I have not been a reader or poster on this site. I am here to let you know that I just picked up my 2005 SRT8. I bought it in Tysons Corner VA. It is in black. I bought a 300C in August of '04 and after driving it for a few days put down a deposit on the first black SRT8 they took delivery of. I was in last week and was told that production was scheduled for May and to expect it around June 1 . . . then I got a call first thing this morning that my new 2005 SRT8 was delivered last night. I will now run back through a page or two of this thread and try to answer any questions that I find if possible.
I ran back thru a few pages of this thread. For the guy who referred to the fourth digit of the VIN number . . . Mine is also J and it is built so I dont know what that means, if anything. Base price on mine was $39,370 for a Chrysler SRT8 RWD. With option group II including GPS, SIrius, 368 watt 6 cd changer MP3 player 7 spkr stereo, moonroof, UConnect hands free bluetooth communication it stickered at $45295.00 including $2100 gas guzzler charge. It is definitely a firm er ride than my 300C. IT is definitely a throatier exhaust sound than my 300C. It has been pouring all day here so no performance impressions yet. The paint is gorgeous. It is described on the sticker as Brilliant black crystal pearl paint but has a very deep look with a very metallic/metalflake look deep down in the paint. From the exterior, it looks civilized. A single exterior badge in the rear, the little bump of a spoiler on the trunk lid. Despite 2" larger wheels and lowering suspension 1/2 inch, the wheelwells look empty with the low profile performance tires. It has a nice aspect, slightly elevated in the rear. The wheels are simple, just the type "SRT8" on one spoke. They are polished on the outside surface but appear unfinished when you look close inside the wheel behind the spokes' polished surface.
I will try to answer any direct questions asked on this forum.
Inkwell - does the driver's seat have electric lumbar control? What about the the front passenger seat? Any info appreciated on differences from the regular C. Thanks !!
no adjustable lumbar support. Seat is basically same as the 300C I had. different skins obviously,. the suede is very sticky and the side support keeps you in the seat. Differences inside seem to be mainly cosmetic. Biggest differences seem to be drive train. The motor obviously. Ride is stiffer, very little roll in turns. One difference that hasn't gotten much play is in the tranny. If you manually go thru the gears and lets say you are in 3rd . . . normally it will downshift out of 3rd when appropriate but in this case it stays in 3rd until you shift . . . that threw me at first since I hadn't seen any mention of it. Where my 300C was civilized from a power perspective, this is beastly. In the 300C you never got that back glued to your seat feeling but if you were cruising down the highway at 80, always had a reserve of power if you pressed the gas pedal, this car will give you a noticeable feeling of G force pushing you back in the seat. It revs up very quickly and with a very slight lag, takes off like a rocket. Those are my impressions thus far. I dont have a digital cam but will try to get some pics taken and posted.
I went to see a silver SRT-8 at my local dealer. This car is stunning, even better looking than in all of the pictures. It has a presence that no other modern car has. The wheels are huge, and gorgeous. The side skirts, air dam and spoiler in the back all combine to make the car look very solid and substantial. I'm in love... It was marked up $6k over MSRP.
There are two srt 8s available in my area, one silver, one black, from two different dealers. Both are same sticker price, black is going for $10,000 over sticker, and silver,is going for highest price dealer can get.(would not quote a price) I ordered a 2006, and not anticipating any problem with price. Hope i'm not dreaming!
I don't believe from what I have heard,and read, that there will be anything different but the model year. I did see something about the kicker system not being available in the '06, but that is it.
These cheery folks are located in the New York City / Long Island area. Like I said, I am awaiting an '06, but i'm just trying to get as much info as possible. The reason i'm told for the large mark-up is the very limited production of the '05s.
Similar shifting problem with my 300C. Service writer at the dealership indicates to me in February there is a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) issued by Chrysler on moisture in the transmission. The moisture gets in around the o-ring where the transmission dipstick goes in. They drained my fluid refilled and road tested. OK. I have driven it since then and just yesterday started having more problems, in fact so severe she put me down "deadstop" just two blocks from the dealership. I rolled her to the curb and walked to the dealership. I love my 300C but, its a crying shame to have a car of this heritage with, 5,100 miles and 340 HP under the hood, put you down and walking to the dealers service department. Very embarassing!
