2008 Dodge Magnum SRT8

2008 Dodge Magnum SRT8

Remember the Dodge Magnum? How it was long and low and imposing, and yet somehow still completely American? Remember when Dodge inexplicably killed it off? Well, SRT boss Ralph Gilles says he wants it back.

In an interview with Jerry Garret of the New York Times Wheels Blog, Gilles said the decision to axe the Magnum was made entirely by one executive that has since retired from the company. He also says a lot of the people still at Chrysler, particularly those in the SRT division, want to see it return.

When asked directly if an all-new Magnum might be in the works at SRT, Gilles responded coyly: "Stay tuned. Great things are coming. That's all I can say."

That sounds almost as good as a promise to me.

2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X

2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X

Also mentioned during the interview: the Dodge Viper and its possible SRT treatment. Gilles said an SRT Viper is "likely," but we'd argue it's almost a given--the Viper wore the SRT10 badge on every version built during its fourth and final generation of production, and while Chrysler has said it will make the next Viper less likely to voluntarily kill its occupants, it will still benefit from the performance-enhancing SRT workover. Especially since its design is inspired by a "naked woman lying on the beach."

We only have to wait until 2012 for the next Viper, but there's not even a hint of a timeline on the possibility of the Magnum. With a redesigned Chrysler 300--the car the Magnum shared much of its design with last time around--already hitting the streets, though, it might not take long to turn out a long-roof version.

[NYT Wheels Blog]