When the 2005 Chrysler 300C won Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award and was one of Car and Driver’s “10 Best of 2005”, it was no secret that the reincarnation of the 300 moniker was going to make for a popular model.  The introduction of the 425 horsepower SRT-8 model only added to the already powerful lineup, and further bolstered the popularity of the model.  This popularity has spread from video games to music videos, with the high performance luxury sedan having become quite popular with “hip hop culture”.  The SRT-8 model has proven to be so popular, that there is now the “heritage series”, which comes with the SRT-8 rear spoiler and fascias, but does not come with the 6.1L engine, giving the buyer the option of the style of the SRT-8 without the added power. 

However, for those who are just as interested in getting the most out of their 6.1L Hemi as they are enjoying the plush and technologically advance, yet sporty interior, the aftermarket has opened up quickly for this high performance luxury sedan.  Tipping the scales at about 4160 pounds, the SRT-8 is still quite quick and stock form thanks to the 425 horsepower, with stock 300C SRT-8s finding their way into the low 13 second and high 12 second range in the quarter mile.  Even faster times have been turned out from the crowd who has chosen to modify the drivetrain to a minor extent, with such items as a cold air intake and a higher flowing exhaust system helping the 300s to run into the 12.7-12.8 range.  12.8 seconds in the quarter mile out of a basically stock car boasting pretty much every amenity that one would expect from a high end luxury car is pretty impressive, but for around 43,000 USD, with another grand or so tacked on for the intake and exhaust modifications, you have yourself one of the fastest luxury sedans, dollar for dollar, available in the US market.  But as is always the case, enough is never enough, so the aftermarket has gotten to be quite large for the SRT-8 models.  Those who do not want to stray too far from the stock configuration now have a variety of different throttle bodies to chose from, as well as high flowing exhaust headers and catalytic converters.  Those who are interested in just plain huge horsepower can go a far more expensive route and opt for a forced induction system, be it a remotely mounted turbocharger, or an under hood, side mounted supercharger, these forced induction 300s allow these 4160 pound luxury cars to run with some of the best sports cars in the United States and abroad.  The Dodge Charger SRT-8, which shares the 300C drivetrain gives a new car buyer the option of the SRT-8 performance, but with a little less luxury and a lower price tag, and the same goes for the Dodge Magnum SRT-8 for station wagon buyers, and with the shared factory parts comes the ability to share aftermarket performance parts, allowing all of these cars the ability to poke around the 11 second quarter mile barrier.

While it is not cheap to build yourself a 600 horsepower 300C SRT-8, with turbo kits priced from 3,000 to 10,000 USD, depending on how crazy you get with accompanying modifications, the options to do so attract a whole new crowd of people.  While companies like BMW have been building high performance luxury sedans, models like their awesome new M5 are far more expensive than the SRT-8, and modifications to the BMWs are also far more expensive.  So, you know have a group of performance minded drivers who have the need to seat 5 people, the need to use the car to drive the boss to a business meeting, and the desire to make a trip to the drag strip once in a while and rip off mid 12 second times, and there are few cars that can boast this ability for under 50,000 USD.  This upper-middle management, white collar wearing racer is not new to the drag strip, as racing can be very costly, but this new breed has the ability to drive to the track straight from work, right off the street in stock form and run in the low 13s with leather seats, state of the art audio visual systems, and a quiet smooth ride to and from the track.  Combine with that the enhanced handling abilities of the 300C SRT-8 thanks to its tuned suspension and braking systems, and its no wonder why the 300C SRT-8 is regarded as being one of the best high performance luxury sedans in the US, and around the world.