Hey guys, I'm new as of today. Last night I put down a $1000 deposit on a fully loaded (minus stereo for some holdback reason. Don't care I'm getting aftermarket) SRT8 in black. An '06 and it is scheduled to arrive around April 15th. I paid MSRP and not a penny more. I've heard people having problems getting around paying markup and they definitely wouldn't budge. The dealer you could tell was just waiting for me to say "o.k." and wasn't pushing anything. So I upped and paid sticker. Oh well, I'm not getting any financing so I'll save money there that I typically pissed away on cars I bought in the past. I called other dealers and they all told me over the phone there will be a markup but wouldn't tell me how much. I pick mine up from the dealer 2 minutes from my house so that will be convenient. I can't wait. Oh, and as for the guy with the TL what's your problem? You've got a cool car too, my neighbor as a TL and it's great, but it's not the only thing people want and he even said I should buy the 300 based on his unbiased opinion (he test drove it with me)
I'm guessing 14.1 is BS from someone who doesn't know how to drive. My '92 Vette when stock ran a 13.5 and it was 300HP 330lbtq @ ~3300lbs curb weight.
That's 11:1 lbs per HP and 10:1 lbs per ftlb of tq.
The SRT8 weighs ~4050lbs and has 425HP and 420lbtq.
That's 9.5:1 lbs per HP and tq.
I don't find it unreasonable that this thing can do low 13's effortlessly with minimal practice.
I have seen something about a tire low pressure indicator on the '06 which is not on the '05. Also dont know about the kicker option as I didnt place an order for a specific car. I just put down a deposit on the first SRT8 the dealer got in. I also placed this deposit down in early Sept of '04, well before they were taking orders. Sight unseen and no idea of price.
Every '05 I have seen is fully loaded with sun roof, upgraded stereo, option package II, the hands free dialing, etc.Not sure if any were delivered without any of these options.
11 weeks since I put a deposit down !! Have been tracking my car , my '05 is now an '06 an the build date has changed 4 times !! Now 4/25 ??!! Read the EDMUNDS FOLLOW UP REVIEW. I just lost a lot of faith in this website !!! YOU GUYS BETTER CHECK YOUR EQUIPMENT !! ( Even Chrysler is sand bagging saying HIGH 13 second 1/4 mile times !!! ) Not to mention your staff , Goodyear Potenza tires ??
Um, huh? Are you blaming us for the build date changing? Because I don't see why the Follow Up Test would be upsetting to you, it's very favorable. Here's a quote:
At $43,350 (including destination charge) that officially makes the 300C SRT-8 a steal. Chrysler is only making 10,000 of them, and the order banks are supposedly already filled.
Maybe we won't give this one back .
And maybe I just missed it, but I don't see a reference to Potenza tires - Goodyear, yes, Potenza, no.
Anyway, if you have comments for the editors you need to make them via the Feedback link at the top of the page. They aren't very likely to see them here.
Sorry you are upset - hope this is the last time your build date changes.
no one "ordered" an '05 SRT8. I put my deposit down on Sept 3 of '04. I had no idea what I would get. After driving my new 300C for 5 days I liked it enough to put a deposit down on the first SRT8 the dealer got in. I had no idea what color, what options. I just knew I wanted it. If you put in an order for an SRT8, it was for an '06. They switched over to the '06 production run a week or more ago so when yours wasnt in, you should have known it was gonna be an '06. They only made 225 of the '05s and I dont think anyone knew when they ordered them that they would be getting an '05. The scoop on the limited run of '05 cars came in after the January start of taking orders.
As to what this has to do with this site . . . I guess they are as good a scapegoat and target for your anger as anyone. Have at it. I have seen numbers from 14.1 down to 13.3 for quarter mile times. If I were Chrysler I would advertise conservative numbers and let the reviewers gush about how badly it beats the advertised numbers. But this spread is more likely from different skill drivers than bad test "equipment" if that is what you are insinuating.
Oh yeah, as for the tires . . . I think they all come with the 4 season Goodyears but it is no cost to switch to the F1s. From what I am hearing, and based on what I hear about the F1s on the Cadillac site's CTS-V threads, no one whould be going to the trhee season F1s unless it is a weekend driver only taken out in perfect weather.
