Has Dodge’s sport compact from the mid-90s to mid-2000s been rediscovered, or has the love for a skittle or two never truly faded away?
You read that right. There are a bunch of folks out there in 2024 who were lucky enough to own an R/T, SRT-4 or ACR back in the day. Or, like me, suffered several years of high-level butt kickings at autocross, road-racing and rally events across the USA because we did not own the right car for the job. The vehicle your mom probably drove you to soccer practice in is having a moment. But we’re not talking about any old Neon here. No, the object of automotive desire for most of us is the fire-breathing, turbocharged SRT-4 and its track-happy siblings, the ACR and R/T.
So why are folks suddenly jonesing for a car that went out of production when Myspace was cool? Buckle up, buttercup. It is time to take a 2.4I turbo-powered trip down memory lane.
First off, let’s address the elephant in the room: nostalgia. For many of us, the Neon SRT-4 was the poster child of attainable performance in the early 2000s. It was one of the cars we drooled over in high school parking lots, the one they built inside Need for Speed/Forza to get their digital fix, the car we kept getting outrun by at the track, and the one many of us swore we would own someday.
Well, guess what? The high school kids and adults who knew a great car when they saw it now have the means to grab the Neon of their choice and see what these little beasts are genuinely about. Here’s the kicker – unlike the Supras and Skylines of the world, which can cost more than a house, the Neon SRT-4 is still relatively affordable. (I dove into a little online search for SRT-4s while writing this and found some solid examples in the $10k-$20k range.) Jackpot!
But it’s not just nostalgia driving this trend. The Neon was genuinely a force to be reckoned with, particularly in its high-performance guises. Let’s break it down, shall we?
First up, drag racing. The SRT-4 came from the factory with a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine pumping out 215 horsepower (later bumped to 230). That was enough to rocket this little economy car from 0-60 in about 5.3 seconds. Not too shabby for a 2.4l Turbo 4 sitting in what looked like your neighbor’s daily driver, right? But here’s where it gets interesting. With a few simple mods – we’re talking a bigger turbo, some fuel system upgrades, and a prayer to the gods of boost – these little monsters could easily crank out over 300 horses. Suddenly, you’re not just embarrassing Mustang GTs, you’re knocking on the door of supercar territory. Quarter-mile passes in the 11-second range were not hard to achieve, and some Neons started clicking off 10-second passes as far back as the mid-2000s.
But straight-line speed is only part of the story. Let’s talk handling! The Neon ACR (American Club Racer) was a track day hero from the moment it rolled off the assembly line. This thing came with adjustable Koni struts, stiffer springs, a thicker rear sway bar and sticky rubber. It was like Dodge looked at the regular Neon and said, “What if we made this but turned it up to 11?” The result was a car that could carve corners like a hot knife through butter.
In the world of autocross, the ACR became a legend. It was so dominant in the classes it raced in that some competitors probably considered taking up knitting instead of taking the beatings the ACR was handing out to anyone running in SCCAs DS, ES, ST, STS and DSP classes. The car’s nimble handling and rev-happy engine made it perfect for tight, technical courses. It was like watching a caffeinated squirrel navigate an obstacle course. The ACR was quick, had an incredible ability to turn in and roll through the middle of a corner, and was amazingly capable of putting the power down as you unwound the wheel and exited a corner.
But what about road racing, you ask? Oh, yeah, the Neon had that covered, too. The R/T and ACR models found their way onto road courses across the country, often punching well above their weight class. These plucky little Dodges were giant killers, embarrassing cars costing twice as much and with twice the cylinder count. It was like watching a Chihuahua take down a Great Dane – hilarious, slightly terrifying, and overwhelmingly impressive.
Now, let’s fast-forward to today. We are either remembering how much we loved the Neon back in the day, or some are discovering these pocket rockets for the first time. And guess what? They’re finding that the Neon’s performance chops have aged quite well.
Once dominated by slammed Civics and neon-underglowed Eclipses, the compact show scene is starting to see the occasional SRT-4 pop up. And let me tell you, these ain’t your grandma’s Neons (unless your grandma was secretly a street racer, in which case, go ahead on grandma!). We’re talking fully built engines, big turbos, nitrous systems and enough carbon fiber to make a Formula 1 car blush.
So, what’s the takeaway here? It could be that performance never goes out of style. It may be that humans will revisit icons from the past when given enough time. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s that the Dodge Neon – in all its turbocharged, corner-carving glory – was actually ahead of its time.
Whatever the reason, one thing’s for sure: the Neon is enjoying a bit of a day in the sun once again. And for a generation raised on the mantra of “live fast, die young,” there’s something oddly comforting about rediscovering the speed machines of their youth. It’s like finding an old mix CD and realizing you still know all the words – except this time, the soundtrack is the sweet symphony of turbo flutter and blow-off valve.
So, to all of you eyeing that SRT-4 on Facebook Marketplace, go for it. Relive your youth or the past. Just remember – unlike your Tamagotchi, this pocket rocket needs more than just button presses to stay alive. But trust me, the effort is worth it!
Photos of Blue, Orange and White with Blue Stripes cars provided by: John McDonald
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