First Drive: 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Chrysler, First Drives, Luxury

Reborn Luxury Bruiser Aspires To Great Heights



We couldn't help but ask Chrysler officials point-blank about what cars their 2012 300 SRT8, the brand's self-proclaimed "Ultimate combination of world-class luxury and performance," will compete against. Their answer, delivered with zero hesitation and a perfect poker face? The Cadillac CTS-V. That utterance shut us up so quickly that we had to sit back in our chair to ponder the bold response.

The new 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8, the highest-performing model ever in Chrysler's lineup, boasts a powerful 6.4-liter Hemi V8 punch, massive Brembo brakes, lightweight forged wheels, countless hours of suspension tuning and a slew of cosmetic goodies. It is, without question, a very impressive sport sedan. But choosing a target like the CTS-V, Cadillac's highly regarded flagship performance vehicle, may reveal a bit too much confidence. After all, the CTS-V isn't just more powerful - its chassis is a bit lighter, it's shorter in stature and it wears stickier shoes. Of course, it's also much more expensive.

We didn't question Chrysler's comment, or even raise an eyebrow to their claim. We were, after all, sitting at a racetrack with a 300 SRT8 idling in the hot pits just a dozen yards away. Instead, we walked out of the building, donned a helmet and climbed into the driver's seat to find out for ourselves.

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2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/22/2012-chrysler-300-srt8-first-drive-review/

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