Chrysler 300

Casey Williams, www.car-data.com

Zero to sixty in the low five-seconds, 0-100 mph in under 17 seconds, 0.89 g on the skidpad, andfour-wheel Brembo disc brakes to match. If the performance in question did not come from afull-size, five-passenger, rear-drive American road scarfer, you would think a Corvette or MustangGT was lurking about. But, there isn’t. These numbers are from the elegantly rambunctious Chrysler300C SRT8.

Chrysler’s 300C SRT8 makes me want to put on a tuxedo, speak pretentious English, and go thrashpretenders at the drag strip while cackling out a window filled with smoked rubber. One look at theperformance figures elicits that response. Open the hood and examine the car’s 6.1-litre HEMI’ V8,connected to a Mercedes-derived five-speed manumatic transmission, to really get giddy. Thepowertrain puts out 425 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque, or about 25% more power than the’baby’ 5.7-litre HEMI in the non-SRT 300C. Fuel economy, not surprisingly, is less than economy carfrugal at 13/18 mpg city/highway.

Most people won’t realize the 300C SRT8 is much different from any other elegantly styled 300.The sedan’s Bentley-sized grille, large headlamps, chopped roofline, broad flanks, formal roofline,and high decklid look as good wrapped around 20′ forged-aluminum wheels and Goodyear F1 low profiletires as they do on lesser touring models. SRT8s are enhanced with a subtle lip spoiler (now formedinto the decklid instead of glued on), aggressive ground affects, fog lamps, body color mirrors,unique taillamp lenses, and SRT8 badges. A long hood and short front overhangs belie the car’srear-drive layout. Its overall design looks as good now as it did upon launch several years ago.

Inside or out, the 300C is a big car. Four passengers fit comfortably in wrap-around seats, buta fifth person can straddle the rear seat transmission tunnel in a pinch. Large ‘moon-lit’ gaugesare white faced in daylight, eerie green at night; a center-dash analog clock adds class. HoldoverMercedes gear like the gated gear selector and turn signal/wiper stalk feel expensive. Alarge-diameter four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel feels great whether twisting the big carthrough turns or relaxing on the highway. I appreciated the heated leather suede seats and dualzone automatic climate control most on a recent trip through sub-zero temperatures. Huge drinkholders gripped 32 oz. McCups easily.

These features are expected in most luxury cars. However, the 300C SRT8 is also available withSirius BackSeat satellite TV (includes Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network), SiriusSatellite Radio (still loving the Elvis station), in-dash navigation, Infinity speakers, poweradjustable pedals, remote starting (even better for cold weather), and LED lighting in door binsand cupholders. SRT8-specific seats grip every part of your body while a reconfigurable dashdisplay shows performance data, including lateral gs during cornering. Cool carbon fibre trimdresses up the dash and console. Newly available adaptive cruise control allows drivers to settheir speed and let the car adjust for traffic.

Numbers and specs aren’t enough to tell you how the SRT8 drives. I’ve driven the car on the roadtrack at Texas Motor Speedway. Nothing about the car is pretend from its ultra-powerful engine,stiff performance-tuned suspension, huge Brembo disc brakes, and fun-loving electronic stabilityprogramming (ESP). Curves that would make me nervous in other well-engineered sedans were swallowedby the SRT8 with all of the drama of driving to church. Engineers apparently re-worked thesuspension since my first drive to better dampen out bumps and road irregularities. For such aperformance-tuned machine, the SRT8 is very livable as a daily driver with a super solid structureand agile suspension.

Last week, I awoke to four inches of snow under a layer of ice. After scraping the SRT8′swindshield, I began to tremble. The thought of piloting 425 horsepower connected to a rear-drivechassis and steamroller tires caused nausea. My older Corvette can’t go straight with 250horsepower. While ESP, traction control, and ABS brakes got a thorough workout (the dash lightnever quit blinking), the car was tame and manageable. Fortunately, the Interstate was plowed andwell salted. All the better on which to give the engine a thorough workout.

Readjusting to the life of a mortal without surging power and elegant style, I miss the 300CSRT8. It is a type of muscle car, whose days are numbered, except in the garages of those who willproudly own them decades from now. Few cars, like the Cadillac STS-V, Pontiac G8, BMW M5, and DodgeCharger SRT8 even compare. Expect to pay at least $41,585 or $49,220 as tested.