Chrysler 300 SRT8 version

Chrysler 300 SRT8 version - Then when it had the expected success, it started tinkering with the formula to make the car more powerful and handle better. It's that line of thought that has brought us to the most recent addition, the 300C SRT8.

The SRT8 version is powered by a 6.1-litre HEMI V8 that is 400cc larger and 85-horsepower better than the regular 300C's HEMI V8, for a premium cash outlay of only $7,000 (ouch!).

The results speak for themselves: zero to 100 km/h in about 5.5 seconds, and zero to 100 mph and back to zero in less than 17 seconds. The power comes on quickly and vocally, turning the 300C SRT8 from a Dr. Jekyll like meekness into a brute of Hyde proportions.

The ride is well maintained when it needs to be, belying the full performance potential of the beast until it is unleashed. Once the speed climbs and the road kinks up, though, the true potential of the SRT8 quickly comes to light. Nine-inch wide tires set on 20-inch rims help keep a tenacious grip on the road (Chrysler claims it can withstand 0.89g or lateral force on the skid pad).

And inside grip is handled through the innovative use of suede inserts in the unique seats. The wide-back front seats are well bolstered for support, while the rear seat is rather flat but grippy all the same. The positions are not as well defined back there, but the comfort level is pretty good. As in most sedans, the center position is best left for children, though in this case the floor drive-hump makes for uncomfortable legs.

And if the price tag doesn't give it away, the 300C is very much a Mercedes model (it is based on the E-class, albeit loosely) and the SRT8 adaptation gives it more sport while retaining the comfort and civil ambience of a family sedan, and at the same time creating a car whose competitors are considerably more costly.

2007 Chrysler Aspen Limited 4WD

2007 Chrysler Aspen Limited 4WD - Chrysler makes much of this rebadged Dodge Durango’s ambitions to move among the big luxury SUVs. As well it might, given that this is the only SUV in Chrysler showrooms. But the real story here is about Chrysler putting out a big body-on-frame SUV with three rows of seating, four-wheel drive, and an optional 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 capable of serious trailer-tugging duties—all for way less than 40 grand.

Our Aspen Limited (they’re all Limiteds) came with almost every option and stickered for $44,435. You can’t get a Cadillac Escalade for that, or a Lexus LX470. Or even a GX470. And the 800-pound gorilla in the room here is the $1190 Hemi included in that price.

Okay, fuel economy is not this engine’s strong suit, despite a system that deactivates half of its cylinders while cruising and provides notably free downhill coasting abilities when you get off the throttle. No, it’s the effortless torque that wafts this 5325-pound behemoth off the line, even at relatively small throttle openings, and tows it up long hills at 80 mph without a fuss.

We didn’t have a trailer on hand to tow, but there’s no doubt the Hemi handles that equally well, and the Aspen has special anti-trailer-sway software in its vehicle dynamics system for that very purpose. Equipped with 50-series tires on 20-inch rims, our test Aspen steered fairly accurately for a big SUV, but its suspension is so soft that the vehicle trampolines over undulations in a way that would send us scuttling back to sedans.

Our final beef is a second-row seat that doesn’t adjust for legroom. Why not? The rear row doesn’t get regular use, and the second-row space is too short.

2007 Chrysler Sebring Limited

2007 Chrysler Sebring Limited - When the driver first plops down on the Sebring’s softly cushioned and unsupportive seats and looks at the two-tone Sun City interior, speed isn’t what comes to mind. But the power issue has definitely been addressed. Ignite the aluminum V-6, stomp the throttle, and 60 mph flashes by in 6.8 seconds. The six-speed automatic quickly shifts through its tightly spaced second and third gears and pushes the bulky body through the quarter-mile at 92 mph in 15.3 seconds. That’s solid performance for a $25,995 (the cost of a Sebring Limited with the optional V-6 and six-speed tranny) mid-size sedan, although a V-6 Honda Accord is 0.2 second quicker in both tests and is $200 cheaper.

Unfortunately, this big V-6 seems to have overcome only the power problem. The suspension is mushy, with springs that rebound about as quickly as a loaf of Wonder bread you’ve accidentally stepped on.

Instead of appealing to enthusiasts, Chrysler opts to thrill potential buyers with gadgets and utility. The six-speaker, six-CD-changer stereo sounds upscale in this price class. We enjoyed the standard swiveling map lights and the heating and cooling cup holder — it kept our Starbucks at 123 degrees — and loved the folding front seat that allows transport of items longer than nine feet. Among the options on our test car were 18-inch wheels ($250); the Luxury package that includes an interior air filter, chrome wheels, and heated seats ($1195); and stability control ($425).

Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6

Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 - The car's name is also an unintentional pun about DaimlerChrysler; in the days since the 1998 merger, executives have been regularly mowed down by crossfire between Stuttgart and Detroit. The latest forced exit was Chrysler Group COO Wolfgang Bernhard, crossfired in May for being too vocal about problems at Mercedes and resisting a plan to spend $7 billion bailing out Mitsubishi.

Meanwhile, the dandy-dressed Crossfire, which shares both skeleton and muscle with the first-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster, is the first Chrysler product to attain the performance-enhancing SRT label, heretofore bestowed only on Dodges.

