Chrysler’s full-size sedan, the 300, started production back in 2005 after appearing as a concept at the 2003 New York Auto Show. Available in five different variants (LX, Touring, Limited, 300C, and SRT8), the Chrysler 300 can be a steady family car or a more powerful people pusher.
At the bottom of the engine lineup is the tamer 2.7L V6 engine with only 178hp and 190 lb-ft of torque, as well as the second V6 option with a larger 3.5L displacement that produces 250hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. Picking up the pace is the 5.7L V8 engine that’s provides 360hp and 389+ lb-ft of torque, but the bad boy of the group – belonging to the SRT8 – is the 6.1L V8 pushing out 425hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. All engines are mated to either a 4- or 5-speed automatic transmission.
With a relatively short history (it was launched in 2004 as a 2005 model), the Chrysler 300 has never been the most successful model on the market. It would make sense for Chrysler to give it a solid kick in the pants as it heads out the door, but instead, they have decided to give the sedan one last chance. It’s time for the 300 to fish or cut bait, and Chrysler is hoping for the former with some exterior and interior updates, as well as some engine mods. The Chrysler 300 will make its official debut in 2011 at the Detroit Auto Show with sales to begin later in the year.
As usual, the 2011 Chrysler 300 will be offered in four models: Touring, Limited, 300C, and 300C AWD. An SRT8 version will be revealed in late 2011 as a 2012 model.
Update 01/07/2010: Just before its official launch at the Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler has announced pricing for the new 300. The standard model is priced from $27,995, while the Limited Edition’s prices go up to $31,995. The 300C version goes on sale at a price of $38,995 and the 300C AWD at $41,145. They’ve also released more images for the updated sedan which we’ve added to the gallery. Enjoy!
Hit the jump to read more about the future Chrysler 300.
Although most don’t know it, the Chrysler 300 line is actually pretty old. The name 300 was kicked off in 1998 with the 300M and that really didn’t go that well. The car was like most Chrysler products at that time, bland, boring, and fairly terrible. Yet, Chrysler managed to overhaul the vehicle into the modern version you see today.
In 2005, the mafia looking box sedan was penned by the Chrysler design team and it instantly sold millions. Sure, it wasn’t very good, as the motor was thirsty, the handling was numb, and interior was Chinese in quality, and that might actually be an insult to the Chinese. Yet, with those looks, people flocked to the car. Sort of like somebody who has a terrible personality, but looks gorgeous.
Now, with Chrysler’s new management comes a reworked 300 and we managed to dig up some information on the new sedan.
UPDATE 12/06/10: Chrysler’s finally given us a glimpse on what the new 300C is going to look like. Took them long enough, right? Anyway, these aren’t full scale photos of the car - just teasers - but it does give us a better idea of what to expect when the car makes its debut sometime next year.
This Chrysler 300S make look just like any other of its kind from the outside, but once you pop the hood, you’ll discover that there’s the good blood of a Dodge Viper running through its engine.
The car, which was videotaped at Miller Motorsports Park as a teaser video and put on Dodge’s YouTube site, has SEMA 2010 written all over it, so don’t be surprised if you see it in the Las Vegas Auto Show’s floor soon.
Needless to say, we’re intrigued at the prospect of a sedan sporting some serious Viper power. Add what looks to be a set of gorgeous 22s – or 24s – on the tires and you have a car that looks to have a bite as mean and powerful as its bark.
Let’s just hope that this is more than just a teaser video. Don’t get us wrong, we like teasers as much as anybody, but what’s the point of them if we don’t see these bad boys out on the road, right?
Going to see a film is one of the best ways to get out, and one film we saw last year comes to mind: Transformers 2. After the first film, we were expecting something incredible. Fast sports cars, gorgeous women - Megan Fox - and of course, robots transforming into things. What could be better than that?
For all the special effects and explosions, underneath it all was a film that was lacking. The humor in the film was a bit off and not to mention the script wasn’t nearly on par with the first movie. Everything that one needs to make a film great was there, but it just didn’t come together the way it should have.
For all it’s mobster looks and massive power, the 2010 Chrysler 300S suffers from the same problems that plagued the film about transforming robots. Underneath that bulging exterior is a vehicle that’s lacking in many different ways.
While the Chrysler 300C’s death is imminent, tuners want to give the car just one last chance. The British tuner MaxPower is offering a tuning package for the American sedan that includes exterior updates and a new exhaust system.
The exterior package includes a new front grille with five horizontal bars, a front bumper with additional air intakes and new front fenders incorporating air outlets. It will also sport new side skirts, a rear window spoiler, a discreet spoiler lip, and a sport exhaust system.
The entire package is finished by two-tone finish wheels with a black center and a aluminum polished outer wheel rim.
We wish we could say that this completely changed our minds on the vehicle, but that is simply not the case. MaxPower’s attempt to jazz up the Chrysler 300C left us wishing we had caught the poetry reading down the street instead. The add-ons provided to the vehicle were just not exciting enough to marvel over. We have to say it was a meager attempt in pimping the 300. Sorry, MaxPower, we are just not impressed.
