Cars - Chrysler 300

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	Cars - Chrysler 300

The Chrysler 300 is a luxury car designed by Ralph Giles. There have been many vehicles using the name, starting in 1955 and continuing to this day. This page is about the modern Chrysler 300, not the Chrysler 300 letter series cars of the 1950s and 1960s.

1979

The 300 name made a brief reapparance in 1979, on a somewhat revised Chrysler Cordoba bodyshell. This "300" had non-functional fender vents, red, white, and blue pin stripes, and a 360 in³ V8. This engine produced just 195 hp (145 kW) and was mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission, resulting in meager performance. The model was gone after 1979.

1999 300M

Chrysler revived the 300 name on the 300M in 1999. This time it was a front wheel drive, V6-engined car using the Chrysler LH platform. While not technically part of the famous "letter series" of the 1950s and 1960s, Chrysler did have a sense of continuity, using the next letter, M, after the last 300L.

When Chrysler redesigned the LH-cars in 1998, the Eagle Vision was discontinued. In order to fill the "import-fighter" gap, the Eagle Vision's position, Chrysler brought back the 300 name. Chrysler once stated that if the Eagle brand wasn't dropped, the 300M would instead be sold as a redesigned Eagle Vision. Indeed, a couple of design images surfaced on the Internet showing a 300M with an Eagle badge on the grille. The 300M also fit the European "3 metre" size class for export, unlike the substantially similar LHS.

The 300M was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1999. It also was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1999 and 2000.

2005 300/300C

The current 300 is a sport sedan and wagon which was first shown at the 2003 New York Auto Show as a concept car and first introduced in the spring of 2004 as an early 2005 model. The current 300 was designed by Ralph Gilles.

The new 300 was built to bring a high performance, sporty sedan to compete with the likes of the BMW 5-Series, the Cadillac CTS, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The 300C shares these cars' front-engined, rear wheel drive layout and offers comparable luxury at a lower price. The 300 is also sold in Europe as both a sedan and a station wagon. The station wagon, sold in Europe as the 300 Touring (not to be confused with the North American sedan's "Touring" trim level), shares its body pieces of the C-pillar with the Dodge Magnum. The 300 Touring differs from the Magnum in that its exterior stying and interior fitment are that of the 300/300C instead of the less-luxurious Magnum.

The new 300 is offered in five versions: the basic entry level 300, the "Touring" version, a more luxurious "Limited" model, the top-of the line 300C, and the performance-oriented SRT-8.

The basic 300 comes standard with 17 in (432 mm) alloy wheels, four-wheel disc brakes, traction control, and a four-speed automatic transmission. It uses a 2.7 L LH V6 making 190 hp (142 kW)

The Touring model uses a 3.5 L V6, producing 250 hp (186 kW) and 250 ft.lbf (339 N·m) of torque. It also uses a 4-speed automatic transmission, but comes with foglamps, yaw control, and other luxury appointments.

The top of the line 300C version uses a 5.7 L Hemi V8. This engine can run on four cylinders when less power is needed, reducing fuel consumption. The EPA has rated the 300C as getting 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway. When all 8 cylinders are needed, the 300C can make 340 hp (254 kW) and 390 ft·lbf (529 N·m) torque.

Initial indications were that the car would be a genuine hit for Chrysler. It is priced below similar rear wheel drive, high-performance V8 sedans from other marques, and shrewd product placement in several hip-hop videos have helped establish it as a cool and desirable vehicle. Media reports have indicated sales approaching 10,000 per month and shortages developing. In fact, one account had rapper Snoop Dogg leaving a message for Chrysler chairman Dieter Zetsche saying, "What I gotta do to get that brand-new C outta you?"

The new 300C and Dodge Magnum both share the Chrysler LX platform, which features components derived from the discontinued Mercedes-Benz E-Class of 1996 to 2002. Such components include the suspension design, front seat frames, wiring harnesses, steering column, the 5-speed automatic's design, and a derivative of the 4-Matic all wheel drive system.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Chrysler 300 ]

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Cars - Chrysler 300

1979

1999 300M

2005 300/300C

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