V10 engines are built for high performance, not hauling timber. Ram didn't get the memo in the early 2000s when it decided to create the wildest production vehicle history has ever seen. The truck-maker took a ten-cylinder mill that had been partly developed by Lamborghini to be used in sports cars and racing, and shoehorned it into the nose of a load-lugger — just for thrills. The result is a serious amount of silly fun. The V10 Has Sports Car Written All Over It Bring a Trailer To be fair, the early adopters of V10s were tanks and buses, but not many people remember them. V10s really came onto the radar of car fans in the '80s, when at the very end of the decade Honda (McLaren) and Renault (Williams) started sticking this configuration and cylinder count in F1 cars. From 1996 to 2005, the V10 era really kicked off in Formula 1 with 3.0-liter units with outputs up to 900 horsepower and rev limiters at 20,000 rpm.It may be hard to believe, but the first production car with a V10 was the OG Dodge Viper RT/10. With a little help from Lamborghini, which was owned by Chrysler at the time, Dodge took the ethos of a truck engine and turned it into an 8-liter V10 masterpiece with aluminum block and heads and 400 hp. With V10 fever taking grip, other fast car manufacturers were quick to join in. Iconic Fast Cars Have Featured V10s Via: Bring A TrailerIt's hard to overstate the importance of the V10 in Audi's history around the turn of the millennium. Audi was now in charge of Lamborghini, and designating a new 5-liter V10 for the game-changing baby Lambo, the Gallardo. The German company then started putting it (in slightly different forms) in the S6, the RS6, the R8, and the S8, often adding a couple of turbochargers to get you to that Powerpoint presentation in Stuttgart on time.Meanwhile, in the mid 2000s, BMW was fitting the M5 (E60/E61) with an F1-influenced 5.0-liter S85 V10 engine, mated to a 7-speed SMG gearbox. The Porsche Carrera GT has a 5.7-liter V10, and the later Lexus LFA featured a delightfully eargasmic 4.8-liter, 72-degree V10. Oh, and there's a Volkswagen Touareg with one too. The Ram SRT-10 Was A Skunkworks Special Via: Mecum AuctionsFast trucks were picking up steam in the 2000s. Ford had the supercharged Lightning muscle truck, and Chevy the Silverado SS, and it made sense for Dodge to get in on the action. After all, the Detroit giant had given the world arguably the first completely outrageous super truck, the Li'l Red Express pick-up, a kind of cartoon creation that turned out to be the fastest American vehicle on sale in the late '70s. Dodge wanted the crown of nuttiest pickup back, and so turned to the same skunkworks that would turn the Dodge Viper into a world-class sports car. This Was A Truck With The Heart Of A Sports Car Bring a Trailer By 2004, the Viper engine had grown in size and power, and so SRT (Street and Racing Technology) dropped that 500-horsepower 8.3-liter V10 into the engine bay of a Ram. The Regular Cab SRT-10 also received a six-speed manual gearbox, which set it aside from other fast trucks. The output and 525 lb-ft of torque are the same, as is the aluminum block, and pretty much everything else. One of the major differences is that the larger Dodge Ram SRT-10 Quad Cab uses the company's 48RE four-speed, and is automatic only. The V10 Ram Was As Far From A Utility Truck As You Could Imagine Via: Mecum AuctionsThis was not really a truck to take down the wood yard anymore. True, it had a lot of the practicality of a standard Ram truck, but you might knock the rear wing off with a bit of 2x4. Speaking of aero, SRT was said to have used real wind tunnel time to keep the nose stable at high speed. The SRT-10 also received uprated shocks, thicker sway bars, and the ride height was dropped one inch in the front and two inches in the rear for better handling. Those 15.0-inch front rotors help to slow this truck down from its intimidating top speed. The Ram SRT-10 Was A Record Breaker Dodge 2004 Dodge Ram SRT/10 Specs Source: Manufacturer/ Independent TestsIt was no surprise that the Viper-powered Dodge Ram SRT-10 was quick. In fact, shortly after launch in 2004, it went on to become the world’s fastest production pickup truck, verified by the Guinness Book of World Records no less. The Ram SRT-10 wasn’t modified or enhanced in any way, according to Hemmings, and was fresh from the production line.Driven by Brendan Gaughan, a six-time winner in a Dodge Ram in the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the truck posted a two-lap run, with a both directions average speed of 154.587 mph over at the DaimlerChrysler proving grounds' 4.71-mile oval. The record was certified by both Guinness World Records and the Sports Car Club of America. But the SRT-10 isn't just fast when your foot is pinned to the floor and your sweaty palms holding on for dear life during V Max runs. It's also fast for the 4.9 seconds it takes to get to 60 mph and the 11.9 seconds it takes to get to 100 mph. The quarter mile takes 13.6 seconds, by the way. The Ram SRT-10 Is A Cheap And Practical Viper Alternative Bring A Trailer Dodge V10 Price Comparison 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 Quad Cab: $25,6002004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 Regular Cab: $29,4002004 Dodge Viper SRT-10: $43,4002006 Viper Coupe: $49,600Source: Hagerty Valuation ToolsThe Dodge Ram SRT-10 was only built between 2004 and 2006, with 9,527 Ram SRT-10s built across the two body styles, with the Regular cab models making up almost half at 5,533 units, says Hagerty. It turns out that the Ram SRT-10 is a cheap and practical Viper alternative, offering much the same powertrain as the iconic sports car, with a flatbed as a bonus.Prices for the Quad Cab Ram SRT-10 are $25,600 in good condition, with the regular cab costing $29,400. This is around half the price of a Viper, with 2004 SRT-10 cars selling for $43,400 in good condition, and a 2006 Viper Coupe costing $49,600. It would be easy to think that the Viper is a clear winner, but if you live somewhere where the roads are straight and you might need the practicality of a truck from time to time, the Ram SRT-10 makes a good case for a fun weekend toy that can move a sofa too. Then go and spend the rest of the cash on a timewarp Mazda Miata...Sources: Hagerty.com; Hemmings.com
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