By
EWAN KENNEDY
24 April 2006
For those to whom too much power is just about right Chrysler now
offers an SRT (Sports and Racing Technology) version of its big 300C. If
it was a gangster car before, now it’s a real getaway machine!
With 317 kW on tap this big 6.1-litre
Hemi V8 powered machine can now sprint to 100 km/h in around 5.5
seconds, with a nice snarl from the exhaust that brings a smile to the
faces of all who love their cars big and bold.
Below 2000 rpm there's less grunt than we
had anticipated from an engine like this, but once you get beyond that
there's performance aplenty to make for safe overtaking.
The five-speed automatic transmission
responds nicely to the drivers needs to compensate for this engine
characteristic so it’s only when you’re using it in its sequential
manual mode that you have to keep your wits about you. And any keen
driver who doesn’t keep their mind on the job and the car in the right
gear doesn’t really qualify as being keen in the first place.
It’s not all about straight-line
performance, Chrysler's engineers have given the complete car a working
over to complement all that extra power (the standard 300C has ‘only’
250 kW). The suspension has been lowered by 13 mm and firmed up at the
same time, this has taken away the slight softness we commented on when
testing the original car. The 300C SRT now has the sort of road grip and
steering feel that keen Australian drivers have loved for decades.
Cleverly, Chrysler has added this extra
dimension to the suspension without turning it into a rough riding
beast. The SRT is slightly harder in its on-road feel but it’s
marginal and there's still plenty of comfort. For a car with huge
20-inch wheels this is a remarkable feat.
Steering feel has greatly improved at the
same time. Though there's still a little softness around the central
position, to prevent the big 300C feeling nervous, once the wheel is
away from the centre it all tightens up beautifully.
Braking has been improved from the
already good original with the 300C SRT featuring Brembo four-piston
calipers acting on ventilated discs on all four wheels. The result is
tremendous braking power that really hauls speed off this 1.9 tonne car
very impressively.
The 300C already has a striking looking
body and it has been difficult to add a lot to the appearance.
Nevertheless, keen car spotters will note the lower body kit with
slightly deeper bumpers front and rear. These feature cooling slots for
the brakes.
There's also what may well be the
smallest rear spoiler ever seen on a performance car in Australia, a
tiny lip at the rear of the bootlid. It’s fully functional and
Chrysler assures us it provides the car with up to 39 per cent more rear
down force. We suspect you will have to be travelling in the Northern
Territory to get it’s full effect, but it shows that Chrysler is
serious about this car, not simply adding a big wing just for appearance
sake.
Inside, there are new sporting seats
front and rear, with those in the front having raised bolsters that do
prevent sideways movement quite nicely. Sensibly the back seats are
shaped for two, almost having a bucket-seat effect. There is, however,
space for a third rear occupant provided their backside isn’t above
average in dimensions.
Minor changes to the instruments and dash
layout give a more sporting effect.
On sale now for a very reasonable
$71,990, the Chrysler 300C SRT has already attracted a lot of Australian
buyer interest because of advance news in car mags and on the internet.
Imports will be limited due to high demand in the factory (would you
believe in Austria!) so move quickly or you may be sitting at the tail
of a long queue.
