What is it?
Chrysler 300 HEMI C
What's special about it?
It's a two-door, rear-drive convertible with a hemi V8 under the hood. Chrysler hasn't sold a vehicle with these specs since 1971 (and none of those cars where Chryslers, they all had "Plymouth" badges...for anyone who's already forgotten that division). The all-aluminum 353 cubic inch (5.7-liter) pushrod V8 makes 353 horsepower and 353 ft-lbs. of torque. Performance is said to include a zero-to-60 time of 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 160 mph. Dubbed a "luxury performance convertible," the 300 HEMI C features a four-speed automatic, a driver "Infotronic" system, and a security unit that uses a fingerprint scanner for high-tech theft protection. With GPS, a trunk-mounted laptop computer, a cell phone and voice recognition technology, the driver can adjust climate controls, get the latest weather information and check email without taking his hands off the wheel. Styling is highly Mercedes-esque, with slanted taillights, stepped headlights and a clean overall body shape.
Why should I care?
Like all of Chrysler's concept vehicles, this one looks almost production-ready. The Prowler proved that Chrysler isn't afraid of making a production vehicle with outrageous wheel sizes (19-inch front, 20-inch rear) and the high-tech features of the 300 HEMI C are likely to be standard issue in personal luxury coupes in the next few years. This is the first Chrysler we've seen with strong Mercedes-Benz influences, right down to the gated shifter and COMAND-like design of its central dash. If the 300 HEMI C is any indication of what the new DaimlerChrysler is capable of, we'll take it!
Chrysler 300 HEMI C
What's special about it?
It's a two-door, rear-drive convertible with a hemi V8 under the hood. Chrysler hasn't sold a vehicle with these specs since 1971 (and none of those cars where Chryslers, they all had "Plymouth" badges...for anyone who's already forgotten that division). The all-aluminum 353 cubic inch (5.7-liter) pushrod V8 makes 353 horsepower and 353 ft-lbs. of torque. Performance is said to include a zero-to-60 time of 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 160 mph. Dubbed a "luxury performance convertible," the 300 HEMI C features a four-speed automatic, a driver "Infotronic" system, and a security unit that uses a fingerprint scanner for high-tech theft protection. With GPS, a trunk-mounted laptop computer, a cell phone and voice recognition technology, the driver can adjust climate controls, get the latest weather information and check email without taking his hands off the wheel. Styling is highly Mercedes-esque, with slanted taillights, stepped headlights and a clean overall body shape.
Why should I care?
Like all of Chrysler's concept vehicles, this one looks almost production-ready. The Prowler proved that Chrysler isn't afraid of making a production vehicle with outrageous wheel sizes (19-inch front, 20-inch rear) and the high-tech features of the 300 HEMI C are likely to be standard issue in personal luxury coupes in the next few years. This is the first Chrysler we've seen with strong Mercedes-Benz influences, right down to the gated shifter and COMAND-like design of its central dash. If the 300 HEMI C is any indication of what the new DaimlerChrysler is capable of, we'll take it!
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