Re: "SRT-6...lightyears ahead of the base model"??
It may "handle better" because it is quicker, more responsive, and has bigger brakes. The ride is stiffer (some of the mags say "too stiff"), but the steering is exactly the same mechanism. Think of the SRT6 as what it is: a professionally tuned version of the Crossfire (SLK 320 vs. SLK32AMG). But "light-years ahead"? Not quite.
So what magazine had the article that you read? The opinion, of course, is only as good as the author.