufactured.

Dodge Ram SRT-10 engine (with aftermarket intake tube)

The SRT-10 featured an 8.3 Liter Viper V10 This engine produced 510 bhp (380 kW; 517 PS) at 5,600 rpm and 525 lb·ft (712 N·m) of torque at 4,200 rpm. The regular cab, with a total curb weight of 5,130 lb (2,330 kg), reached a top speed of 153 mph (246 km/h), and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.9 seconds, whereas the Quad Cab, weighing 5,618 lb (2,548 kg), did 0-60 in 5.6 seconds and reached a top speed of 147 mph (237 km/h). The regular cab could complete the 1⁄4 mi (400 m) in 12.6 seconds at 110 mph (180 km/h), the Quad Cab in 13.8 seconds at 104 mph (167 km/h). The engine produced one horsepower for every 10.3 lbs of vehicle weight in the regular cab. The regular cab generated .86 g of grip on a 300 ft (91 m) skidpad, while the Quad Cab generated .83 g. The regular cab was rated by the EPA at 9 MPG city/15 highway, while the Quad Cab was rated at 9 city/12 MPG highway.

The Ram SRT-10 had a unique hood that featured a wide power bulge and hood scoop. The hood scoop allowed cool air to enter as well as forcing hot air to exit from the engine bay, thus helping the engine to run cooler. “Viper Powered” badges were added to the sides of the power bulge, to indicate the SRT-10 engine under the hood. Another exterior feature was a tonneau cover with an attached spoiler that was supposed to come standard on the 2005 Quad Cab version and all 2006 models, but due to manufacturing problems was not installed on nearly half of the Ram SRT-10s intended. To help remedy this situation, Dodge added a $1000 credit and a regular spoiler to the Ram SRT-10s that did not receive the tonneau cover. In addition to style, the spoiler also helped with air flow and provided a reduction in lift and drag. The Ram SRT-10 had a bed size of 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), giving the regular cab an overall length of 17 ft 7 in (5.36 m), and 19 ft 2 in (5.84 m) overall length for the Quad Cab. The Ram SRT-10 also had a lower ride height than regular Ram trucks. An additional 5th shock was used on the rear axle to prevent wheel hop during wheelspin.

Excluding the special editions, the 2004-2005 Ram SRT-10 came in three colors: Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat, Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat, and Flame Red Clear Coat. The redesigned 2006 Ram SRT-10 came in Mineral Gray Metallic, Inferno Red, and Brilliant Black Crystal Clear Coat.

2005 Dodge Ram SRT-10 crew cab

Following the success of the Ram SRT-10 regular cab, Dodge decided to introduce a Quad Cab version starting in the 2005 model year. The new Quad Cab was aimed at the performance truck enthusiast who wanted a performance pickup, but not at the expense of room for passengers and towing capacity. The Dodge Ram SRT-10 Quad Cab was fitted with a 4.56 final-drive gear ratio to improve low-end acceleration and was rated at 7,500-pound (3,400 kg) towing capacity. A body-color aluminum tonneau cover with an aerodynamic spoiler came standard on the Quad Cab. The Quad Cab was only offered with a 4-speed automatic transmission, a 48RE borrowed from the Ram Heavy Duty.