Dodge has already rolled out pictures of the meaner, more muscular 2011 Charger. But what about its corporate cousin, the Chrysler 300C? What direction could Chrysler take the sedan-of-choice for gangsters and hitmen the world over? Would Fiat’s Italian touches leak onto Chrysler’s design canvas?
The answer is here in the form of the first official pictures of the 2011 Chrysler 300 from Motor Trend. The 300C is less gangster, more refined, but still packing plenty of heat.
Gone is the big, bold cross-section grille that looked a bit too much like a Bentley. In its place are horizontal bars that draw the eye towards the swept-back headlights, giving the new 300C a bit of a bird’s beak. However, the Chrysler still cuts much the same side profile, with a blatant line running at a slight uphill angle from hood to truck. The hood has a softer slant up to the windshield though, and the whole front end looks a bit more civilized. Like a hired goon with a bachelors degree.
The rear end looks much the same, albeit with smaller taillights with a piece of chrome running underneath, giving them a connected look. If you look at the headlights, the daytime-running light LED’s are shaped in a “C”, for the Chrysler “C.” The base engine is the new 3.5 liter 292 horsepower, 260 ft-lbs of torque V6. The HEMI returns with a slightly de-tuned 360 horsepower and 390 ft-lbs of torque. What we’re really waiting for though is a special edition 392 Chrysler 300 SRT8, particularly as it is the only car in Chrysler’s lineup to have originally been produced with the original HEMI 392. The 300 more look more refined, but its still a brutal contender, and it won’t let the other luxury brands soon forget that.