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Dodge Ram SRT-10 Looks Old, Big, and Heavy, but Can It Put the BMW X5 in the Obituaries?

It was the early 2000s when Dodge had the idea to put a Viper-powered Ram pickup into production. The model was previewed by the Ram VTS Concept a few years before and was more tarmac- than off-road-ready.
Dodge Ram SRT-10 vs. BMW X5 F15 8 photos
Photo: Screenshot Youtube | DragRacingAndCarStuff
Dodge Ram SRT-10 vs. BMW X5 F15Dodge Ram SRT-10 vs. BMW X5 F15Dodge Ram SRT-10 vs. BMW X5 F15Dodge Ram SRT-10 vs. BMW X5 F15Dodge Ram SRT-10 vs. BMW X5 F15Dodge Ram SRT-10 vs. BMW X5 F15Dodge Ram SRT-10 vs. BMW X5 F15
Christened the Dodge Ram SRT-10, it pretty much dominated the niche and the drag world equally. Boasting a third-gen Dodge Viper engine, namely a massive 8.3-liter V10, it had 500 horsepower (507 ps / 373 kW) and 525 pound-feet (712 Nm) of torque to play with.

For a truck born in the early 2000s, the Ram SRT-10 was very fast. The zero to 60 mph (0-97 kph) sprint was dealt with in just 4.9 seconds, and it could run the quarter-mile in around 13.5 seconds, with a 106 mph (170 kph) exit speed. These numbers are still impressive in today’s car world, but given the size and weight, there aren’t many fast vehicles that it can beat.

Now, the BMW X5 is not crazy fast, not unless we’re talking about the M-tuned versions anyway, or the full-blown X5 M for that matter, which happens to scratch on the supercar-ness, as it was designed to get you to and fro in relative comfort. But does the Bavarian high-rider have what it takes to put the big bad Dodge truck in its corner?

Dodge Ram SRT\-10 vs\. BMW X5 F15
Photo: Screenshot Youtube | DragRacingAndCarStuff
Well, it all depends on the configuration, and what type of engine it features. With the 4.4-liter V8, it enjoys no less than 444 hp (450 ps / 331 kW) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. The 60 mph (97 kph) mark is hit in less than 5 seconds in the previous generation model, which can max out at 155 mph (250 kph). An eight-speed automatic transmission and xDrive all-wheel drive system are standard here.

However, the white F15 depicted on film down below doesn’t seem to pack a brawny V8 under the hood. As a matter of fact, it probably uses the 3.0-liter straight-six. If correct, then it has a 200-horsepower handicap over the Ram SRT-10 and is around 1.5 seconds slower to 60 mph (97 kph) than its ad-hoc rival born in the New World.

To better highlight the difference between the two totally different machines, the drivers went head-to-head down the quarter-mile not once, but twice. In both cases, one of them completed the run faster, doing around 13.5 seconds, roughly half a second quicker than the other one.

So, do you think you can spot the winner just by looking at the performance numbers of the two vehicles? Why, of course you can, because it’s clear that the balance tilts in favor of the Dodge, which may have lost a few wild ponies over the years, but it should have no problem beating a fancy SUV, right?

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About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
Cristian Gnaticov profile photo

After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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