The Continental tires on my '05 300C are worn out at 12,000 miles. I've heard that my situation is not at all unique - this is a common problem with all of these 300C Continental Tires. Does anyone out there have any information on this problem? Has anyone out there had or having a similar experience?
I just checked again , under "Specs and Performance" you have listed the tire brand: Goodyear , tire model : Potanza ?? It is clearly a typo. (The article itself says Goodyear F1.) I understand there are a lot of variables in testing vehicles , but nearly a full second and 4 MPH different in the 1/4 and almost a full second 0 to 60 (7/10ths) different than Road & Track and Motor Trend magazines ?? Who is right ? Still , you do not list weather conditions for your test ?? Did you run the test in the rain ?? As for ordering my car , it is very hard for me to believe 10,000 total orders went in before mine !! This is the longest I've waited for an ordered car !! If this car wasn't so special I would get my deposit back !! (still might ?) Did some homework. Chrysler builds roughly 10,000 300's a month and that is ALL 300 models from the standard V-6 to the SRT-8 . That is on 3 shifts. They just started building the SRT-8 after Christmas. It's been 3 months. My guess is only a few thousand SRT-8 where built for model year 2005. Yes , I am upset because I ordered a 2005 !! Chrysler canceled my order ( went to build code ZA ) Von # stayed the same but VIN # changed to 2006. (currently in build code "D" , D1 is when the car is going down the line.) Dates have changed 4 times , going on 12 weeks !! Add another 4 weeks till this current build date might happen. On top of that dealer told me he doesn't have pricing on 2006 yet !! They sold me a car , agreed to a price and now it's all out the window !! Never had so much trouble buying a new car in my life !! Most dealers I contacted didn't know the car existed before I inquired to buy one !! So how many dealers actually ordered one back in January ? All the SRT-8s on Ebay , right ?
1. times are subject to the driver. Are you really complaining that the review didnt include a weather report? We wont really know how well these cars will run until we get 100 hours on them. Dont take my word for it. That tidbit came from one of the guys in Brampton who build the things.
2. The SRT was not under production after christmas. I forget when they told me that the first one rolled off but I can go back and look if you really care. The guys in Brampton also told us exactly when they switched over to '06 production. If the dates matter to you I will dig those dates up.
3.No dealer I know took orders on 2005 SRT8s back then because they didnt know they were coming. They also didnt know who got allocation until they showed up. A week before my '05 showed up, I was told to expect my '06 at end of april at earliest per the regional manager. One week later I was called to come pick up my '05.
4. Every estimate I have heard is for 5000 to 7500 2006 SRTs, not 10K. There were only 225 '05 SRTs, not "a few thousand". 35 were delivered in Canada and the rest in the US.
5. All quotes on ordered SRT8s I saw were for production starting in April. Again, no one knew about the '05 run until the guys in Brampton started listing VINs in production each day for a few of us on their web site.
6. I put my deposit down at least 4 months ahead of you and took delivery 10 days ago.
I would suggest you are confused on some of your facts and your expectations are out of line.
300 production at Brampton asembly plant rolled over to 2006 model on Thursday March 24 per the assembly workers site.
First '05 SRT8 came off the line Feb 15. Two vehicles came off the line but one of the VIN numbers show it to be an '06 Dodge so no one is sure what that vehicle was. Next 5 rolled on Feb 17th as best I can see. VIN on first SRT8 to roll off was 2C3AA73WX5H627497
Hey , I'll admit when I'm wrong. I went by what my dealer said and what I've found on the web. As for different drivers , we are not talking about manual shift car here. The times should be a lot closer. Just look at the MPH they ran in the 1/4. 104 will get you in the 13's pretty easy. They must have spun the tires for half the run. These guys are professionals , right ? After a car is broke in most cases it will run faster. A full second faster , I don't think so. I understand they are not Hot Rod or National Dragster magazine , but if your going to test cars you should be accurate. Yes this is important to the potential buyers of this vehicle because if it didn't matter , they would buy a regular 300C.
If you think you are talking to the folks who wrote the follow-up test article, you are not correct. We are the message board folks, not the editors/writers. You can reach them by using the Feedback link at the top of the page.
