Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Chrysler 300C SRT-8

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Sweet, souped-up 300C can run with the best

Super-size Hemi V-8 propels the macho Chrysler on steroids

By Paul Lienert / Special to The Detroit News

The heart and soul of the Chrysler 300C SRT-8 is the 6.1 liter Hemi. The sedan has few peers, domestic or foreign. Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

ANN ARBOR --I couldn't quite make out his eyes behind the wraparound shades.

But as I passed the young highway construction worker in goatee, blue jeans, yellow hard hat and orange vest, I could see his head swivel ever so slightly to follow the progress of my brilliant black 2005 Chrysler 300C SRT-8.

Ah, so this is what the marketing folks mean by an "aspirational" vehicle.

And what red-blooded American male wouldn't want to take a turn behind the wheel of the SRT-8, an uber-macho Detroit sedan on steroids, powered by a super-size edition of Chrysler's iconic Hemi V-8?

I say this with more than a bit of tongue in cheek because the SRT-8, at $42,095 ($45,450 as tested, with a few key options), is the most expensive Chrysler-brand vehicle I've ever tested.

But it's also the first $40,000-plus Chrysler product I've driven that's well worth the asking price.

Strict constructionists, however, may have a bit of difficulty with the company's description of its newest performance car as "American muscle." In fact, while the dazzling design of the 300C emanated from Chrysler's styling studios in Auburn Hills, the car is truly a global player on the American stage.

Many of its parts, including the sweet five-speed automatic transmission, were adapted from the corporate parts bin of Chrysler's German parent, DaimlerChrysler AG. The vehicle is assembled in Canada. And that "All-American" Hemi V-8? It's made in Mexico.

Let's talk about that Hemi engine for a moment.

The new 6.1-liter V-8 is the heart and soul of the SRT-8 package and it is one amazing piece of hardware. Chrysler engineers started with the basic 5.7-liter unit, bored out the cylinders to increase overall displacement, reinforced the engine block, added a forged-steel crankshaft and high-strength connecting rods, hiked the compression ratio and modified the cylinder heads and manifolds to improve the breathing.

As a result, output has been boosted 25 percent, to 425 horses from 340, with torque climbing to 420 pounds-feet. All those hormones are channeled to the rear wheels through the five-speed automatic, which features manual-shift capability.

Despite the car's plus-size exterior dimensions and substantial 4,160-pound mass, Chrysler says the SRT-8 can sprint from zero-to-60 in just over five seconds. I lacked a stopwatch to check that claim, but I routinely smoke the tires simply while pulling away from a traffic light -- a feat matched by few other vehicles during recent test drives.

That immense jolt of power is almost frightening, partly because it is available instantaneously. In fact, it requires constant attention not to chirp the tires on takeoff.

Fortunately, the engineers have tweaked the chassis to provide a surprisingly well-balanced machine that is amply equipped to leverage all that muscle under the hood.

It feels almost as if the SRT-8 were tuned by the famed AMG performance department at Mercedes-Benz. The springs have been recalibrated, the ride height lowered and the stabilizer bars beefed up. Bilstein gas-charged shocks and Brembo four-piston disc brakes have been fitted front and rear, and the car is shod with 20-inch, Z-rated Goodyear F1 sport tires -- 245/45s in front and 255/45s in the rear. The tires grip like crazy on dry pavement and the brakes are simply phenomenal, as was demonstrated convincingly during an unscheduled panic stop on the M-14 freeway.

Of course, the SRT-8 gets standard antilock brakes and an electronic stability program -- necessary hardware in Michigan's unpredictable four-seasons climate.

The whole package works beautifully. In SRT-8 livery, the 300C has a heft and solidity that recall -- no surprise -- the big sport sedans from Stuttgart with the three-pointed star.

Like the big Benzes, the SRT-8 tends to understeer slightly when you push it hard in a high-speed corner, but the handling is utterly predictable. The steering has a nice meaty feel and generally transmits plenty of feedback from the pavement.

And considering that the car is riding on low-profile performance tires, the ride quality is firm, but considerably more compliant than you might expect.

Indeed, the SRT-8 has few peers, domestic or foreign, in this price segment. The closest Detroit performance sedan is probably Cadillac's hot-rod CTS-V, with a 5.7-liter pushrod V-8 that surrenders 25 horsepower and 25 pounds-feet of torque to Chrysler's 6.1-liter Hemi. The CTS-V is considerably smaller than the SRT-8 and its base sticker is nearly $10,000 higher.

The Chrysler does have a few issues. As with the standard-issue 300 sedan, the SRT-8 has some major visibility problems, with a tall rear parcel shelf, massive pillars, high beltline, narrow greenhouse and oversize headrests contributing to a general feeling of claustrophobia that seems puzzling in a car with such a voluminous cabin.

And the fuel economy is just plain dismal, at 14 miles per gallon in city driving and 19 on the highway. Can you say "gas guzzler tax?" That adds a cool $2,100 straight to the bottom line.

And I still wish the cockpit, especially the instrument panel, had more personality. The front seats are big and roomy, and there is tons of head and leg room. But the environment lacks the sort of pizzazz and panache one tends to associate with $40,000-plus luxury/sport sedans. The controls for audio and navigation are a bit confusing, but not nearly as much as those in the more expensive Mercedes-Benz sedans.

My only other real gripe is excessive wind, tire and driveline noise -- enough so you really have to crank up the stereo to hear any audio definition when you're on the freeway. And that's with the fancy Boston Acoustics speakers.

Otherwise, the cabin is comfortably outfitted with plenty of gear and gadgets, including rear park assist, power adjustable pedals and steering column. My test vehicle also came with side curtain air bags, a $440 option (they should be standard), a $950 power moonroof and a $1,965 option bundle that included a navigation system and Sirius satellite radio -- two must-have options for serious motorists.

The standard 300C sedan has been a runaway sensation for Chrysler, garnering a mountain of awards, including the 2005 Detroit News Car of the Year -- and that was before ever setting foot in the SRT-8.

It may be true that Chrysler technically is no longer a "domestic" automaker, but the brand still has deep and powerful local roots in the U.S. auto industry.

The recent arrival of the 300C SRT-8 is nothing but good news for fans of traditional Detroit hardware, even with the additional infusion of German technology and components.

In fact, the advent of the SRT-8 provides the most convincing evidence yet that the DaimlerChrysler alliance is capable of producing world-class vehicles here in North America that can run with the best that Germany -- or any other country -- has to offer.

You can reach Paul Lienert at conseye@aol.com.