The Dodge Neon SRT-4 was a short-lived, three-model-year performance variant of the second-generation Dodge Neon, an inexpensive, front-wheel drive (FWD), four-door sedan that was marketed not only by Dodge but also by Chrysler and even (for a shorter time) Plymouth.

The Neon SRT-4 was developed by the Street & Racing Technology (SRT) division of the company that was then known as Chrysler (now Stellantis). Also variously known as Specialty Vehicle Engineering (SVE) and Performance Vehicle Operations (PVO), this was the team that developed the Dodge Viper, the Prowler, and, later, every performance car to come out of Dodge, including the Hellcat.

The Neon SRT-4 was first conceived by Tom Gale, then the Executive VP of Chrysler Product Development and Design, after seeing a major surge in sport compact cars and tuner cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas in 1998. Gale was also the driving force behind the Viper, and he saw an opportunity for the SRT team to warm over its own Neon compact sedan. The concept car featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with an Eaton supercharger. When it debuted at the next year’s SEMA event, the reception was dramatic, prompting Dodge to develop a production version.

Generations: One

• Dodge Neon SRT-4 1st Generation

Pros: Shocking performance (for the time) from its turbocharged four-cylinder engine, Named 2003 Car of the Year by Sport Compact Car magazine, Essentially a hand-built sports car, with fewer than 21,000 units produced in three years
Cons: Violent torque steer as the front-wheel drive tried to maintain traction, $1,000 more expensive than the already-established Honda Civic Si in 2003, It’s still a Dodge Neon, and collector value is limited

Dodge Neon SRT-4 1st Generation, 2003 to 2005

The Neon actually had a pretty good head start as a FWD performance car. In its first generation, it was a relatively cute and inexpensive competitor to the Civic and Corolla, with a good marketing campaign when it was introduced in 1993. In 1995, Dodge introduced the Neon ACR, a stripped, de-badged performance version of the Neon intended for SCCA competition. It had adjustable Koni shocks in the later years, a 5-speed manual with a short fifth gear, stiff bushings, lower springs, and adjustable camber. Right out of a Dodge salesman’s order book, you could buy yourself a spec race car and hit the track. The R/T soon followed in 1998, offering much of the ACR’s performance equipment with a a lot of upgrades in the comfort and convenience department.

That, along with Tom Gale’s visit to SEMA in 1998, led to the SRT-4. At its heart was a powertrain driven by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder, with a block borrowed from the larger PT Cruiser and Dodge Stratus. That’s all it shared with those cars, though, because the SRT-4 engine had tons of internal modifications, including 11-mm head bolts, a cast aluminum, structural oil pan, a high-capacity oil pump, a high-strength steel crank, MAHLE pistons, and forged connecting rods.

On top of all that, you got a reverse-rotation Mitsubishi TD04LR-15Gk turbocharger, with an eight-row Valeo intercooler jammed behind the grille. In stock form, an SRT-4 was rev-limited to 6,240 RPM, but the MOPAR catalog would sell you a Stage 2 or Stage 3 kit that allowed the engine to spool up to 6,500 RPM.

Even the exhaust was interesting. The exhaust manifold and turbo housing are cast out of high-nickel steel as a single unit, dumping into a 2.25-inch exhaust system that runs into a catalytic converter, then two resonators—with no muffler at all—splitting into two massive 3.75-inch stainless steel tips under the bumper.

All SRT-4s had a New Venture T-850 five-speed manual transmission and a high-performance Sachs clutch, driving the front wheels with a torque-sensing Quaife limited slip differential. The cars had unique 17x6 cast alloy wheels with 205/50R17 Michelin Pilot Sport tires. The suspension offered sharper cornering with stiffer springs, SRT-specific struts, thicker front and rear sway bars, a unique steering gear, and four-wheel disc brakes with 11-inch vented front brake rotors and 10.6-inch solid rotors in the rear.

In its initial year, 2003, the Neon SRT-4 churned out 215 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque, which was dramatic for the day. The next year, Dodge dropped “Neon” from the name, calling the car simply the SRT-4, and increased power to 230 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque, where it stayed for both the 2004 and 2005 model years. In its best year, the SRT-4 could run to 60 MPH in 5.3 seconds and hit a quarter mile in 13.9 seconds.

The car was offered in an ACR factory competition model, with wider BBS wheels, a lower ride height, adjustable Tokico struts, a thicker rear stabilizer bar, stiffer bushings, fat 225/45R16 BF Goodrich KDW2 tires, and ACR-embroidered, Viper-style racing bucket seats. A total of 1,175 of these cars were built.

In 2005, a Commemorative Edition celebrated SRT with a handful of interior and exterior modifications, including a numbered badge. Recent sales of low-mileage examples suggest that the value of these cars hasn’t quite caught up with their special nature.

The SRT-4 bowed out after the 2005 model year, at which point the car’s entire platform disappeared. In its place came the Dodge Caliber SRT-4, which never lived up to the promise of this car.