Ever since Chrysler unveiled its
2005 300 sedan, I've been telling all who'll listen that I believe this car to be the sharpest-looking vehicle we've seen materialize in the past decade or so.
Yes, that Ralph Gilles fella did an amazing job designing the 300 as it truly is a coat of many colors. In white, or that silky-smooth cream, you have yourself a Bentley lookalike which appears worth twice the amount you actually paid for. Some bright red paintwork turns the 300 into a four-door sports car, and black makes it look all sinister and for the want of a better description, mafia-like.
Of course, then came a complete
redesign for 2011, and my hand went straight to my forehead. Why would anyone play around with such a magnificent piece of automotive design?
Well, to my astonishment, they knocked it out of the ballpark again because the redesigned 300 looks superb, and every bit the worthy successor to the former model. So what's next?
Well, you produce a few limited editions which tweak the vehicles further in one direction or another. Which is why, at a recent Chrysler product test day, I simply had to jump behind the wheel of the Mopar '12 300.
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| Mopar '12 300 (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
Of course, the name Mopar (MOtor and PARts) has been around since the 1930s, yet it wasn't until the muscle-car era of the 60s that it became firmly entrenched in its association with performance parts. Since then, it has become the byword for power within the Chrysler family and the ‘12 Mopar 300 certainly lives up to this reputation.
Instantly recognisable as a Chrysler 300, its stylish blue pinstriping provides just a hint to this being something slightly different from the norm. Of course, if you didn't quite get that, the menacing 20” black & blue rims further edge towards this being something special. Subtle yes, but just in case there was any doubt, there's a shiny Mopar badge on the trunk lid which says it all.... You've just been well and truly Mopar'd!
Yes, powered by the faithful 5.7L HEMI V8 (363 hp) with its fuel-saving, cylinder-deactivation technology, the '12 Mopar 300 sports a rear differential ratio of 3.91:1 (instead of the 3.06:1), which allows 0-to-100 km/h launches to take place in the low 5-second range. Now that's super quick for a vehicle of its size and weight, but this vehicle is more than just a straight-line dragster!
The Mopar '12 300 features performance-tuned suspension with 42 percent stiffer front and 23 percent stiffer rear springs (compared to Chrysler 300 models with the touring-tuned suspension). It also features stickier P245/45R20 Goodyear Eagle F1 tires and dual-piston front and single-piston rear callipers, so it corners, grips and stops as well as it starts.
It's a rather large vehicle, yet jostle the shift lever in its manual-mode gate, and this puppy becomes a playful Pitbull. The handling prowess of a vehicle this large needs to be experienced to be believed, as does its bullet-like acceleration. In many ways, this is a real sleeper vehicle, as you could pass by it without realizing what it was. However, precisely the same could be said of it as it passes you. As in, what the (bleep) was that?
Yes, I like Mopar Edition 300, I like it a lot. It's a shame that it's not offered in Canada.
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| Mopar '12 300 (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
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