Chrysler preserves the muscle car mantra with 300 SRT

IF YOU are the kind of driver that likes to spend more time going sideways than straight ahead, with up to four passengers on board then you are currently spoilt for choice in the new car market.

For under $45,000, the good people at Holden will provide you with a Commodore that has a 6.0-litre V8 at one end and two driven wheels at the other. Offer a little more cash and Holden Special Vehicles will give you a version with a supercharged 6.2-litre V8.

If the idea of driving something with a lion badge is sacrilege, then the blue oval has the Falcon  XR8 which is powered by a cracking supercharged 5.0-litre V8.

But what happens when the big Aussie bruisers finally roll off the production lines for the last time in a couple of years? Perhaps Chrysler can help?

Chrysler has once again applied the roid-recipe to its 300 large sedan, turning it into a tyre-smoking muscle monster.

The V8-powered Chrysler 300 is back, this time dropping the 8 from the end of its name thereby becoming the more neatly named 300 SRT.

Under its hood hides the iconic Hemi 6.4-litre V8 with a serious 350kW and 637Nm of torque at its disposal, representing a small increase of 3kW and 6Nm over the previous version.

The name Hemi relates to the hemispherical combustion chambers in the V8’s cylinder heads. A revolutionary feature when Chrysler first used it in the early 1950s.

A variable inlet manifold and exhaust system has found the extra power, while the cylinder dropout system has been retained from the previous version. When cruising, the engine runs on four of its cylinders, which may sound like a big drop but half of the SRT engine still displaces 3.2-litres!

Its thumping V8 is obviously the centrepiece of the SRT but the big news is in the hunk of metal that hangs off the back of it. In its previous generation, the V8 sent power through a relatively primitive five-speed automatic, while the rest of the range got a modern eight-speed transmission.

This time around though, the SRT has the updated and more refined TorqueFlight eight-cog box with tighter ratios for spirited acceleration, but longer legged ratios at the top end for cruising. It also has a launch function for destroying rubber.

In a complex chemical reaction, the Chrysler combines 6400cubic centimeters of V8 with two alloy wheels and the result is lots of vapourised rubber.

Bilstein-developed adaptive damping is standard on the SRT, offering a Normal mode for daily driving, as well as Sport and Track modes, the latter adding performance shifting and a gear holding feature when using the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

Like the outgoing version, the new SRT will be offered in two variants including the Core that omits some equipment for a more enticing $59,000 before on-road costs price. Full-fat versions cost another $10,000.

SRT has a no fakery policy. That carbon-fibre looks real because it is. A dial for the eight-speed auto has replaced the ageing lever.

That is a slight increase over the outgoing model but we think that is still a pretty good deal. What else can you get with as much grunt and rear drive for under $60,000?

While the “bare-bones” Core does not get the three-mode adaptive damping, both cars get the drive mode system which alters the steering, transmission and throttle pedal behaviour, including 37 per cent quicker shifts (400ms down to 250ms), while the active exhaust system sings a better soundtrack during enthusiastic driving.

Brembo Performance four-piston brakes (red callipers adorn the SRT while the Core has black) – 361mm front and 351mm rear slotted discs – bring the big sedan to a halt, with the Ready Alert Braking system that detects potential emergency stops and preps the brakes for full-force application.

The SRT is available in the fully equipped version seen here, or a Core variant which spares a little kit, 19kg and your wallet.

Yes we know what you are thinking — it’s beefy, loud and fast, but it’s not a true Aussie muscle car. Okay, so the Chrysler might not ever be quite as true blue as a Ford or Holden but it does have a nice tale to tell that might make you warm to it a little more.

Chrysler’s parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently decided that the esteemed SRT badge would only grace the most potent of its vehicles and those that carry the Dodge badge, which means the 300 would no longer be offered with the performance plate.

With 20-inch alloy wheels, an enlarged grille and trademark C-shaped daytime running lights, the new SRT has looks as conspicuous as its performance.

However, such is the popularity of the vehicle Down Under, that the American car giant made an exception for Australia. For now, our great land is the only place in the world where you can buy a new 300 SRT. How does that sound?

Australian motorist’s tastes were also considered in the development of the new version’s chassis said Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Australia senior product strategy manager Alan Swanson.

It may have muscle car pace but it also has large sedan space. Four doors mean lots of room for up to five people in comfort.

“We're pleased to say we were quite influential in the development of this car,” he said. “It existed before but to keep it in production with all the engineering developments and improvements that we knew the market wanted here, we worked closely with the US and they responded enthusiastically.”

It will be sad to see the end of Australian muscle cars but does Chrysler’s mighty 300 SRT soften the blow?

Daniel Gardner GoAuto.com.au

Protect your Chrysler. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.