"...why has Dodge introduced the SRT models before the base models?"
remember the humble little PT Cruiser? People were so hot for that car the first few hundres paid 2x or even 3x to be the first one with one. Business planning & forecasting is based on past experiences. The business model at CDJ is to make as much money as soon as possible. The top end model brings the highest margin (profit after costs) and the enthusiastic, rabid MOPAR heads that have been waiting for the return of the Challenger will pay whatever it takes to get one, and these early adopters will make the sale of lower models easier for those without the means or desire to get 6.1 HEMI BABY!!
They shoulda made the new KITT a Challenger...