The first Neon was simple and unassuming, sold under both Dodge and Plymouth badges, whereas the later version came across as a bit more underwhelming. It’s still possible for the Neon SRT4 to perform well today, thanks to its strong turbocharged power. This one has only had one family take care of it since birth, but most of them have already been used up. Chrysler hired Carroll Shelby in the 1980s to make their mass-market cars faster. Hey, did he? The Omni GLHS and Daytona GLHS had tire-smoking fun that made them work better than their weight, even though these were front tires and not Shelby Mustang back tires. In the early 2000s, Dodge made a turbocharged economy car that looked a lot like these sped-up compacts. When it was first bought, the Dodge Neon SRT4 wasn’t expensive, but as it was used and changed, it became even cheaper and faster. If you had a strong right foot and could get parts from Summit Racing, many of these apex predator sport compacts wouldn’t make it past their third or fourth owner. This 2004 model, on the other hand, has only 51K miles on it and is being sold through Bring a Trailer. One person owns it. On winding back roads, this little front-driver snarled, and it could run a quarter-mile in the high 13-second range when it was brand new. It was like a juicy, cheap Costco hot dog for cars. Under the hood of this small silver car is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a Mitsubishi turbocharger that gives the engine extra power. The SRT4 had 230 horsepower and 245 pound-feet of torque, and its big intercooler kept the air cool. Power is sent to the ground through a five-speed manual transmission with a limited-slip differential. This car is more dad-spec because the seller’s father bought it brand new. Because of this, Dodge didn’t use the Viper-inspired torso-hugging seats, but instead used front seats that were more loose. It looks like this car has been well taken care of and not abused. Also, you should buy an SRT4 from a knowledgeable owner instead of someone who can quote every Vin Diesel line from The Fast and the Furious. In all honesty, Dodge should take a look at its older models right now and decide if it’s time for a heavily discounted supercharged four-cylinder beast.
