Chrysler 300C SRT-8 Touring review

This review first appeared in Issue 157 of Top Gear magazine (2006).

Chrysler 300C SRT-8 Touring: made for a getaway

This is a nailed-on star for a car-chase film - and it certainly would not be driven by the heroes. With its excessive power, natural talent for dramatic, villain-worthy oversteer, and ample room for guns, hostages or contraband, it is almost impossible to imagine a more tempting escape car.

You will not, however, spot one in a Hollywood film. It is available only in Europe. In its US home market, the estate wears a different front end and carries the Dodge Magnum name. Only here does the 300C come as a Touring. The SRT-8 is the high-performance 300C, already sold here as a right-hand-drive saloon for £39,040. It is a car defined by excess; the Touring adds even more.

V8 power and estate-car practicality

The saloon and estate offer the same driving experience. Up front sits a 6.1-litre 425bhp V8, paired with a five-speed automatic gearbox that can be manually overridden. Like a proper screen villain, it talks quietly while wielding a very large stick. Feel free to liquefy the rear tyres or swing the tail pendulum-style, although it also finds surprisingly strong traction, helped by its electronic control systems.

Its Mercedes-derived rear axle delivers capable, sophisticated handling and a reasonably acceptable - if fidgety - ride. Then again, with 20-inch wheels, a sofa-like float was never really on the cards.

There is something deeply strange about attacking a series of tight bends, checking the mirror to make sure nobody has witnessed it, and finding the rear screen apparently miles behind you. It may behave itself rather neatly, but this remains a very, very large car. By European standards, though, it is not enormous.

Motorway manners and cabin compromises

On the motorway, the SRT-8 lacks the tied-to-the-rails sensation of fast German machinery. Its large steering wheel feels slightly vague and too light, meaning you must keep making small corrections to hold a straight course. Yet it cruises quietly, with the engine murmuring along only just above idle. The stereo has the presence of Madison Square Garden.

Search for the explanation for its £10k advantage over the slower, less generously equipped Mercedes E500 wagon and you will find it. The differences lie not only in its reduced collection of safety systems and slightly less polished dynamics, but also in the cabin trim. The gap is obvious, though nowhere near as laughably vast as you might expect. Chrysler is taking lessons from its aloof cousin without sacrificing its own sense of fun.

Do not be fussy. Enjoy the pace, the expressions on other people's faces and the money left in your pocket. Or stolen.

Verdict: Imperfect but enjoyably unhinged, excellent value and a superb alternative to those sod-you ‘sport SUVs’.

6.1-litre V8
425bhp, RWD
0-60mph in 5.1 secs, max speed 168mph
2,010kg
£40,250