Monday 1st October 2012

You Know You Want To: Chrysler 300C SRT-8

Family, friends, dogs ... V8 fun for everyone!

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With engine capacities continuing their interminable slide towards just three figures, it comes as a genuine surprise to see a fairly new car with a whacking great V8 powering it. A nice surprise, I hasten to add.

Thankfully original rims part of the deal

The SRT (Street and Racing Technology) versions of the previous-gen Chrysler 300C featured a Hemi V8 of 6,059 cubic centimetres. In American parlance, that's 370 cubic inches. In any language, it's pretty huge. Created by increasing the bore and compression ratio of the 5.7-litre V8, Chrysler endowed its flagship with 425hp, and even more attitude.

Sadly, the SRT-8 never quite lived up to the promise. Despite that huge motor, it lacked the requisite mix of firepower and handling to match rivals such as the E61 BMW M5. 2 If your need was for a budget super saloon, Vauxhall VXR8 was a better bet.

This five-year-old Touring is a rather different prospect, though. Naturally, depreciation has brought it even further into the realms of affordability but, as an estate, absolute dynamic proficiency isn't paramount. The focus switches to practicality and usable performance.

Proper US V8 under the bonnet - we like

Here is where the 300C excels. Just look at the size of the thing. That low roof probably compromises outright capacity a little, but without it you wouldn't get that distinctive appearance. Anyway, you still get 630 litres of boot space with the seats up and more than 1,600 with them down. If you require any more volume, get a van.

Moreover, all that swept capacity provides huge torque to shove the 300C Touring's considerable mass down the road. In fact, there is 420lb ft of it, more than you get in a brand new VXR8 6.2 (405lb ft). Plenty, in other words.

This particular car may wear a set of questionable Pimp My Ride rims but, thankfully, the vendor has kept the originals (still hardly modest at 20 inches but slightly less bling) and if the all-caps text is a little exhausting to read he's clearly enthusiastic and keen to share that passion. A passion that appears to be something of a specialism for all things American, no doubt helped by his proximity to lots of big US airbases.

Proper US interior too; we don't like so much

Oh, and if that V8 estate isn't practical enough, how about a Mercedes E55 AMG seven-seater? Yes, it's a lot more used, but it does have space for six passengers - and a supercharged V8. And it's yours for ... wait ... ninegrand?

 

 

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Chrysler 300C SRT-8 Touring (2007)
Price: £10,996
Why you would: Big power, big fun, big space, fairly tiny price
Why you wouldn't: Can you afford the petrol?

 

 

[em177]

hora said:

It looks quite nice on the OEM rims but those aftermarket things?.....does that means its been skimped on servicing too???????????

What correlation do they have!?

[rocketride]

0-60 in 6.4?????? 425bhp??? thats one heavy machine!

[Johnspex]

em177 said:

What correlation do they have!?

Yeah, how does that follow? By the way, when did wheels become rims? The rim is the bit round the outside, don't the centres count? The wheel is the whole thing. Sounds like Max Power.

[Beefmeister]

Surely you could get that for under £10k with the original wheels which would indeed make it a bit of a bargain.

I drove one of those a couple of years ago with a fruity exhaust fitted (Borla?) and it sounded epic.

[Steamer]

rocketride said:

0-60 in 6.4?????? 425bhp??? thats one heavy machine!

Yes, but I've seen more aerodynamic pianos!

Much love for the flying hurse.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Mate had one of these. It was amazing. Comedy handling, comedy aerodynamics, but just a brute of an engine. He managed 18mpg on a trip to Germany and then blew it away with a top speed run on the Autobahn. 167 MPH because it's shaped like a barn door. It is a daft car and I want one.

[fourpointsixgt]

Love it, prefer the standard grill though, the Bentley type looks like you're trying to be something else. A well screwed together car, and that engine is bullitproof. You will get plenty of looks wherever you go.

[AC43]

rocketride said:

0-60 in 6.4?????? 425bhp??? thats one heavy machine!

Pretty sure it's sub 5s

[p-car]

Soooo much better than any of the nasty SUV's most non car people default to when they want/need a large commodious family shunter. I'd prefer the E55AMG alternative myself but aren't these things (300C) based on an old E Class chassis from the Mercedes/Chrysler tie up days anyway?

[anonymous-user]

Johnspex said:

em177 said:

What correlation do they have!?

Yeah, how does that follow? By the way, when did wheels become rims? The rim is the bit round the outside, don't the centres count? The wheel is the whole thing. Sounds like Max Power.

Rimz blud

[Frimley111R]

'Fuel consumption: 28mpg'

[marshall100]

Otispunkmeyer said:

Mate had one of these. It was amazing. Comedy handling, comedy aerodynamics, but just a brute of an engine. He managed 18mpg on a trip to Germany and then blew it away with a top speed run on the Autobahn. 167 MPH because it's shaped like a barn door. It is a daft car and I want one.

+1.

[BBS-LM]

On this occasion, I really don't want too.

[LuS1fer]

Good bargain given you can flog the blingy wheels for a decent wedge of at least £500.

Never really appealed to me. The saloon I like in dark colours but the Vauxhall style rear lights and an association with mini cabs have always put me off. I think the estate looks quite huge and slabby which again puts me off and I would guess the turning circle would stop me getting it off my drive.

Still, you can't beat a hinking great V8 however deficient it may be everywhere else. You can also afford the servicing on a Yank and can probably do it yourself.

[billzeebub]

I think that is horrendous, but then I hate all things American

[AC43]

p-car said:

Soooo much better than any of the nasty SUV's most non car people default to when they want/need a large commodious family shunter. I'd prefer the E55AMG alternative myself but aren't these things (300C) based on an old E Class chassis from the Mercedes/Chrysler tie up days anyway?

Yes it's based on the W210. (as opposed to the E55k pictured which is the W211).

[Hellbound]

Pimp My Ride & Max Power are both dead. Deceased. Gone.

Stop bloomin' mentioning them.

E63 Estate with 7 seats. And before someone moans about the two seats in the back being a joke, don't. Having the option of putting two kids back there is worth it as far as I'm concerned. Also I can't see the police having a problem with you putting two drunk mates in the back either.

[Garlick]

Rims. This was used as the wheels are very 'Pimp my Ride' in style.

It's not a change of editorial style for PH, merely a one-off.

Yo.

[mat205125]

The Chrysler isn't for me, but the AMG is a wondeful bargain.

[djdestiny]

Nasty, I'm struggling to find one single thing I like about these cars