Again, I'm sorry you are upset but I don't think your anger is appropriately expressed in this discussion.
Feel free to email me if you'd like to discuss the purposes of these boards and this discussion any further.
Actually we ARE talking about a manual shift car. Presumably when running a quarter mile they are shifting the auto stick manually and not just leaving it in drive. For some reason, they apparently did experience probs which they talk about in the article. They felt like the EPS was retarding performance even when it was off. As for the guys being professionals . . . you are right. They are professional . . . WRITERS. Presumably the review was not written by Garlits or Prudhomme or Force. I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill.
Does anyone know if there will be a special modification company making the car a converible?? Would be something very special!! Know they do the Caddy and other cars. Any thoughts, comments??? Thanks.
I've had my name on one for a couple of months now. The dealer told me that he was not taking down payments but, that he would claim one in my name. I wanted a basically "stripped" SRT8. However, he told me that the minimum option was the Group II (Side airbags). Two weeks later I changed the color of the car and added the sunroof to which he told me there was not problem doing.
Bottom line: I think you can order the equipment you really want/don't want if you ask. The basic SRT does not come with everything; however, I think the factory or dealers are ordering them with everything to bump up the $39,995 price.
Nice picture! I ordered a 300 touring 2006 on 2/1/05. I have a von #, "BA" order status, priority code "99" and wonder when it could arrive. Anyone have a tracking website or address? Will all 2006 touring HO V-6 be built with 5 speed transmissions and auto stick? Thank you for any assistance - Mike
a dealer in san antonio is asking 63,000 for a SRT-8 price is firm dealer says beacuse of the small amount of SRT-8s coming to san anton is 2006 the last year for the SRT-8 and if it is why :mad:
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
Almost EVERYTHING in the article you refer to is WRONG information.
1. Total orders taken across North America for 2005 SRT8's = 98,000, some were duplicate & bogus orders (no dealer allocation). Orders were officially being taken 3 Jan. If you ordered after 7 Jan, guess what? You were automatically bumped into a 2006. And that's assuming your dealer in fact even had allocation to order SRT8's. Only 30% of dealers were authorized. This has since opened up.
2. TOTAL build numbers for 2005 SRT8's = 225 + 44 to DCX Exec's = 269
3. First 2005 SRT8 built - 17 Feb 2005
4. Last 2005 SRT8 built - 24 Mar 2005
5. Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires are STANDARD tire (3 season)
6. All season tire available as an option for $100
7. EVERY other test for 0-60 & 1/4 mile done is far superior to the one done by the author. ?? driver capabilities ??
8. Don't believe build totals of 5,000-15,000 SRT8's for model year 2006! Maximum capacity at Brampton is 1,100/day. This includes all 300 series, Magnum, Charger. Since 29 March only ten 2006 SRT8's have been built to date. Engine availability is an issue as well.
9. The overall production of SRT8's will always be EXCLUSIVE and LIMITED.
Thanks for the info re the SRT8's. I bugged my dealer for weeks re placing an order. Since I own two Vipers they give me pretty good attention and since they are the largest Viper dealer in the country they get pretty good attention from Daimler/Chrysler. They had no info on order availability. I was unable to place the order until late February/early March when it appeared in their ordering system. I do not remember the exact day as I was on vacation in Hawaii and all the days seemed to run together. I watched the Chrysler website almost daily and called the dealer the first day I saw it on their "build and price" section. He looked in his system and sure enough, it was now in his although some of the details were different as we compared the website to the factory ordering system. At any rate, the order is now placed and I am waiting to hear something regarding production/delivery. The numbers in your post appear to be pretty accurate. I was told that there would only be a couple of hundred 2005 SRT8's built and the 2006 production would be fairly limited...perhaps 2000. Can't wait to get it.
I was one of the lucky ones to get an 05 SRT8, one of the VERY few Canadians. I took delivery 3 weeks ago. This car is MUCH faster than had been reported. I don't have figures to back this up however. The Ontario Chrysler told my dealer that during testing it was doing 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. It was so fast they had to de tune it so the ESP could keep up to it. Chrysler's announced times are always conservative (5.1 seconds in this case). It wouldn't surprise me if this car will do under 5 seconds once it's broke in a little.
