Chrysler can't seriously be thinking of bringing an SRT8-badged Dodge Nitro to market, can they? Well, if this latest batch of spy photos from the spy shooters at KGP are right, then they are. But they can't be! Seriously. It's inconceivable. We don't care where they found this manufacturer-plated madness (right outside of the Firehouse in downtown Detroit) or what it has slapped on the back (an SRT8 badge), but it's hard to argue with photographic evidence. We'll assume it's an engineer having a little bit of fun or perhaps another media outlet playing around with the cameras. Because seriously — it's got to be that. The other option? It's just too horrible to imagine. Full spy report from KGP after the jump.
We caught this SRT-badged Dodge Nitro prototype running on the streets of downtown Detroit, causing us to wonder: Is a Nitro SRT8 really in Dodge's future? The undisguised Nitro was spotted pulling out of the famous Detroit Firehouse—the favorite Chrysler-sponsored hospitality spot for journalists covering the Detroit Auto Show. As the Nitro pulled into traffic and stopped at a red light, the SRT badge came into view, and we were able to get out our camera and start shooting just as the light turned green and the Nitro drove out of sight. Our view of this Nitro SRT8's nose was very fleeting, so we can't reliably comment on the prototype's front-end styling treatment. Overall, this Nitro doesn't seem to heavily modified.
Sources familiar with Chrysler's current inner workings have stated
that the majority of the company's engineering resources have been
directed toward improving the current product range to improve and
enhance the vehicles currently in showrooms—which could apply to this
addition to the Nitro brand. Given Cerberus' cautious reassessment of
the Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge model lineups, however, we're not sure
that the notion of a Nitro SRT8 makes much sense. But there is no
arguing with the SRT8 badge on this Nitro tester. We'll stay on the
case to see if any more Nitro SRT8 evidence surfaces.