Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I am eagerly (impatiently) awaiting published tests.
Worst aspect (for me) appears to be the 19 mpg EPA highway estimate I have seen . . .
Cheers,
- Ray
Hoping Job #1 holds to 10 Jan as scheduled . . .
FYI
http://www.chrysler.com/300/300c.html
http://www.supercars.net/cars/2005@$Chrysler@$300C%20SRT8x.html
http://www.autonews.com/images/news/11045.gif
DETROIT -- The 2005 Chrysler 300C SRT8, a high-performance version of the sedan, gets an extra 85 horsepower and a $6,275 price bump over the rear-drive 300C to $39,995, including a $625 destination charge.
The addition to the 300C lineup goes on sale in the spring, the Chrysler group said Monday. Exterior color choices are limited to silver or black.
SRT, for Street and Racing Technology, is the Chrysler group's designation for vehicles that have been modified by the factory for higher performance.
The main change for the 300C SRT8 is an increase in the displacement of the Hemi V-8 from 5.7 liters to 6.1 liters. That boosts the engine's output from 340 hp for the 5.7-liter unit to 425 hp for the 6.1-liter unit, an increase of 25 percent. Torque increases from 390 pounds-feet to 420 pounds-feet, a 7.7 percent increase.
Other changes to the engine include a higher compression ratio and redesigned cylinder heads and manifolds for better air flow. The engine block, crankshaft and connecting rods have been reinforced for greater strength.
Exterior changes include revised front and rear fascias, a decklid spoiler and body-color grille insert.
I won't know for a couple of days the results. Does anyone have any further answers?
M
I am scheduled for a test drive next month when my dealer will have its first delivery.
Dodge had similar problems with the auto transmissions in their trucks equipped with the Cummins. In 98 and 99 when Cummins came out with some killer torque engines, the trucks spent a considerable amount of time on the lift at the dealership where I worked. Let's just hope I'm wrong. But I am right when I say they should offer a 6 speed manual in this car.
Local dealer was great. What does option package II include? The dealer didn't know.
seller(dealer) states delivery at end of feb.
Now comes the hard part -- waiting!!!!!
I am soon turning in my 2000 BMW 740i Sport and replacing it with the SRT8. I have been saying for 15 years that as soon as the Americans built a car I would buy, I would buy it. It has finally happened (ironically it is built in Canada!).
For those waiting on their SRT8 orders, I have some questions:
1) What kind of car is the SRT8 going to replace for you?
2) What modifications (interior, exterior, performance) do you plan to make?
3) When do you expect to receive an indication of build/ship dates?
Thanks,
Randal
rombeiro@yahoo.com
Randal
When it arrives, I will have the dealer tint the windows and possibly will have a wood dash kit installed. They seem to look ok. We also have a jag that clients love because of the beautiful wood and huge seats. I'm undecided about it still though. I am not sure if I would risk adversely impacting resale if it is too impractical a car for me to drive daily by adding the wood.
When I first ordered the car they were thinking it would show up in Feb. Then the staff changed at the dealer and they changed it to May. i went to the Sales Manager then, who suggested it would be earler. I think that only someone at DC will be able to give us a realistic answer as a whole.
I did so much research looking for the right car. I love Jags, Mercedes are still not reliable enough and the S is way too much dosh for us. Not many other vehicles match the passenger space other than those, the A8 Audi (very expensive, poor customer service ratings), Crown Vic/Town Car(I'm only 35yrs old..maybe in another 30yrs it'll be right for me), Avalon(whimpy motor and lacks personality), Q45(actually very nice in all sorts of ways, but a bit too pricey), 7 series (waaaaaayy too pricey), etc...
Since I always start a test drive in the back seat, these are what the 300 is up against. If the SRT8 had a luxury interior (nicer leather, beige or lighter color options and wood trim), and the clever engine mgmt system on the C it would really be almost perfect.
It's been a REALLY long time since I have been inspired by a car, as this one has. I hope it is all I think it will be, and more!