Personally I find the F1 tires very grippy despite what may have been reported elsewhere. My only complaint is the excessive brake dust that accumulates on those beautiful wheels. This I've been told is an inherrant fact with all high performance brakes used in this type of car and racing applications. I haven't heard about brake dust in the Vipers. Maybe you can comment on that. The 300C (5.7) uses ceramic pads, which are considered dustless and I've not heard of any complaints from owners of that car.
There have been a few comments made elsewhere on the SRT8 high engine temperature which some have voiced concerns over. One of the engineers who worked on the cooling system said it is designed to run hot and this is not a problem. The cooling system is considerably beefed up over the regular 300C.
Although it's been reported that 10 06 SRT8's have been built so far, they seem pretty few & far between. The Brampton Assembly plant is working on 55% Chargers, 30% 300's and 15% Magnums every day now. From what they say when an SRT8 comes off the line, it's pretty special and does not go unnoticed. They are really ramping up the Chargers right now. SRT8 Chargers are expected to begin September 12th.
I don't have build numbers for the 300C 06 SRT8 model year. It seems to me that if the Magnum, Charger & 300C all have the 6.1L engine, and don't forget the Jeep later this year, there may be a shortage of these engines unless they start making them in the US or Canada in a greater quantity than Mexico can produce. Perhaps a figure of 2000 total for all these vehicles combined would not be too far off. I was told sometime earlier that engines were in short supply, even the 5.7L. Whatever the total, it will be very limited.
BJS
EDIT: Just for the record and I can't prove it right now, I was told Jay Leno got the original SRT8 being built for me and I got the one from "the largest Viper dealership in the US", according to my dealer. I am communicating with someone in California who is going to a car show there where Leno usually visits. She's going to ask him if in fact he has one. I'd love to know as it would make a great conversation when showing my car off/ I mentioned the Viper dealer because you said you deal with the largest one.
I spoke with my dealer yesterday. He said that they will not begin building the 2006 SRT8's until early May and I should not look for delivery until summer. If they are building them now, they are probably for the execs. Scheduled production is around 4800 for 2006 at this time. The two largest Viper dealerships in the U.S. are Roanoke Motors in Roanoke, IL and Woodhouse Dodge in Nebraska. Go figure. They vie for top spot. Last I heard it was Roanoke due to the delivery of a large number of the special edition Vipers last Sept. at the Viper Owners Invitational. When I got my first Viper in 99 I changed the brake pads after a couple of thousand miles to reduce squeaking and dust. I installed GreenBrakes and they virtually eliminated the squeaking and reduced the dust significantly. My '03 and '05 Vipers both produce significant amounts of dust but do not squeak. I just spend a lot of time cleaning wheels. I thought about changing again but my club President, who is also a mechanic, said I would just spend more money without gaining anything. Appreciate the input on the tires. I opted for the all season as the straight high performance tires will give a lousy life span. Also very interesting what you have to say regarding how fast this thing is. This car is well over 4000lbs. To get times under 5 seconds would really be something. I remember test driving the 300C and thinking it was a lot faster than my E430 but could not be sure. Would not surprise me at all if Leno got the very first one. He seems to have a special relationship with Daimler/Chrysler/Dodge. I know he has at least two Vipers and is a member of the Viper Club.
Comments
I will try to answer any direct questions asked on this forum.
Thanks !!
My 600 Hp '03 Mustang Cobra is on the auction blocks and as soon as its gone I'll be in the hunt for a SRT.
Both are same sticker price, black is going for $10,000 over sticker, and silver,is going for highest price dealer can get.(would not quote a price) I ordered a 2006, and not anticipating any problem with price. Hope i'm not dreaming!
And what city are these cheery folks located near?
Enjoy!
Let us have our joy.
"Follow-Up Test: 2005 Chrysler 300C SRT-8 "
14.1 in the Quarter Mile - and R&T recorded 13.3.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=1918&page_number=1
Odd.
- Ray
Thinking 13.3. is VERY quick for a 2 ton sedan - and 14.1 is not nearly . . .
That's 11:1 lbs per HP and 10:1 lbs per ftlb of tq.
