Chrysler 300C SRT-8 2006 Review

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Chrysler 300C SRT8 (2006-)

Meantime, the SRT8 (developed by the company’s Street and Racing Technology division, and built in Graz, Austria) puts local heroes HSV Senator and FPV’s GT-P on notice for price, performance, purpose and, most definitely, appearance. It looks downright handsome, with strong hints of devilish intent, and has 6.1-litre Hemi-charged bite to go with its deliciously menacing bark.

Although the current Hemi engine is physically unrelated to the massively butch namesake that became legendary in US stockcar (Nascar) racing, the most powerful dragsters and some of the fastest Bonneville speedsters of the 50s, 60s and 70s, the links are tangible. The orange-painted engine block, very little of which is visible under the crowded bonnet, pays homage to the original Hemi’s trademark colour.

FEATURES
Fittingly, the SRT8 matches storming performance potential with overall sense of refinement and the plushness expected of a well-heeled enthusiast’s express. The equipment  level is significantly more upmarket than even the far-from-impoverished 300C V8. Here the fare includes power-adjustable sports front seats, trimmed in leather and suede, with memory settings and heating included.

The leather-rimmed wheel’s main spokes house audio and other supplementary switches, while the cruise control and turn/dip/wiper stalks wouldn’t look out of place in a Mercedes.

To some eyes the flashy instruments aren’t nearly as classy as the rest of the cabin, particularly the metallic centre stack with its all-seasons dual-zone climate control and the exceptional audio system. This includes six-stack CD player, and 13 speakers stimulated by a 322-watt amplifier and highlighted by a boot-mounted 100-watt subwoofer; enough to froth your coffee.

Overall, the rich-list ambience produces the desired effect so you feel you’re going places.

COMFORT
From experience gained during almost 500km in the front seats, it’s clear that the SRT8’s comfort levels are top-notch for both driver and passengers.

The big seats are plushly comfortable for hours on end. Whether you’re loping along, cruising the highways, or rushing through the bendy bits, the seats help placate bumps while also keeping you secure during forceful cornering.

As a front passenger, however, the absence of an overhead or door hand-grip is a touch discomforting.

No complaints from rear passengers who enjoy a bench wide enough for three (friendly) adults, but sculpted to pamper two. The rear also provides full headspace and generous kneeroom. And overhead handholds.

The Chrysler’s safety package has its foundations in a well engineered body-chassis structure, which helps account for the impressive five and four-star results in US NCAP laboratory crash tests involving frontal, side and roll-over impacts.

Although the 317kW/569Nm 6.1-litre engine shares basic architecture with its 5.7-litre sibling, the changes go far beyond the 5mm increase in bore size. The 6.1’s reinforced cylinder block gets new heads with re-shaped ports and larger, higher quality valves. The arched intake manifold is also new, as are the special exhaust headers, camshaft, forged crankshaft, sintered-metal connecting rods and high compression pistons.

The net result is appreciably more power everywhere throughout the rev range, the peak of which has risen from 5000 (in the 5.7) to 6200rpm.

Lowered about 12mm, the suspension has different bushings, larger anti-roll bars, firmer springs all round and re-rated self-levelling rear dampers.

The brakes are beauties. Squeezed by four-piston Brembo calipers, the platter-size ventilated discs bring the-hand-of-God stopping power and refuse to wilt under pressure.

Far from least of the SRT8’s upgrades, the 20-inch forged wheels certainly look the business and carry high-spec Goodyear tyres, sized P245/45R20 front and P255/45R20 rear.

By any measure the $71,990 300C SRT8 is very keen value when slotted between the $72,390 HSV Senator and $71,660 FPV GT-P models.

No Japanese or European V8 gets within fifty grand. So the 300C SRT8 turns the contest from a two-horse race into a three-way stoush. Now, watch the sparks fly. Gentlemen, start your engines.

ON THE ROAD
Although you know the 300C SRT8 packs its share of high-technology and cool features (which doesn’t include the 5.7 V8’s ability to deactivate some cylinders for light-duty cruising), there’s something reassuringly honest about simply inserting and turning a proper ignition key to bring this big bugger to life. No electronic bung, smartcard, starter button or other gimmick needed. Chrysler knows where 300C SRT8 drivers’ priorities lie.

Pedalled with discretion, the SRT8 ambles as nonchalantly as you could wish, wafting along without attracting undue attention to its passing and exhaust burble.

Smoothness isn’t at all tricky when easing away from standstill or low speed, but a little familiarity helps because the 6.1’s accelerative eagerness is such that even just a whiff too much throttle snaps the car into action and slaps you back into the seat.

Given its head in appropriate places, the Chrysler never hesitates to show what it’s made of. Which means the exhaust note changes to an openly aggressive thunder and almost two tonnes gets up and gone before you’ve time to gasp, Crikey!

Chrysler modestly credits the SRT8 with 0-100km/h in around 5.5sec. But reputable testers overseas put it closer to five seconds neat, and cite the standing 400m in low 13sec range. How now HSV and FPV?

The brawny engine can’t take all the kudos, however, because the five-speed automatic transmission copes particularly well in helping meter the massive performance. The auto invariably shifts smoothly and incisively on its own, but the lever also accepts sideways nudgings for sequential manual gear selections.

Although most bumps and potholes are dispatched without intrusive disturbances, the suspension is so disciplined that ride quality is sometimes affected. Repetitious small ripples and ridges cause the terse suspension to stutter slightly and jiggle the ride.

The upside of the sports suspension is that it belittles the car’s considerable weight by providing very good body control and responsive handling in concert with really tangible sense of fore-aft balance. In hard cornering the 300C SRT8 understeers relatively mildly and you feel it loading the outside rear wheel as its fulcrum. Impressive.

Minimum turning circle is a fairly loose 11.8m, allied with reasonably alert 2.8 turns lock to lock. Generally the steering is consistently well weighted and faithfully accurate, except for a small wedge of nothingness either side of centre.

And then there’s the brakes. Terrific. Although the pedal demands an unusually firm push, the applications are so progressive they could be metered. Importantly, judging by a brisk descent of the long, winding Alpine Way from NSW into Victoria, the Brembos have stopping power to spare, and unwavering consistency to boot.

So, what it all means is that the V8 sports sedan class has just stepped up a gear with its now three-way rivalry. Nice one, Chrysler.