2006 Chrysler 300C SRT8 Preview

Chrysler is hoping you'll like silver or black, as these are the only two "colors," I mean shades available. Silver is an

Hopefully you like silver or black, because these are the only colors the SRT8 will be offered in. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler)

obvious choice as it's the most popular of all automotive paint schemes at approximately one third of all cars on the road and typical of sport models, especially those of German decent - and there's a lot of German engineering in the 300C. Black, well, it's the toughest most menacing hue out there, and stunning on the 300C especially when accompanied by aftermarket blacked-out rear taillight lenses.

Yes there are already many aftermarket parts available for the 300, with specially tuned versions cropping up all over the place. Two of my favorites came out of one tuning company that just happens to also own DUB Magazine. Both DUB Edition (www.dubedition.com) 300Cs look awesome, and show what is possible with a little money and a lot of creativity.

No serious customizer would even consider putting a car on the road without reworking the interior, and Chrysler has taken the same road with the new 300C SRT8. Up front, new power-adjustable sport seats offer greater lateral support via larger side bolsters, plus performance-oriented suede inserts to keep butt and back in place during aggressive maneuvers - the rear seats have been fitted with the same

Like the exterior, Chrysler has beefed up the interior of the 300C powerhouse. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada)

suede inserts. Back up front, heat and memory functions make getting comfortable easy, especially if the driver uses the adjustable pedals to find the optimal driving position.

To differentiate the SRT8 from a regular 300C even more, the steering wheel, shifter and door pulls are wrapped in something Chrysler calls "technical" leather trim, said to give a "more positive grip." Adding to the specialty treatment, the SRT8 gets an exclusive finish on the steering wheel, door pulls, door trim and center stack. Hardly unusual, the two color choices for the interior include Light Greystone and Dark Slate, or in other words light gray and dark gray.