The SRT8 weighs ~4050lbs and has 425HP and 420lbtq.
That's 9.5:1 lbs per HP and tq.
I don't find it unreasonable that this thing can do low 13's effortlessly with minimal practice.
This thing may be heavy, but it's VERY powerful.
Every '05 I have seen is fully loaded with sun roof, upgraded stereo, option package II, the hands free dialing, etc.Not sure if any were delivered without any of these options.
At $43,350 (including destination charge) that officially makes the 300C SRT-8 a steal. Chrysler is only making 10,000 of them, and the order banks are supposedly already filled.
Maybe we won't give this one back .
And maybe I just missed it, but I don't see a reference to Potenza tires - Goodyear, yes, Potenza, no.
Anyway, if you have comments for the editors you need to make them via the Feedback link at the top of the page. They aren't very likely to see them here.
Sorry you are upset - hope this is the last time your build date changes.
As to what this has to do with this site . . . I guess they are as good a scapegoat and target for your anger as anyone. Have at it. I have seen numbers from 14.1 down to 13.3 for quarter mile times. If I were Chrysler I would advertise conservative numbers and let the reviewers gush about how badly it beats the advertised numbers. But this spread is more likely from different skill drivers than bad test "equipment" if that is what you are insinuating.
Oh yeah, as for the tires . . . I think they all come with the 4 season Goodyears but it is no cost to switch to the F1s. From what I am hearing, and based on what I hear about the F1s on the Cadillac site's CTS-V threads, no one whould be going to the trhee season F1s unless it is a weekend driver only taken out in perfect weather.
2. The SRT was not under production after christmas. I forget when they told me that the first one rolled off but I can go back and look if you really care. The guys in Brampton also told us exactly when they switched over to '06 production. If the dates matter to you I will dig those dates up.
3.No dealer I know took orders on 2005 SRT8s back then because they didnt know they were coming. They also didnt know who got allocation until they showed up. A week before my '05 showed up, I was told to expect my '06 at end of april at earliest per the regional manager. One week later I was called to come pick up my '05.
4. Every estimate I have heard is for 5000 to 7500 2006 SRTs, not 10K. There were only 225 '05 SRTs, not "a few thousand". 35 were delivered in Canada and the rest in the US.
5. All quotes on ordered SRT8s I saw were for production starting in April. Again, no one knew about the '05 run until the guys in Brampton started listing VINs in production each day for a few of us on their web site.
6. I put my deposit down at least 4 months ahead of you and took delivery 10 days ago.
I would suggest you are confused on some of your facts and your expectations are out of line.
All I can say is hang in there. It is worth it.
First '05 SRT8 came off the line Feb 15. Two vehicles came off the line but one of the VIN numbers show it to be an '06 Dodge so no one is sure what that vehicle was. Next 5 rolled on Feb 17th as best I can see. VIN on first SRT8 to roll off was 2C3AA73WX5H627497
Hope some of this helps
Again, I'm sorry you are upset but I don't think your anger is appropriately expressed in this discussion.
Feel free to email me if you'd like to discuss the purposes of these boards and this discussion any further.
Thanks!
http://secure1advancedemedia.com/newportconvertible_com/store.tpl?rnd=6245&cart=1105048215- 3083627&
one is concept, one is conversion
Bottom line: I think you can order the equipment you really want/don't want if you ask. The basic SRT does not come with everything; however, I think the factory or dealers are ordering them with everything to bump up the $39,995 price.
more pictures of the 300C SRT8
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at what speed?
and at what speed does it actually make a major difference in how the car handles?
Am also curious as to what rear tires can best stand up to what most people buying this car will do to them.
1. Total orders taken across North America for 2005 SRT8's = 98,000, some were duplicate & bogus orders (no dealer allocation). Orders were officially being taken 3 Jan. If you ordered after 7 Jan, guess what? You were automatically bumped into a 2006. And that's assuming your dealer in fact even had allocation to order SRT8's. Only 30% of dealers were authorized. This has since opened up.
