I think some of the heat in the thread comes from the choice people have to make when it comes down to which car to buy, what you can afford, and ultimately what you end up with. It also has to do with the competitive nature of people - who want to say they have the fastest car, or made the best choice etc. Fact is, it's difference strokes for different folks.

It's just a gross oversimplification to say the difference between a SRT and a RT is 55hp.
The motor has slightly more displacement, a higher rpm band, and is the more performance geared of the 2 motors.

The SRT has other options, the 4 piston brakes, the extra work tuning the suspension (stiffer roll bars etc) - it is the bleeding edge high performance model here.

Sure, you can take an RT and exceed an SRTs performance quite easily and probably save a couple of bucks. But for how much effort and hassle? Some people would rather buy the package deal. For the people that want to mod it or don't - go for it. Fact is the RT is a great car if you mess with it or don't.

As for I can fix my car up faster - I'll beat you at the drag strip bla bla bla, please save us all from that nonsense. It's pretty much a fact you can go buy a rust bucket Ford pinto and dump $20 grand into it and get something that would embarrass an RT, SRT, GT-500 or a Vette at the strip. But what does that have to do with anything here?

Anyways, I wish people would have more confidence in their choices. I looked at an RT last night, damn that's an impressive car. You don't know how hard it is to wait it out for my SRT order. I almost wanted to buy that on the spot.