2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 Specs, Pics, Prices and Reviews

If we made a list of unforgettable cars of the previous decade, the first-generation Chrysler 300 SRT8 and Dodge Charger SRT8 would be on it.

They were nutso full-sizers with 425-hp, 6.1-liter Hemis; aggressive looks; and chest-thumping exhausts. Those qualities earned them a pass for their shortcomings—which included occasionally crashy suspensions, plasticky interiors, turret-like outward vision, and a five-speed automatic transmission that could have used an additional ratio (or three).

We wouldn’t find ourselves smitten with the all-new 2012 300 SRT8 and Charger SRT8—each packing a larger, revised 6.4-liter Hemi with 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque—if they were to arrive with similar faults. Our first chance to be smote came on the twisty roads north of Los Angeles, and on the quick, 2.5-mile road course at Willow Springs International Raceway near Lancaster, California. (For more details on the new Hemi, check out our 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 test.)

It was at the track that we received our first opportunity to let a preproduction 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 off its leash. Barreling down the front straight, the acceleration was stupefying for a full-size sedan, but is it quicker than before? We won’t know for sure until we strap on the test gear, but we predict a 4.6-second sprint to 60. That’s 0.1 second quicker, with the 6.4’s additional 45 horses and 50 lb-ft likely able to overcome a 150-ish-pound weight gain. Figure on a quarter-mile time of around 13 flat, too, an improvement of 0.2 second. (The Dodge should return identical numbers.)

The five-speed auto carries over as the conduit for the Hemi’s fury. Acceleration could be helped later by the installation of Chrysler’s eight-speed automatic, which will occur in about a year; it also likely will reduce these beasts’ thirst. For now, any improvement in fuel economy—Chrysler says it’s 25-percent better—comes largely from the Hemi’s new cylinder-deactivation system. There’s also an active valve in the exhaust system that allows half the pots to play dead without a conspicuous change to the exhaust note.

At Willow or on the mountain roads, it was hard to forget the 300 SRT8’s mass, but it never felt unwieldy and acquitted itself fairly well on the track’s squiggles. The fully hydraulic steering delivers linear and surprisingly quick response, and its heft means the quickness just off-center doesn’t wreak havoc on straight-line stability. A bit more surface feedback would have been appreciated at the limit, but there’s enough in nearly every other situation.

Even at 130 mph along the back straight—top speed is 175, says Chrysler—the 300 SRT8 remained firmly planted, and there was virtually no wind noise. There was little drama as we approached turn eight, a wide, fast right-hander. There, the 300 SRT8 hunkered down on its suspension, which drops the body by a half inch compared to the workaday 300/300C. The majority of suspension components have been modified or replaced by SRT, with the most consequential change being the fitment of active dampers, which have distinct Automatic and Sport modes, each uniquely tuned for the Chrysler and the Dodge. In the case of the 300 SRT8, the Automatic mode more or less delivers the comfort of the 300C, while Sport is focused on mitigating body roll, locking the dampers into their firmest setting. But even in Sport, the ride quality never approaches the roughness of this car’s predecessor. Stability-control thresholds are set high enough to allow some exploration of the bounds of grip without electro-nanny intrusion. Learn More...

Source : http://www.caranddriver.com