2. TOTAL build numbers for 2005 SRT8's = 225 + 44 to DCX Exec's = 269
3. First 2005 SRT8 built - 17 Feb 2005
4. Last 2005 SRT8 built - 24 Mar 2005
5. Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires are STANDARD tire (3 season)
6. All season tire available as an option for $100
7. EVERY other test for 0-60 & 1/4 mile done is far superior to the one done by the author. ?? driver capabilities ??
8. Don't believe build totals of 5,000-15,000 SRT8's for model year 2006! Maximum capacity at Brampton is 1,100/day. This includes all 300 series, Magnum, Charger. Since 29 March only ten 2006 SRT8's have been built to date. Engine availability is an issue as well.
9. The overall production of SRT8's will always be EXCLUSIVE and LIMITED.
BJS
I was unable to place the order until late February/early March when it appeared in their ordering system. I do not remember the exact day as I was on vacation in Hawaii and all the days seemed to run together.
I watched the Chrysler website almost daily and called the dealer the first day I saw it on their "build and price" section. He looked in his system and sure enough, it was now in his although some of the details were different as we compared the website to the factory ordering system.
At any rate, the order is now placed and I am waiting to hear something regarding production/delivery.
The numbers in your post appear to be pretty accurate. I was told that there would only be a couple of hundred 2005 SRT8's built and the 2006 production would be fairly limited...perhaps 2000. Can't wait to get it.
Personally I find the F1 tires very grippy despite what may have been reported elsewhere. My only complaint is the excessive brake dust that accumulates on those beautiful wheels. This I've been told is an inherrant fact with all high performance brakes used in this type of car and racing applications. I haven't heard about brake dust in the Vipers. Maybe you can comment on that. The 300C (5.7) uses ceramic pads, which are considered dustless and I've not heard of any complaints from owners of that car.
There have been a few comments made elsewhere on the SRT8 high engine temperature which some have voiced concerns over. One of the engineers who worked on the cooling system said it is designed to run hot and this is not a problem. The cooling system is considerably beefed up over the regular 300C.
Although it's been reported that 10 06 SRT8's have been built so far, they seem pretty few & far between. The Brampton Assembly plant is working on 55% Chargers, 30% 300's and 15% Magnums every day now. From what they say when an SRT8 comes off the line, it's pretty special and does not go unnoticed. They are really ramping up the Chargers right now. SRT8 Chargers are expected to begin September 12th.
I don't have build numbers for the 300C 06 SRT8 model year. It seems to me that if the Magnum, Charger & 300C all have the 6.1L engine, and don't forget the Jeep later this year, there may be a shortage of these engines unless they start making them in the US or Canada in a greater quantity than Mexico can produce. Perhaps a figure of 2000 total for all these vehicles combined would not be too far off. I was told sometime earlier that engines were in short supply, even the 5.7L. Whatever the total, it will be very limited.
BJS
EDIT: Just for the record and I can't prove it right now, I was told Jay Leno got the original SRT8 being built for me and I got the one from "the largest Viper dealership in the US", according to my dealer. I am communicating with someone in California who is going to a car show there where Leno usually visits. She's going to ask him if in fact he has one. I'd love to know as it would make a great conversation when showing my car off/ I mentioned the Viper dealer because you said you deal with the largest one.
The two largest Viper dealerships in the U.S. are Roanoke Motors in Roanoke, IL and Woodhouse Dodge in Nebraska. Go figure. They vie for top spot. Last I heard it was Roanoke due to the delivery of a large number of the special edition Vipers last Sept. at the Viper Owners Invitational.
When I got my first Viper in 99 I changed the brake pads after a couple of thousand miles to reduce squeaking and dust. I installed GreenBrakes and they virtually eliminated the squeaking and reduced the dust significantly. My '03 and '05 Vipers both produce significant amounts of dust but do not squeak. I just spend a lot of time cleaning wheels. I thought about changing again but my club President, who is also a mechanic, said I would just spend more money without gaining anything.
Appreciate the input on the tires. I opted for the all season as the straight high performance tires will give a lousy life span. Also very interesting what you have to say regarding how fast this thing is. This car is well over 4000lbs. To get times under 5 seconds would really be something. I remember test driving the 300C and thinking it was a lot faster than my E430 but could not be sure.
Would not surprise me at all if Leno got the very first one. He seems to have a special relationship with Daimler/Chrysler/Dodge. I know he has at least two Vipers and is a member of the Viper Club.