2011-2014 Chrysler 300C cars (and Lancia Thema)
by David Zatz
see 2015 Chrysler 300C
Chrysler's flagship car was the 300 series, boasting optional Hemi V8 power, rear or all wheel drive, a big-American-car look, and, for its first years, a rather bare-bones interior. The car was in development when Daimler-Benz took over Chrysler Corporation, and the first generation was heralded as symbolic of their relationship. Chrysler was then sold/given to private equity firm Cerberus, put into bankruptcy, and brought back with Fiat as the dominant shareholder; so there was a great deal of concern over what the second generation would look like.
The 2011 Chrysler 300 and 300C appeared in due time, with its brash and bold front-end styling toned down somewhat; some hated the change, and others loved it. The interior gained almost universal plaudits, though, leaving the spartan plastics of the first generation far behind. The story goes that, when Daimler left, Cerberus leaders looked at the 300 and said, "Put another $150 into the interior." Then, when Fiat took over, Sergio Marchionne said, again, "Put another $150 into the interior." The story is likely apocryphal to a degree, but there's no doubt that the cabin was dramatically upgraded.
The new looks, inside and out, also came with new V6 power; the old 3.5 liter V6, designed for the LH cars, had produced 250 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. The new Pentastar engine produced 292 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque - a substantial upgrade - with somewhat better gas mileage. The change didn't mean much to most buyers, until the 2012 Chrysler 300 was built; that added an optional eight-speed automatic transmission, replacing the five-speed.
It was a transformational change for the V6 (V8 buyers couldn't get it), and 0-60 times dropped by around two seconds (to 6.6), while gas mileage shot up from 17/27 (with the 3.5) to 21 city, 31 highway (18/27 with AWD). What's more, it ran on regular gas, rather than the 3.5's midgrade fuel.
The 2012 model year also brought a new 300 SRT8 packing 465 horsepower, the Beat-equipped 300 S, and high-end Chrysler 300C Luxury Series (née Executive). Europeans got a higher-trim version of the same car, dubbed the Lancia Thema.
For better aerodynamics and visibility than the 2010 300s, the 2011-14 windshield was raked back 3 inches, while rolled-framed doors with thinner pillars improved outward visibility by 15%. A new dual-pane panoramic sunroof let in more daylight; the 300 also had chrome daylight openings, chrome front and rear fascia accents, and optional 20-inch polished-aluminum wheels. The 300S' V6 was rated at 300 horsepower rather than 292, had faster shifts, and a "sport mode" on the transmission.
The five-speed automatic was the only automatic for the 2011s, and the base automatic for the 2012s - the only automatic for the 2011-14 300 with the V8 engine. It had the same gear ratios, with revised axle ratios; the power rating went up slightly, to 363 horsepower, and gas mileage increased a bit. Acceleration was rated at "under six seconds," which made the 2011 300C faster than the 2007 300C.
by David Zatz
see 2015 Chrysler 300C
Chrysler's flagship car was the 300 series, boasting optional Hemi V8 power, rear or all wheel drive, a big-American-car look, and, for its first years, a rather bare-bones interior. The car was in development when Daimler-Benz took over Chrysler Corporation, and the first generation was heralded as symbolic of their relationship. Chrysler was then sold/given to private equity firm Cerberus, put into bankruptcy, and brought back with Fiat as the dominant shareholder; so there was a great deal of concern over what the second generation would look like.
The 2011 Chrysler 300 and 300C appeared in due time, with its brash and bold front-end styling toned down somewhat; some hated the change, and others loved it. The interior gained almost universal plaudits, though, leaving the spartan plastics of the first generation far behind. The story goes that, when Daimler left, Cerberus leaders looked at the 300 and said, "Put another $150 into the interior." Then, when Fiat took over, Sergio Marchionne said, again, "Put another $150 into the interior." The story is likely apocryphal to a degree, but there's no doubt that the cabin was dramatically upgraded.
The new looks, inside and out, also came with new V6 power; the old 3.5 liter V6, designed for the LH cars, had produced 250 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. The new Pentastar engine produced 292 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque - a substantial upgrade - with somewhat better gas mileage. The change didn't mean much to most buyers, until the 2012 Chrysler 300 was built; that added an optional eight-speed automatic transmission, replacing the five-speed.
It was a transformational change for the V6 (V8 buyers couldn't get it), and 0-60 times dropped by around two seconds (to 6.6), while gas mileage shot up from 17/27 (with the 3.5) to 21 city, 31 highway (18/27 with AWD). What's more, it ran on regular gas, rather than the 3.5's midgrade fuel.
The 2012 model year also brought a new 300 SRT8 packing 465 horsepower, the Beat-equipped 300 S, and high-end Chrysler 300C Luxury Series (née Executive). Europeans got a higher-trim version of the same car, dubbed the Lancia Thema.
For better aerodynamics and visibility than the 2010 300s, the 2011-14 windshield was raked back 3 inches, while rolled-framed doors with thinner pillars improved outward visibility by 15%. A new dual-pane panoramic sunroof let in more daylight; the 300 also had chrome daylight openings, chrome front and rear fascia accents, and optional 20-inch polished-aluminum wheels. The 300S' V6 was rated at 300 horsepower rather than 292, had faster shifts, and a "sport mode" on the transmission.
The five-speed automatic was the only automatic for the 2011s, and the base automatic for the 2012s - the only automatic for the 2011-14 300 with the V8 engine. It had the same gear ratios, with revised axle ratios; the power rating went up slightly, to 363 horsepower, and gas mileage increased a bit. Acceleration was rated at "under six seconds," which made the 2011 300C faster than the 2007 300C.
V6 (AWD) | V6-8spd | Hemi | SRT8 | Diesel 1 | Diesel 2 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Horsepower | 292* @ 6,350 | 363 @ 5,200 | 470 | 188 @ 4,000 | 236 @ 4,000 |