[goddardzilla]

Background:

About 9 or 10 months ago I attended an event at a local racetrack, showcasing the 300c and Magnum. The venue had small side by side test tracks of the 300c and Magnum - ideal for forming an opinion for decision making between the 300c and Magnum.

I drove the 300c a couple of times, waiting patiently in the lineup, then onto the Magnum. The tests were continual: previous driver out, DCX rep. checks everything OK- you in - seatbelt on and off. The Magnum appeared not to perform as well as the 300c - seemed almost tail heavy. I put this down to the extra rear mass of the tailgate. There was an emergency stop section just before the end of the course, it was there I smelled the brakes - burnt smell. End of course, as the DCX rep was about to usher me out I checked the parking brake, and sure enough it was partially on! Ahah so that's why, I put the brake off for the next driver. Overall this coloured my view of the Magnum, but I was leaning toward the 300c anyway.

Unknown to me a friend of mine had attended the 3 day event on a different day. I met him a few days later, and over coffee, before I could tell the above story, he said the 300c handled much better than the Magnum - WOW- maybe it wasn't the park brake after all. So 300c it was!

Now I must revisit that decision because the SRT8 is calling me. I am about to start building a new house and a " materials hauler" would be a big advantage, but I still have that nagging doubt about handling and tail-heavyness in my mind.

So for people who have driven both 300c and RT, and formed an opinion of the handling of both please chime in, does the Magnum handle worse?.

Zilla

 

[Northern Rider]

Zilla, I did the same course when DCX set it up here in Ottawa, exactly one year ago. I actually had my heart set on a Magnum R/T.

I got to the event area (Landsdowne Park) early on a Sunday morning before the crowds arrived. Got talking to the DCX drivers and they gave me an SRT-4 and I got to put on a drifting demo.

When that was over, I wanted to compare the Magnum R/T to the 300C. I got to run both cars through the same slalom course 3 times each - all runs with the ESP "off".

Here's what I took away:

Both vehicles were quite nimble, despite their size and weight. I was able to set the back end out into a power drift at about 15 degrees ease on both. The braking seemed identical. In fact, I couldn't find any significant difference in the performance, between the two.

Monday, I went to the dealer to order a Magnum R/T. We couldn't do it. DCX wasn't accepting these orders. 3 weeks later, the dealership received 2 black 300C's. I bought one of them, on the spot.