Viper-powered Ram SRT-10 Claims "World's Fastest Production Pickup Truck" Guiness Title
The Dodge Ram SRT-10 unleashed its Viper power on February 2, 2004, taking its place in the Guiness Book of World Records as the World's Fastest Production Pickup Truck. In a new release, Dodge said the truck that set the new world record came directly off the Saltillo, Mexico, assembly line and was 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 in Chelsea. The record run by the Dodge Ram SRT-10 was certified by the Guiness Book of 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.
According to the Guiness Book of World Records rules, the record speed had to be the average of two 1-kilometer runs in opposite directions along the same track, made within an hour of one another. The timing equipment had to be certified as accurate to within 1/1000th of a second, and supplied and operated by a qualified third party. The speed of each run was timed by means of sensors at the start and finish of the measured kilometer, thus giving an average speed over the full distance.
Behind the wheel of the Ram SRT-10 in the record-setting run was Brendan Gaughan, a six-time winner in a Dodge Ram in the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS). Gaughan will make his NASCAR Nextel Cup debut at the Daytona 500 in the No. 77 Kodak Dodge.
Hein Le Roux, research team member at the Guiness Book of World Records, traveled from the company's London headquarters to monitor the record run.
Dodge Recalls 3.7L and 4.7L Durango for Throttle Control Cable Replacement
In a news release, Dodge says it has determined that the throttle cable on '04 Dodge Durango vehicles equipped with 3.7L and 4.7L engines could potentially ingest water and freeze during extended cold temperatures. As a precautionary measure, the 5,000 customers affected by this issue will receive, free of charge, a cable that provides improved sealing capability. Vehicles in dealer inventory will be retrofitted with the new cable, and new vehicles will have the improved design.
The all-new-for-'05 Tacoma X-Runner sport truck made its debut at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show and is scheduled to arrive in showrooms this summer. The new Tacoma is larger than its current compact-truck dimensions. Compared with the previous-generation Tacoma S-Runner, the Tacoma X-Runner has a wheelbase 5 inches longer and a track that's 4 inches wider. The increased size translates to an extra 4-1/2 inches of interior shoulder and hip room.
The X-Runner is a factory performance sport truck that uses an exclusive X-braced reinforced frame for enhanced torsional rigidity. The X-Runner chassis will sit 1 full inch lower than the standard Tacoma frame and rests on 18-inch 45-series V-rated performance radials wrapped around alloy wheels. The performance rate springs at all four corners are backed with specially tuned Bilstein gas shocks, which are positioned outboard of the framerails for increased stability. Large-diameter stabilizer bars with firmer bushings are at both front and rear. A limited-slip differential will be standard.
Power comes from a 4.0L 240hp V-6 engine with 275 pounds of torque and a six-speed close-ratio manual transmission - yee haa! For the hard-core sport truck enthusiast, a TRD-developed, fully factory-warranted supercharger system will be offered that pumps the power up to near 300 ponies. The Tacoma X-Runner will be capable of 0-to-60 acceleration in 7 seconds; quicker with the optional supercharger system.