The "street and racing technology" shtick—adding more horsepower, bigger tires, and big attitude—has already been done to a few Dodges, notably, the Ram SRT-10 and Neon-based SRT-4 (all Vipers carry an SRT-10 badge). Buyers who prefer a quick quarter-mile served with essence of tire smoke have approved of the 500-hp pickup and 230-hp subcompact (in fact, various Mopar bolt-on kits will bump the SRT-4's horsepower all the way to 300).

We have written that the base Crossfire has eye-snaring looks and pleasing handling but an engine at least 50 horsepower short of the boiling point. The SRT mods are substantial, as is the price increase. From base Crossfire coupe to SRT-6 coupe, the extra $11,200 buys first and foremost an intercooled supercharger that wrenches another 115 horses from the 3.2-liter, 18-valve V-6. Blown, the V-6 makes 330 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, a twistability increase of 81 pound-feet.

There's been considerable pumping up of the Crossfire's suspension as well. The spring rates have been stiffened almost 50 percent in the front and 42 percent in the rear, and jounce and rebound rates in the shocks have been firmed up to match. The front brake rotors grow 1.2 inches to 13.0, and the rear discs go vented and get another 0.9 inch of diameter. There's more zoot in the Crossfire's '40s-streamline styling with special-to-SRT wheels, 18 inches in front, 19 in the rear.

The cockpit gets by with minimal changes, including a 200-mph speedo and Alcantara pseudo-suede trim on the buckets that is embroidered with an SRT-6 logo. Hence, a few complaints about the Crossfire cabin remain, including over-the-shoulder blind spots, a tight cabin for six-footers, no steering-wheel rake adjustment, and a dinky eight-cubic-foot trunk with nothing to tie down the goods.

Even so, polite manners govern the powertrain. The throttle response and the automatic gear selections are smoothly keyed to your pedal inputs. If you like, pilot the SRT-6 all day without ever getting into the fat end of the power—let the Starbucks get cold in the one cup holder, and it won't slosh if you're careful.

Fancy multilink arrangements in the wheel wells strike a contrast to a medieval recirculating-ball steering box that deadens wheel feedback from the driver. The base Crossfire is no lubberly pig, but the SRT deckhands have pulled in any slack and reprogrammed the stability-control software to tolerate more friskiness. Some fast lapping at Southern California's Willow Springs track proved that the SRT-6 is screwed down tight.

Chrysler 300C SRT8

Chrysler 300C SRT8 - On occasion, the home industry was good for the affordable yet unrefined eye-opener that temporarily salved our pain—to name a few, the Buick Grand National and GNX, the Chevrolet Impala SS, and the Ford Taurus SHO. Those vehicles offered performance and price but lacked the refinement of the import brands. For 2004, Cadillac gave us the 400-hp CTS-V that matched the performance and refinement of the über-sedans, but at $51,485, GM charges fully for it.

Without the 10Best-winning 340-hp 300C, which probably wouldn't have gestated in its current form had it not been for the Mercedes merger, SRT (Street and Racing Technology) director Dan Knott would not have had such a superb starting point on which to perform the modifications necessary to make the car into something worthy of SRT badging.

Full-throttle shifts at the redline are accompanied by an explosive sonic boom from the exhaust. Back off the throttle, and the sound becomes mellow and unobtrusive. At 70 mph we measured 69 dBA of noise, but you don't hear the engine as much as you hear the wind rushing around the brick-like body and the hum of the wide tires. Following the logic of AMG's offerings, the German automaker's American operations do not offer a clutch pedal.

The SRT8's ungoverned top speed of 173 mph also would have placed it on top and is especially startling when you consider the block-like drag coefficient of 0.36 and the garage-door-sized frontal area of 25.8 square feet. Better yet, the SRT8 outpaces the ungoverned CTS-V by 12 mph and all AMG products (which are governed at 155 mph) by 18 mph. Academic for sure, but if you paid more for those other cars, you'd definitely want the bragging rights.

For those who don't want to buy new wheels and snow tires (you'd have to buy new wheels if you wanted snows, since a 20-inch snow tire doesn't exist at the moment), Chrysler will equip the SRT8 with all-season Goodyear RS-As that might have a better chance of getting you out of a snowy driveway. The tire sizes are staggered—smaller 245/45R-20 fronts and slightly larger 255/45R-20 rears—and on a dry, tight handling course there is some initial understeer, but it's easily canceled by a quick crack of the throttle. Steering feel isn't quite as award-worthy as the rest of the chassis.

The Duke boys might appreciate the stiff ride of the SRT8, but if you're looking for a supple ride, the regular-strength 300C may be more your speed. In the SRT version you and your passengers will experience more bucking than Travolta did in Urban Cowboy. The dubs, the low-profile tires, and the firmer suspension increase the grip but degrade the ride over less than glassy pavement.

The chairs are supportive, and the wider size will fit big-and-tall shoppers with ease. An easy-to-use optional navigation system kept us from getting lost whenever we became disoriented by the SRT8's acceleration. The nav system is part of a $1965 package that includes an upgraded and crisp-sounding stereo with Sirius satellite radio. Metallic trim adorns the center console and doors, but it doesn't change the plastic-filled cabin to the extent that the rest of the modifications alter the character of the car.

Right now, the only other car selling in the low 40s that approaches the joy we get from the Chrysler is the lightweight, uncompromised Lotus Elise. Obviously, the two cars couldn't be more different. So why do we want both of them in our garage so badly?