(5AD) Charger Job #1 is 4/4/05
LXCX48 model Job #1 is 4/4/05
(GWA) Power sunroof Job #1 is 4/4/05
(XRV) Rear seat video system Job #1 is 4/11/05
(PYG) Linen Gold paint Job #1 is 4/18/05
(590) AWD has a Job #1 of 4/11/05
(PA4) Silver Steel paint Job #1 is 5/16/05
LXDX49 Magnum SRT-8 RWD Job #1 is 5/17/05
(CGS) Side air bags Job #1 is 6/1/05
(PW1) Stone White paint Job #1 is 6/27/05
LXDX48 Charger SRT-8 RWD Job #1 is 9/12/05
(AHB) Police Group Job #1 is 9/21/05
(XRV) Rear seat video system Job #1 is TBD
from:
http://www.arifleet.com/production.html
- Ray
Note - this is presented as:
MODEL
2006
Chrysler 300/300C
Dodge Magnum
Dodge Charger
That's funny that you said you were "only" 35. I'm 36, going on 37. I agree with your comments about competitive cars. You left out one thing about the new 7-series -- it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.
My second choice was probably the brand new Infiniti M45. Fresh design this year and the same 300+hp V8 as the Q45. Wild interior, lots of gadgets.
Good luck with getting your SRT8.
Thanks Ray for the scoop!
6spdtl's post is monumentally misguided. Line-item rebuttals follow below:
"It's a classic form before function design"
The platform of the Chrysler 300 is derived from the last-generation Mercedes E-class. In Europe the E-class is the very epitome of function, in fact the car is frequently the taxi of choice in major European cities. Hardly glamorous, but I would assume that 200,000 taxi drivers know a practical car when they see one, right? Score: Chrysler 1, 6spdtl 0.
"The interior is claustrophobic"
Seriously, have you sat in any BMW (excluding a long wheelbase 7-series) or Acura lately? Chrysler's "cab forward" design in the early 90's revolutionized interior design and spacious passenger seating. The new 300 utilizes a "wheels at the corners" design to maximize rear-seat hip room, and the car also has one of the longest wheelbase measurements in its class. Score: Chrysler 2, 6spdtl 0.
"The fit and finish are poor and the interior materials are not worthy of a car costing half as much". The popular car magazines have raved about the 300 interior, the quality is excellent, and a car that is half the price of the entry-level 300 would only be about $12,000. I suspect that Kia or Daewoo would not be too anxious to have one of their cars stacked up against the 300 in a car magazine comparison test. In the end, this is simply a baseless dogmatic claim of a knee-jerk American car-basher. Score: Chrysler 3, 6spdtl 0.
"In the engineering aspect, the car is decades behind Japanese or European cars"
C'mon....'decades', seriously?!? I'm thinking mid-1980's BMW 5-series (2 decades) or anything from Honda in the 1970's (3 decades). I'm thinking you're wrong. Score: Chrysler 4, 6spdtl 0.
"It's sad that such a large segment of the population buys cars impulsively by silly looks alone"
Again -- you're kidding, right? When you use the term silly looks, go take a look anything made by BMW since Chris Bangle took over. So much for those zany European cars, eh? Score: Chrysler 5, 6spdtl 0.
"Anyone can build a huge 8 cylinder to motivate a car to be fast and of course give you 11 miles per gallon in the process (yup its got a HEMI, duh, that's why they stopped building them 30 years ago!)"
The 11 mpg figure is cute, but - alas - wrong. The SRT8 is actually rated at 14 city/19 highway (18 combined). By comparison, the Infiniti Q45 makes nearly 100 less horsepower and gets 18/23. In fact, nearly every 250-350hp European and Japanese V8 sedan made today gets mileage in the range of 18/23. So the SRT8 has at least 100 more horsepower, is more fun than a barrel of monkeys and I only pay a 4 mpg penalty???? Even at $2/gallon that will cost me less than $200 per year! What am I missing here? Score: Chrysler 6, 6spdtl 0.
"Consumer Reports wisely reported that the Ford 500 is essentially a better car in every aspect and I concur."
Consumer Reports??? Are you buying a car or a dishwasher? Next thing, you'll be quoting Stone Phillips from Dateline NBC (the guy that rigged the GM pickup truck side-saddle fuel tank explosions). Score: Chrysler 7, 6spdtl 0.
"Personally I wouldn't buy either since for the price there are much superior choices offered by the Japanese car makers." This is the only one I can't argue. Buy whatever car makes you happiest with the money you have to spend. One thing is for sure, you won't have to worry about me trolling the forums for your Nissan or Audi or whatever, making up a bunch of lies to amuse myself. In the future, think twice....or better yet -- think once.
Final Score: Chrysler 7, 6spdtl 0.
So, wrt SRT - 8:
1. How back ordered is it?
2. How much extra are you paying for it .vs. MSRP?
3. Who has the add-on kit for even more power (is 425 enough .vs. Vipers' 500? Bugatti's 1000 ?)
4. How often can you rev and race it the way you really want to ?