Right down to the initial grumble when the HEMI achieves ignition, every testosterone-laced decibel from the tailpipes seems to enter your ears as if it's been echoed back off the boulevards of Motown on a hot, muggy night.
The SRT badge brings a whole new sense of duty to the 300. It's a machine designed to devour straight stretches of pavement with distressing speed. It's also gifted with nearly rollercoaster cornering grip, though the steering lacks enough feedback to truly pull drivers into the experience. The brakes, though hugely powerful, are much the same thing. Unlike some of its German competition (which, incidentally, costs lots and lots more), it feels less like a performance car and more like someone put a rocket-thruster into a luxury sedan. To some, that's a good thing.
On the Track
Laps around a circuit proved its potency. Despite the size, SRT8 handled like a much smaller car. Though hard to place precisely in tight corners, it whips around apexes happily. Powerful and fade-resistant Brembo brakes allow drivers to dive into corners after late-braking, and there's always plenty of power to accelerate out--sideways optionally. What a fantastic machine for the business executive who likes to attend lapping sessions on weekends.
Important Numbers
0-100 comes up in five seconds on the way to a quarter mile pass of about 13 seconds. It gets about as many miles per gallon too, if you aren't careful. There's this constant temptation to throw environmental caution to the wind and unleash hell coming out of every light. Doing so puts the fuel consumption at the same rate as a refinery fire.
If you can't be light-footed when appropriate, then you'd best be a shareholder in an oil company. Spirited city driving nets fuel consumption of about 16 L/100 km, with highway mileage at a sustained 130 km/h averaging 11.2 L/100 km.
The SRT badge brings a whole new sense of duty to the 300. It's a machine designed to devour straight stretches of pavement with distressing speed. It's also gifted with nearly rollercoaster cornering grip, though the steering lacks enough feedback to truly pull drivers into the experience. The brakes, though hugely powerful, are much the same thing. Unlike some of its German competition (which, incidentally, costs lots and lots more), it feels less like a performance car and more like someone put a rocket-thruster into a luxury sedan. To some, that's a good thing.
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| The big 300 handles much better than its large size would indicate. |
On the Track
Laps around a circuit proved its potency. Despite the size, SRT8 handled like a much smaller car. Though hard to place precisely in tight corners, it whips around apexes happily. Powerful and fade-resistant Brembo brakes allow drivers to dive into corners after late-braking, and there's always plenty of power to accelerate out--sideways optionally. What a fantastic machine for the business executive who likes to attend lapping sessions on weekends.
Important Numbers
0-100 comes up in five seconds on the way to a quarter mile pass of about 13 seconds. It gets about as many miles per gallon too, if you aren't careful. There's this constant temptation to throw environmental caution to the wind and unleash hell coming out of every light. Doing so puts the fuel consumption at the same rate as a refinery fire.
If you can't be light-footed when appropriate, then you'd best be a shareholder in an oil company. Spirited city driving nets fuel consumption of about 16 L/100 km, with highway mileage at a sustained 130 km/h averaging 11.2 L/100 km.
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| Huge tailpipes, equally colossal 20" wheels and fender flares leave no doubt as to what this car can do. |