Stellantis Revives SRT Brand as Part of New High Performance Push

Welcome back, SRT

In an announcement on July 2, the multinational automaker Stellantis announced that it is reviving a long-dormant nameplate that once adorned the high-performance offerings of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles: Street and Racing Technology, better known colloquially to Mopar enthusiasts and the like as SRT.

The 14-brand strong automaker says the return of SRT is “a bold step in unifying high-performance engineering across Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram under a single, dedicated identity,” adding that the brand will consilidate the “best performance engineering talent” from the four respective American brands to “deliver vehicles that push the boundaries of power, aerodynamics, handling and technology, on both the street and the track.”

In a statement, newly tapped SRT head Tim Kuniskis stated that the label’s return is part of an increased effort to promote more high-performance vehicles from brands under the Stellantis umbrella and that only the best of its engineers will be involved. Furthermore, Kuniskis told viewers in a teaser video that “it’s time to get loud again.”

“We’re getting the band back together,” Kuniskis said in a statement. “SRT is another box we needed to check as we head into a product launch cadence, enabling more performance than we’ve ever seen before. We’re working with our product development and technology organization to select the best engineers in powertrain and vehicle dynamics to build a team worthy of the SRT name.”

SRT was Mopar’s performance heart

Before it was axed back in 2021, SRT traces its roots back to 1989, when Team Viper was established to develop the Dodge Viper. Though the division went through several name changes before officially adopting the SRT moniker, the special team developed some particularly loud and hair-raising vehicles under the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands over the years, including the Dodge Neon SRT-4, the Chrysler 300 SRT-8, as well as the infamous Hellcat versions of the Dodge Challenger, Charger, Durango and the related Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk.

Details are slim about any potential future vehicles; however, the lone Stellantis vehicle available with the SRT moniker is the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, a supercharged, 710-horsepower, 6.2L Hemi V8-engined three-row SUV that has been perpetually in the Dodge lineup since 2020. In its statement, Stellantis noted that the newly reestablished SRT division will oversee its Direct Connection parts operation, as well as North American Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram motorsports programs, including its NHRA drag racing efforts and Ram’s return to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2026.

A fresh, but familiar face comes back at the helm

The announcement of SRT’s revival comes at the same time as Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa appointed Tim Kuniskis head of American brands and North America marketing and retail strategy. On top of his Ram CEO duties, Kuniskis will be expected to work across the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands to further build and enhance customers’ connections with its products and oversee its marketing efforts and dealer network in the region.

Kuniskis has previously been hailed as a marketing genius who created excitement around the vehicles he was tasked to sell. In his previous role at Dodge, he was credited with promoting the “Brotherhood of Muscle” tagline for Dodge vehicles—more than adequate faith for Filosa to lock him in this position.

“Connecting with our customers, delivering the products and experiences they want, is critical to reaching our full potential,” Filosa said in a statement. “Tim has proven time and time again that he is masterful at building brands that reach the heart and soul of the customer. We will leverage his energy, his strategic mindset, and his competitive spirit to supercharge all our brand activities.”

Final thoughts

Words cannot describe SRT’s impact on contemporary automotive culture. Even years after several models were discontinued, the SRT Hellcat Chargers, Challengers, and Jeep Trackhawks are still regarded as halo cars for many muscle car enthusiasts in America and abroad.

Although the Hemi V8’s return to the Ram 1500 lineup is a positive sign that things are “returning to normal” at Stellantis, Kuniskis’ statement that it is still searching for its engineers suggests that we may not see the first Stellantis-era SRT for some time.

However, I am hopeful. On June 18, the Windsor Star, the paper located near Stellantis’s Windsor factory in Ontario, reported that production of the SIXPACK Dodge Chargers has started and is ramping up. Perhaps shoving in a Hemi, putting in bigger turbos, or making an AMG E-Performance-style hybrid version could be SRT’s first assignment. The sky’s the limit.