Boston Globe Article

HealeyRick · 06-04-2005, 07:03 AM

German engineering, American muscle

By Royal Ford *|* June 4, 2005

Not long after the German automaker Daimler-Benz AG ''merged" in 1998 with one of America's Big Three, the Chrysler Corp. -- in what everyone who looked beneath the surface saw as a less than friendly acquisition -- there was consternation on the floor of the North American International Auto Show when the Germans served up bratwurst at a DaimlerChrysler event.

It seemed, like revenge, a dish served cold. But today, under German leadership, DaimlerChrysler is serving up hot platters of American muscle: the Chrysler 300 series, the Dodge Magnum, the just released Dodge Charger. All reflect a German prescience that a muscle car comeback was in order, and they have done it with a combination of some Mercedes-Benz engineering, American gangsta looks, and a Street and Racing Technology Group that takes each new rendition of muscle and resculpts it in more powerful form. Latest in this wave is the 2005 Chrysler 300C SRT-8.

The 300, with its griddle grille, deep wheel wells, chopped roofline, and low, muscular stance, looked ferocious even in its base model. Then a Hemi engine got added in 5.7-liter, 340 horsepower form. And now the SRT engineers have gone a step beyond that, replacing that engine with a 6.1-liter, V-8 Hemi with 425 horsepower. That translates into 0-60 in less than five seconds; a tugging range of torque that runs through thousands of RPMs; a sedan that feels like you're driving an Autobahn burner or even a Corvette.

And in a very cool manner, the changes to make this an SRT production are visually subtle.

The fascia runs a bit deeper, with a thin lip of leading spoiler that sits low to the ground. Rocker panel muscles jut just beneath the doors. Scoops to feed air to the brakes were added to the front.

Seats have been boldly bolstered and touches of chrome and leather extend to dash, shift knob, steering wheel, and doors. The base of the seats is suede for better grip in hard cornering. Headroom and legroom are spacious for even the biggest of folks. Yet it remains a subtle car. You can roll up to a stop light knowing that hot rod beside you would be in danger of shame should you both try to burst away -- not that we recommend that, folks.

While subtle in its touch-ups of exterior and interior, Chrysler is far from subtle with what it has done for the car's performance. The engine, quiet in slow traffic, explodes through twin, 3.5-inch round exhaust pipes from this beast's tail when the gas is hit hard. This is a two-ton-plus sedan, yet with 420 lb.-ft. of torque, it's an easy pull for the power plant. It is hitched to a five-speed transmission, and seems tuned for the engine's intent, winding out well when left in automatic, not shifting up prematurely when pushed in manual mode.

It rides atop -- from Mercedes E-Class cars -- a suspension that has been sport-tuned for stiffness, with upgrades to shocks, springs, and antiroll bars. And its stability control system is definitely less intrusive than that found on the regular 300 cars, letting you sense better what the power you are feeding is doing for hungry tires.

Indeed, for all its weight and power, it handled crisply in tight, fast corners and passed with absolutely no hint of body roll. Even quick dives back into the slow lane did not phase it. If quiet cruising is what you seek -- along with that tough look -- the tamer car is for you. But if you want a 300 that lives up to its looks in fullest form, then the SRT-8 is a must. You're buying, for about $40,000, mostly engine, transmission, and suspension.

But if performance is what you're after, that's what you should be shopping for in the first place -- at about $5,000 more than you'd pay for the regular Hemi. But muscle car enthusiasts have shown us that money is no object when in the grip of gangsta love.*

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