The Fastest Chrysler 300 Ever Made Is Also The Last

First Generation Chrysler 300 C

The old Chrylsers were essentially E-Class underneath thanks to the whole Daimler-Chrysler saga. Instead of spending billions and starting from scratch, Big C put a large Tuxedo on the W211 E-Class and called it a day. This might not be a bad thing since Chrysler isn’t exactly known for reliability in the first place.

The 300 C featured a tried and true HEMI block with a fancy MDS tech, in which one side of the cylinder bank would shut itself during highway cruising to eke out every MPG possible. 

 The engine made 340 hp (later 360) and 390 lb-ft when firing on all 8s. For those of you looking for even more “want to know my local police better“ type of a deal go for the SRT-8. These beasts were hellcats of their day and packed a roaring 6.1 L HEMI motor with 420 hp and 425 lb-ft. Used Chrysler 300 made between 2005-2010 can cost you around $15,000 to $30,000.

Not a bad deal but steer clear from V6 models as they are unpatriotic and reeled from extensive engine sludge problems. Be prepared to shell out a few grand for suspension bushings and engine overhaul if the previous owners drove it like they stole it. 

Are old Chrysler 300s Reliable?

 The 300Cs made between 2005 and 2010 were largely reliable but a lot of folks that bought them had 2 recurring issues as you might have seen in the screen grab above. 

The first was a clanking noise coming from the engine, especially during a cold start due to the valve train being in contact with the lifters. It was an engineering flaw that ultimately cost thousands of dollars in repairs if neglected. Chrysler somehow managed to dodge the bullet on this one as out of 38 times the 300 has been recalled not one is dedicated to the Valvetrain issue.

The second most common problem with any Chrysler V6 or V8 was premature wear and tear of suspension components like axles and bushes due to its featherweight chassis that only weighed 4000 pounds. 

Even Snoop Dogg wanted one 

Despite all these kinks which were discovered a few years after Gen 1 300s went on sale its popularity was anything but waning. Both Motortrend and C&D gave it COTY and Snoop Dogg even called Chrysler asking for one. Other artists like Chingy and The Game had a special spot for the 300s in their hearts as evidenced by their lyrics.

The car secured the #12 spot in the list of 25 Most Iconic Hip Hop cars of all time. So if you are planning to flip your 300 after having some fun with it I suggest gunning for special editions like Hurst, Heritage, and Walter P Chrysler Exclusive series which came with some upgraded aesthetics and and hold their value better than vanilla models.

Second Generation Chrysler 300 C

Chrysler polished nearly every inch of the new 300 with revised fascia, new engines, and Mercedes-borrowed suspension front and aft. The dicey old V6 was thrown out in favor of the Pentastar unit (still unpatriotic) and V8s went through a tiny but meaningful displacement increase.

The 5.7 L Hemi now had 363 hp on tap and came while the top-of-the-line SRT-8 had a new 6.4 L 392 Hemi and 470 hp to boast. The latter was discontinued in 2014 but was recently bought back as the final Chrysler 300C. The 2023 Chrysler 300C came with 485 hp and 475 lb-ft making it the fastest Chrysler 300C ever made with a 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds.

Second-gen Chrysler 300s also got plenty of special editions like Mopar, Glacier, John Varvatos, and Motown. A used Chrysler 300 from 2nd gen will set you back by $20,000-$25,000 depending on the condition

300C Also Came As A Wagon…

Well not in the US but across the pond a mean-looking V8 powered Chrysler 300 C wagon was up for sale at least until the first generation. You can get it imported if you truly want to look apart at Cars & Coffee and/or live with RHD models.

Fastest Chrysler 300 Ever Made 

As is the case always, the latest 300C is also the quickest of the lot but only 2000 were made and can be incredibly expensive and tricky to find. The 300 SRT-8 made from 2012 onwards is your best bet that is not only much more affordable in the used car market but is the second most powerful on the list with 470 hp. It also has a 175 mph speedometer as opposed to 160 for the new one.

If you are not pleased with the specs below consider buying a used SRT Charger or Cadillac’s Blackwing models that offer the same formula as 300 does but are available till 2024.