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Chrysler is bidding adieu to the long-standing 300 sedan line-up, and they are planning a smashing farewell with a performance model.
Currently, Chrysler has just two cars in their portfolio - the Pacifica minivan, and the long-standing 300 sedan. So, when the automaker dropped social media posts stating that they are bringing out a special edition car that would also be "the most powerful and luxurious" in Chrysler history; it wasn't much of a mystery to point fingers at the 300 sedan.
A performance version of the Pacifica minivan sounds intriguing, but we don't think that's how Chrysler rolls. Chrysler 300 was in its prime during the early 2000s in its first-generation guise. And the show-stopper was the iconic 300C that packed a monstrous 5.7-Liter HEMI V8 motor. The 300 SRT8 sedan was the most-powerful "300" of the second-generation model, but it couldn't match up to the eye-popping numbers that made the 300C famous.
And so, when Chrysler dropped its "surprise" special-edition model news with a close-up shot of the wheel and brake calipers, we couldn't help but think of the possible return of the 300C! Well, for obvious reasons it is not going to be a 300 SRT nor a 300 Hellcat. But what we know is that the new 2023 Chrysler 300C will be a limited-run model, and clearly a befitting way to say goodbye to this muscle sedan.
Chrysler is bidding adieu to the long-standing 300 sedan line-up, and they are planning a smashing farewell with a performance model, hopefully, the return of 300C!
The 300 sedan has been around for more than a decade. Things have been looking brim for this outdated yet muscle-vibing Chrysler. It was a hoot back in 2011 when the second-generation model came out. But now, after 11 years, it's old and irrelevant. Chrysler is doing the best thing possible, and phasing the gas-powered 300 sedans out of production.
But before that, this veteran is getting a deserving goodbye. A few days ago, Chrysler put up a Facebook post that read "We're Bringing The Power In 2023. Stay Tuned". And now we have an update to that mystery post, and it is turning out to be an exciting bit of news (or we hope so!).
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Chrysler has put up a new social media post of a close-up shot showing an alloy wheel and a red "Brembo" caliper. Clearly, there is sportiness hidden inside the image. Let's get the obvious deductions out of place here. Since the alloy wheel has the "Chrysler" logo on it, the new "Performance" 300 sedan will unlikely sport exclusive "SRT" badges as the wheels are missing the tag.
Nor will it be flaunting any "Hellcat" badges as well. Strengthening the case, as Moparinsiders points out, the image shows a 4-piston Brembo caliper which is synonymous with 392 HEMI-packed Dodge performance sedans. The bigger six-pistons are what are used in SRT Hellcat models. So, yeah, Chrysler is going subtle with the naming, which also hints at the return of the long-forgotten 300C sedan!
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Despite its popularity, the high-performance Chrysler 300C was never revived for the second-generation run. In the US, there was just one instance of the 300C in 2005 which was offered as the top-spec trim of the 300 line-up, powered by a 5.7-Liter HEMI V8 Magnum motor that churned out 350 hp and 375 lb-ft of torque. These numbers were impressive back in the day.
The only model that came close to the 300C's performance quotient was the 300 SRT8 packed in an even meatier 6.4-Liter 392 HEMI V8. It churned out 470 hp and could do 0-60 mph in around 4 seconds. But the SRT8 was discontinued in 2015 for the US. But it lived on till 2021 for Australia and certain parts of Europe. The OG 300C's 5.7-Liter V8 lived on in the second-generation run as the engine for the 300S trim.
But none of these "performance" models could keep up with the ever-evolving competition, especially from the Germans. Also, the aging platform was also doing no good to this Chrysler sedan. Judging by the platform sharing cues, we expect the new mystery performance Chrysler sedan to share its engine with the Dodge Charger which also rides on the LD platform.
So, the upcoming 2023 Chrysler 300C will most-likely pack the beefy 6.4-Liter 392 HEMI V8. In the Charger, it churns out 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque and does 0-60 mph in about 4 seconds. Sound familiar? These are the same specs as the now-defunct 300 SRT8. Now, we expect the engine to be carried over into the Chrysler without any tweaks. But hey, no one is saying "No" to more powahhh!
Related: 10 Reasons Why The 1957 Chrysler 300C Is Awesome
All of our doubts will be cleared out when Chrysler unveiled probably its most powerful car yet at the 2022 North American International Auto Show reveal on the 13th of this month. The sure factors of this car are that it is going to be a limited edition model, so we can expect some exclusive badges, cool interior features, and rad exterior shades. Do chime into the official unveil here.
Sources: Stellantis North America, Chrysler
Tijo is an engineer, mechanic, and an avid content creator. He is a grease-monkey who loves tinkering with automobiles every now and then, when not busy penning down his passion for them. He has always had a soft spot for JDM and is keen on diving deep in for anything that involves wheels and engines.