The Chrysler 300 models offer a relaxing 40 inches of rear legroom and outboard passengers will find plenty to like, including a folding center armrest with integrated cup holders. The rear seat in long-wheelbase 300 models is cavernous. These cars are aimed at the chauffeur-driven executive class long dominated by European makes. The front and rear ends direct air flow through unique ducts that cool the brakes, while a specially designed rear spoiler increases rear down force by 39 percent, helping keep the rear tires firmly planted at high speed without increasing drag. Yet the coolest thing about the SRT-8 might be its 20-inch, forged aluminum wheels and asymmetrical high-performance tires.
The handling on this sedan is precise, even the base model performs well. The Chrysler 300 marked a return to rear-wheel drive for large American sedans. Rear-wheel drive adds to the driving pleasure, which is partly why luxury sedans and sports car have traditionally used it. Chrysler 300 models are comfortable. For buyers who are wary of rear-wheel-drive sedans for everyday driving, and particularly those who live in the Snow Belt: With all-season tires, the 300C performs in snow and slush as good as the typical front-wheel-drive sedan.
Like fossil records, the Chrysler 300 has a long but patchy history. It came into being in the mid-1950s as a way to showcase Chrysler's new "Hemi" V8 engine. The first 300 was introduced for 1955 and was based on the New Yorker two-door hardtop. Its 5.4-liter V8 developed 300 hp. After that, Chrysler began affixing sequential letters at the end of "300" for each year as well as offering different body styles, including a convertible. The 1957 300-C is typically considered the most beautiful and desirable of these early cars. The Hemi engines were discontinued in the 300 after 1958, but Chrysler continued to use the letter designations up until the '65 300-L. After that it was the plain 300. In total, there were seven generations of this car before it was dropped after the 1971 model year.
The high-performance SRT8 model features a more powerful V8; a rear spoiler; sport-tuned suspension; a stability control system that allows more aggressive driving; 20-inch alloy wheels; and Brembo performance disc brakes with four-piston calipers. A navigation system is available on Touring and 300C models, as is all-wheel drive.
The 300 Touring upgrades to a 3.5-liter single-overhead-cam V6 making 250 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque, with a five-speed automatic and Chrysler's AutoStick manual-shift feature. The Touring also adds leather seating, 17-inch aluminum wheels and fog lamps. Find out more info on the Chrysler 300 on Chrysler.com
The 300 name was briefly resurrected in 1979 for a special version of the rather awful Cordoba. It would then take another 20 years before Chrysler decided to roll out the 300 moniker again. This was the 1999 300M. Unlike previous 300s, this was a front-drive sedan only. Based on the second generation of Chrysler's "cab forward" LH platform, the 300M used a 3.5-liter V6, making 253 hp (that's net horsepower, a far more conservative standard than the "gross" rating used prior to 1972) and mounted longitudinally in the engine bay. It was built through the 2004 model year.
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