Fast SRT freighter for Xmas

If you're looking for a way to deliver your Christmas presents quick smart, Chrysler may have the answer. Not content with offering the 'bling-est' wagon on sale Down Under, it now wants to grab the fastest wagon title -- with essentially the same car!

We're talking about the latest addition to the 300C line-up, the Touring SRT8.

Claimed to be the fastest wagon on sale today under $150K (we're guessing only the E 63 AMG Estate would pip it for overall honours), the new Touring SRT8 gets the sedan's 6.1-litre 317kW HEMI V8 and claims a 0-100km/h sprint time in the mid five-second range.

For the record the Touring SRT8 has an electronically limited top-speed of 265km/h -- a mark even the AMG shouldn't be able to match!

"Ditch the reindeer -- this year for Christmas Chrysler is exciting driving enthusiasts with the fastest wagon under $150,000," said Gerry Jenkins managing director for the Chrysler Group in Australia on the announcement of the fast freighter.

"We have been able to secure limited numbers of this vehicle for Australia thanks to the phenomenal demand for the 300C -- it is a huge hit," he said.

The 300C Touring SRT8 is priced at $74,990. Like its sedan counterpart it features lowered suspension, 20-inch alloy wheels and Brembo brakes.

With 1723 sales to November (2006 year-to-date), the 300C has largely driven Chrysler's growth this year with a 32 per cent share in the large car segment (upper large under $100,000) according to the maker. Significantly the 300C SRT8, until now only available in sedan guise, accounts for over ten per cent of total 300C sales.