Photo: jlord8/instagram
We've waited a long time for the Dodge Durango to receive the automaker's flagship motor, but the Hellcat has finally landed on the seven-seat SUV, and in reasonable numbers. However, we can't help but wonder what would've happened if such a move had happened from the get-go. Well, this rendering answers that question by imagining a first-generation Durango in SRT-10 trim.
Unlike the current, third-gen Durango, which borrowed the unibody architecture of the previous Jeep Grand Cherokee, the first two iterations of the Dodge were body-on-frame efforts based on the Dakota and Ram trucks.
The 1997-2003 original had its fair share of V8 motivation, with the most powerful motor you could get being the 5.9L Magnum V8 on the AWD-equipped R/T, which delivers 245 hp. Fortunately, the Shelby S.P. 360 gifted that motor with a supercharger, bringing 360 horses to the game. However, with only 300 units being built, that is one rare bird.
The Viper was in its second generation at the time, having lent its all-mighty V10 to a Dodge Ram concept truck for the 1996 Chicago Auto Show.
And while the idea went into production in 2004, when the Dodge Ram SRT-10 reached the market with a Gen III Viper heart, one such special was enough so that V10 didn't go anywhere near the Durango. For the record, the second-gen model's 5.7L HEMI delivered up to 376 hp and did a pretty good job at delivering thrills.
Returning to the quick pixel portrait on our screens, it comes from a graphic designer named Jim (a.k.a. jlord8), who is a massive modern classic fan (think vehicles from the 1980s, '90s and '00s). Sure, the roof bars are still in place, but if you look below them (a little more, please), you'll find the SRT-10 branding. And this is backed up by the monstrous wheels, which conceal the stopping power required by such a creature.
And since we mentioned the Ram SRT-10 above, you should know it was used as a donor for the said wheels, which explains the five-lug setup—as aptly pointed out by somebody in the comments section of the post below, both the Durango and the Viper packed six lugs.
Now, you might be wondering why the hood has remained unchanged. Well, here's the enthusiasts explaining it: "I know, I know 'no hood scoop, no SRT-10' but I thought it looked better without it."
We'll take one, please, and you won't hear us complaining about that missing scoop, by the way.
The 1997-2003 original had its fair share of V8 motivation, with the most powerful motor you could get being the 5.9L Magnum V8 on the AWD-equipped R/T, which delivers 245 hp. Fortunately, the Shelby S.P. 360 gifted that motor with a supercharger, bringing 360 horses to the game. However, with only 300 units being built, that is one rare bird.
The Viper was in its second generation at the time, having lent its all-mighty V10 to a Dodge Ram concept truck for the 1996 Chicago Auto Show.
And while the idea went into production in 2004, when the Dodge Ram SRT-10 reached the market with a Gen III Viper heart, one such special was enough so that V10 didn't go anywhere near the Durango. For the record, the second-gen model's 5.7L HEMI delivered up to 376 hp and did a pretty good job at delivering thrills.
Returning to the quick pixel portrait on our screens, it comes from a graphic designer named Jim (a.k.a. jlord8), who is a massive modern classic fan (think vehicles from the 1980s, '90s and '00s). Sure, the roof bars are still in place, but if you look below them (a little more, please), you'll find the SRT-10 branding. And this is backed up by the monstrous wheels, which conceal the stopping power required by such a creature.
And since we mentioned the Ram SRT-10 above, you should know it was used as a donor for the said wheels, which explains the five-lug setup—as aptly pointed out by somebody in the comments section of the post below, both the Durango and the Viper packed six lugs.
Now, you might be wondering why the hood has remained unchanged. Well, here's the enthusiasts explaining it: "I know, I know 'no hood scoop, no SRT-10' but I thought it looked better without it."
We'll take one, please, and you won't hear us complaining about that missing scoop, by the way.
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