Zero to 60 in under six seconds – from a Caliber. Not much more needs to be written about the joys of planting the throttle on the new 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT-4. But we’ll find a few more things, rest assured, starting with that lovely powertrain. The 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with Variable Valve Timing (VVT) is machined for increased water and oil flow, with cast pistons within iron cylinder liners. Air induction includes an opening in the front crossmember for additional cool air, which is then sucked into a turbocharger. All of that whoo-haa – and more – is controlled by a six-speed manual transmission with a limited-slip differential. Dodge says it’s capable of handling up to 300 lb.-ft. of torque.

That power is sent to 19-inch wheels – with bearings and hubs borrowed from Chrysler mid-size cars – connected to a reinforced four-wheel independent suspension with sport-tuned dampers and spring rates. Dodge’s Electronic Stability Program (ESP), standard on the Caliber SRT-4, is also tuned to handled the power load. Stopping reportedly happens from in 115 feet from 60 mph, and is done courtesy of oversized brakes borrowed, like the wheel components, from larger Chrysler cars – specifically the Chrysler 300. Vented brake rotors for the 2007 Dodge Caliber SRT-4 are 340 x 28 mm in front and 302 x 10 mm in the rear, and an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is standard. Other standard safety features include Brake Assist (BA), a Tire Pressure Monitor and a knee airbag that deploys when the driver’s primary airbag inflates. Optional safety equipment includes side curtain airbags.