Straightaway performance and bang-per-liter are great, but not unbelievable. Mitsubishi—supplier of Dodge’s turbocharger—can squeeze 135.5 hp per liter and 136.5 lb-ft per liter out of the Lancer Evolution’s 2.0-liter turbo four and Chrysler turned out legitimate small turbos (GLHS anyone?) prior to the Daimler deal. Nevertheless, Dodge has crafted a phenomenal proclamation to say it’s back in the game.

Although we liked the PT Turbo, we knew we’d have to wait for the race-tuned econobox to experience the powerplant’s potential. The SRT-4’s mill has been mated to a new heavy-duty five-speed manual that beats the heck out of anything negotiating Neon power before. The shifter was slightly notchy, but offered relatively short throws, while clutch engagement was extraordinarily smooth. The overall package is a few strokes ahead of Subaru WRX; on par with the SVT Focus.

The SRT-4 feels stiffer and more stable than most in its class, lacking the abrupt wheel jerk that plagues many torque-happy front-drivers. As opposed to the PT, overboosted feel or vagueness when cornering were nil; instead the appropriately taut steering suggests the car spent time in the Viper’s garage. Whereas many "sport-tuned" suspensions exhibit body roll and understeer needed for a smooth ride, PVO engineers scrapped smooth—furthering the Viper argument—and produced a suspension that soaks up potholes as well as wooden snow skis soak up moguls.

The SRT-4 has an exhaust note tuned to reflect Dodge’s muscle heritage. It would strike the non-enthusiast as obtrusive. Ironically, whereas the PT Turbo’s exhaust tone is drowned out by the turbo, the opposite is the case with this car. Rally-bred turbo fours often sound like an overworked appliance, but this sounds like a tough-talking bully.

A limited-slip differential doesn’t come standard, an acceptable omission when the sticker reads $19,995, and only a penalty if you’re dodging through a cone-cluttered parking lot. Even under casual driving conditions, the car feels heavy-duty, thanks to beefed-up springs, shocks, antiroll bars and steering knuckles. Take this car to a sloppy road, drive it fast and it stays on the road and in control.

Cindy Krolikowski, a WRX co-driver in SCCA ProRally, drove a PVO project SRT-4 in Washington state’s tree-lined woods last year. Krolikowski notes oversteer on command thanks to the alignment setup, which is a factor rally drivers can appreciate—still a bit tedious for casual drivers who aren’t used to a loose rear end.

Krolikowski sensed no brake fade even under harsh conditions, neither did we. Standard Neon front discs with single-piston sliding calipers dressed our tester, yet the rear discs are 25 percent bigger and the swept brake area more than doubled.

Somewhat fortunately, our first SRT-4 voyage came not on a track, but with a knee on the pavement. We shredded a tire entering an on-ramp minutes from the office—bad for the front passenger-side 205/50R Michelin Pilot tread, good for inspection purposes. Overall fit-and-finish checked out well, as did body panel sturdiness. Chances are, PVO standards are as stringent as it gets in Auburn Hills in order to preserve a burgeoning reputation.

Unfortunately, we weren’t two days into a one-week test when the check-engine light flickered and we sent this little bullet back to Dodge, flagging the biggest concern readers have with the car: durability. The problem was a disconnected throttle sensor cable.

Of course one week in a car and one engine-warning light is no real measure of durability. We’ll have to order up a couple of more PVO Neons, er SRT-4s, to be sure.