300-HP Caliber SRT-4 to Humble Premium Players

There was so much to like about the outgoing Neon-based SRT-4 that I'm almost sorry to see it go. Its racy Viper-esque grille and

There was so much to like about the outgoing Neon-based SRT-4 that I'm almost sorry to see it go. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

hood scoop, fabulous 18-inch rims and snarly exhaust note almost overshadowed its hyperactive 230-horsepower 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, still number one in the class after two years of production. This said, the four-cylinder in the upcoming Caliber SRT4, while still sporting 2.4 litres of displacement is an altogether otherworldly beast.

I suppose, there is precedent in the compact class for upwards of 300-horsepower, but only two production vehicles come to mind, and both are priced way higher than the Caliber SRT4's expected MSRP. This in mind, I don't think Dodge is targeting Subaru WRX STi customers, nor those who opt for Mitsubishi's EVO

The 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT4, being introduced in Chicago today by Herb Helbig, Senior Manager ­ Vehicle Synthesis, Chassis and Quality, SRT, Chrysler Group, totally overshadows the outgoing SRT-4. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada)

IX in introducing a super-compact model that matches the former car's horsepower rating and eclipses the latter. After all, somehow the engineering skunk works team that has developed the car will send the engines' power through to the front wheels without engaging those in the rear, despite offering an all-wheel drive variant in the Caliber's top-most naturally-aspirated version, the R/T. The trick will be to minimize the steering system's natural tendency to torque when full throttle compromises input at the wheel, a difficult but not impossible hurdle to jump.

Personally, I'd be willing to put up with the odd tug on the steering wheel just to get a chance to sit in its highly bolstered racing-style seats, slide my palm over its leather-clad six-speed shift lever, press down on the aluminum

NASCAR Driver Kasey Kahne (right) was also on hand for today's Chicago introduction, along with the winner of 'The Driving Game';­ a fictional game show that was part of the press conference. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada)

clutch pedal (with rubber studs, no less) and rev the little powerhouse until its performance-tuned exhaust let out a bark that no doubt will be even more pronounced than the previous SRT-massaged four-cylinder. I get tingles just thinking about it.

I think the exhaust note was my favourite attribute of the Neon-based SRT4. It was so obnoxious... so, impudent in its obstinate attitude that if it possessed a middle finger it would no doubt be saluting the more obvious politically correct establishmentarian passersby in a gesture of utmost respect and reverence. Yes, the new Caliber SRT4, despite its pragmatic five-door liftback configuration, is the new bad boy of the automotive underworld,

Like the old SRT4, the Caliber-based super compact gets a few racy add-ons to distinguish it from its more proletarian roots. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada)

ready to lay prey on ultra-premium sports models at five times its sticker price. It's a Magnum SRT8 on a budget, yet its smaller dimensions and lighter curb weight, matched by a sophisticated fully-independent suspension, with MacPherson struts up front and a five-link setup in the rear, should make it much more agile than the already surprisingly fleet footed full-size sport wagon - but more on this in a minute.

Like the old SRT4, the Caliber-based super compact gets a few racy add-ons to distinguish it from its more proletarian roots, but once again these aren't merely styling details but functional elements of the car's inner workings.

A brooding hood scoop for feeding air into the engine bay sits above the slightly more aggressive body-colour crosshair grille, flanked between twin reversed vents, designed to let air escape the engine compartment.