Motoring Middle East: Car news, Reviews and Buying guides

They don’t even get this bad boy in America, but we do, and it’s one hell of a shock & awe saloon

By Shahzad Sheikh

Back in May of this year, we managed to pinch a brand new 2015 Chrysler 300C SRT8 for a few minutes to just take around the block. We uploaded that video onto our YouTube page, and it got a ton of views with our most commented question being: when were we going to do a full review of it?

Here it is, watch the full video review by clicking below.

Now the reason I think for there being so much interest in this car, is also the response to a question some of our overseas, and particularly American readers, may be asking right now. Have I got that wrong, surely there is no 2015 Chrysler 300C SRT8, right?

Well not in the American market, no, but for a few other markets, Australia and us here for example, such a beast does exists. And that in itself is an extraordinary thing, because usually we bemoan the fact that we in the Middle East are left out on some great cars that other markets get, and yet here, we officially get one of the coolest super-saloons that the US makes… and they DON’T!

Okay, okay, stop laughing! It’s down to the fact that the SRT brand is supposedly only a Dodge brand now, although there is of course a Jeep Grand Cherokee as well – we driven that too and you can watch/read the review here.

But back to this car – so how the heck is it? Well I won’t go into too much detail, as is typical of our reviews because the Chrysler 300C second generation model, has been around since 2012 and you can read my original review here.

What I’ll do instead is focus on this 2015 MY SRT8. First up, it’s obviously had a bit of boast. All the 6.4-litre HEMI V8s that sit in the Dodge Charger & Challenger SRT duo got uprated to 485bhp and 475lb ft of torque, and thus it is with this Chrysler too.

It also get the 8-speed auto with paddle shifts, 20-inch wheels, sports exhaust, body kit, lowered suspension, Brembo brakes,  and SRT mode select customisable for transmission, traction control, suspension and steering with a launch control button right there on the dashboard in front of you under the screen.

On-paper that translates to 0-100kph in about 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 290kph. But on-paper tells you nothing about how this thing feels in the real world. Attempting to move off gently takes a lot of focus and concentration – driving this thing is like trying to walk on egg shells.

Even with all the systems on conservative street setting, the mere instant you touch the throttle pedal and move it a millimetre too far, this 300C will simply light up its rear wheels and the whole world stops, stares and wonders why that modest gentleman in the smart-looking executive machine is behaving like a hooligan!

And if it’s squirrelly in a straight line, powerslides are a given should you pull out of a junction too eagerly or there’s a twitch in your right ankle during cornering. Yes it does have traction and other safety systems, but they seem to want to sit back and watch the fun unfold. It’s a bit like the old veteran that patiently observes the young pretenders muck everything up and then asks – ‘would you like me to save your butt now?’

I’ve driven cars with more horsepower and lighter weight than this, but modern electronics and drivetrain set-ups can dumb things down to the point where you question whether the manufacturer is short-changing you when it comes to power claims.

Not here though. Here I’d happily swear an oath that Chrysler is blatantly lying and that there are probably a few more horses rip snorting under that expansive front bonnet than is suggested. This feels like well over 500bhp to be honest.

And yet this is a comfy four-door saloon that rides reasonably well despite its sporty setup, has loads of space in the back (even a pair of USB slots in the rear for the kids to plug their Smart phones into), is packed with kit, has a beautifully finished and vibrant instrument panel, and generally feels like an upmarket-ish US cruiser.

A role it can easily carry-off, should you be able to tame your right foot. But at the same time, despite all the coddling available, it doesn’t molly-coddle you. Your butt is comfortable but not complacent in this car. It’s a very old-skool muscle car. You realise that you, and you alone, are in charge of that substantial and belligerent potency and you must focus and drive this thing with care and diligence if you don’t want to have to use your get-out-of-jail card.

It’s a brutal thing, not a machine of finesse and precision though. Don’t take it on a track (although it would cope admirably well if it had too) or your favourite mountain pass, but instead use it to bully your way around town and get loud and lurid when the cops aren’t watching.

This is a highly felonious car that’s for sure. I feel guilty driving it around. And if I compare it to a not-so-fictional character, it is that big mafia Don, the guy who’s all grins and bear-hugs, who tells the funnies and dirtiest jokes and then infectiously laughs the loudest, who absolutely insists on showering you with his generosity with the finest food and drink at the table.

But should you happen to mention, even in joking, that someone was a little off with you, or put you at the slightest inconvenience, the big guy’s demeanour will radically change, darken and become grim and business-like. Thugs with bulging breast pockets would be beckoned, orders would be hushed into ears and bones would get broken or worst.

Don’t mess with this car, it’s your best friend, and your worst enemy’s worst enemy. They won’t know what hit them, just as you won’t the first time you stomp on that throttle. The question is what will be louder, that engine roar or your LOL?

Verdict  – 2015 Chrysler 300C SRT8, they CAN’T have it, so we SHOULD!

2015 Chrysler 300C SRT8 – The Specs

Price: AED249,999 ($68k)
Engine: 6.4-litre V8 HEMI, 485bhp @ 6000rpm, 475lb ft @ 4200rpm
Performance: 0-100kph 4.5secs, 290kph, 13.1L/100km
Transmission: 8-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Weight:  2050kg

Let us know what you think of the 300C SRT8 in the comments below