The 2008 Caliber SRT4 marks the return of the fun small car to Dodge's lineup, a spot vacant since the last Neon SRT4 production ended a few years back. It's not too expensive, easily argued more fun-to-drive on public roads than any other Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep product (put Vipers on the track and Wrangler Rubicons on the trail), and looks waaay better than any other Caliber.

Big 19-inch wheels and fatter tires provide a valid reason for big fender bulges, and the lower bodywork front and rear is bulked up to blend in with those flares. All the exterior changes (excepting paint, of course) have engineering reasoning behind them: the deeper, longer front end makes room for and feeds fresh air to the added intercooler and oil cooler, and it has real brake ducts next to the fog lights; the 60-percent-larger rear spoiler improves higher-speed stability (and makes a nice sunshade for the rear seat); and the three slots in the hood moderate temperatures beneath it. Darker colors provide a more menacing look, but even a white one makes a plain Caliber look like a toy parked adjacent.

It wouldn't get the SRT badge without the ammunition to back up the look. Like the Neon SRT4 this Caliber sports a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline four, and this is no "low-pressure" city turbo — it shoves air in at pressures up to 15 psi and creates 285 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, with one or the other available from 2000 rpm to 200 rpm beyond the tachometer redline. Expensive bits like forged rods, oil-jet cooled pistons, Inconel exhaust valves and new fuel injectors, plus upgraded cooling and oiling systems, are part of admission to ensure the engine doesn't expire at 501 miles or 24 hours and 1 minute of track time.

Don't fret too much about the apparent loss of power from the Neon as new horsepower rating protocols explain much of that. You can be concerned that the Caliber weighs about 10 percent more and as a result is slightly slower than the Neon SRT4, but few people will label this Caliber slow and even fewer will believe it feels sluggish. The six-speed manual aids highway economy as much as acceleration, but figure 60 in the low six-second range if you have enough traction and sufficient one-handed grip on the wheel to counteract the torque steer. We'll also look to the weight and heavier rotating mass (those 19-inch tires) for explaining why the Caliber seems to like more revs on before the clutch is engaged.

The SRT4 begs to be driven like a puppy that hears his leash rattling runs to the nearest door. From the otter-like bark when the turbocharger chuffs to the tugging at your hands as it powers out of a corner it gives plenty of feedback about what's happening where tires meet the road, and always seems ready for more. Climbing a winding road in the wet gives excellent education in smoothness and throttle control as you constantly tread the line between not enough gas pedal where you're just plodding along, and too much throttle which swings the boost needle full right, trying to spin the tires, when you back off a bit to get everything settled down. Back off a hair too much, and you're right back to plodding.

Squeeze those pedals lightly but deliberately — the brake as much as the throttle, and the SRT4 proceeds much better than if you simply manhandle it about. In most conditions you can drive a gear or two higher than you normally would as the abundant midrange torque propels you plenty quick and the power comes on more progressively than if you downshift and mash it. Electronic stability won't bail you out if you do something really stupid, but neither is it a serious detriment to the fun factor.

Unlike most front-drive and front-heavy cars, the SRT4 has a higher spring rate in back than in front. Both this and the added rear antisway bar tilt the dynamic to oversteer, yet they've sorted this car to be about as well-balanced as front-drive cars get, and having ESP as a backup gave them a little more leeway to make the car rotate better. Shock tuning delivers a reasonable ride you can live with daily, just remember that rear spring rate after the front wheels clear the speed bump. The only difficulty in tackling winding roads in a Caliber (SRT4 or otherwise) is the big windshield pillars you have to look around to see the entire turn.

Inside SRT works things over with many Caliber options as standard. They recalibrate the instruments, placing the tachometer dead center and flanking it with an optimistic 180-mph speedo — it's a 5-foot-high box after all, and a standalone manifold pressure gauge just above the left vent. The leather shift boot and steering wheel share a carbon-fiber weave pattern, the shift knob is chrome-topped and leather wrapped with the stitching lining up in your palm at every upshift, and the seats are heavily bolstered to keep you from sliding sideways. Should you prefer tunes to the exhaust note, a 13-speaker, 322-watt Kicker audio system is included.

The thick front seats do impinge a bit on rear rider knees, yet just having a usable rear seat at this performance point is often a plus; even better, the Caliber's hatchback design with folding rear seats aids practicality. There's a storage bin underneath the carpeted cargo floor, and it flips over to a plastic bin ideal for restraining wet or dirty items for beach and board trips or Saturday morning do-it-yourself gathering. Be sure to mention these practical points — plus the sliding center armrest with MP3 parking and the cooled can holder in the lower glovebox — to your spouse.

Mention also the price of less than $24,000 with sunroof ($795) and stickier "summer" tires (just $50!) and play up the practical, feature and safety aspects stability control, side curtain airbags, sliding sun visors, and the 21/26 EPA ratings. Stick with "four-cylinder," forget "turbo" and you may get that hot rod you always wanted.

(Whale, a longtime Ventura County resident, has been breaking parts for 29 years and writing about it for 21.)

2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4

Engine: 2.4-liter DOHC I-4 turbo, 285 bhp

Length/width/height (in.): 173.8/68.8/59.7

Weight: 3,189 lb

MPG city/hwy/observed: 21/26/25.2

Base warranty: 3 yrs/36,000 milesº

Price as tested: $23,840

Alternatives: Chevy HHR SS, Honda Civic Si, Mini Cooper S, Subaru Impreza WRX