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2005 Chrysler 300 Limited Road Test

Coolness Comes of Age

In spite of my wifes claim that my sense of fashion makes no sense at all, I stand firm in my belief that the 1960s produced the coolest cars ever - at least domestically. Fords Thunderbird, Buicks Riviera, Lincolns Continental and Cadillacs Coupe Deville just oozed coolness, along with the Beatles, JFK and Bond - James Bond.

The hulking automotive masses of cosmopolitan panache were almost exclusively propelled by their rear wheels and powered by massive V8 iron (GM introduced the front-wheel drive Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado in the 1966 model year). Its well known that history repeats itself, as my wardrobe is testament to, however, Chryslers case history is repeating in the form of rear-wheel drive and tremendous V8 power. But before sending your heart into palpitations, this review

As a major fan of 1960s cars, I was more than happy to put Chryslers new full-size, rear-drive 300 through the rigors of a road test. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

puts the milder version of Chryslers new 300 through the rigors of a road test. So take a deep breath, relax the neck muscles and extinguish those visions of tire burning acceleration.

In 1955 the automotive world was set ablaze when Chrysler issued its first HEMI powered car, the C-300. Paying homage to its elders todays 300C, and to a lesser extent the unlettered 300, perpetuates the performance and sophistication of the original

In a world of uninspired bar-of-soap auto designs, the chopped roofline and long horizontal hood of the 300 is a breath of fresh air. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

"lettered" Chrysler. And like its predecessors the all-new 300s accomplish such laudable tasks with a healthy dose of foreboding style.

Sinister: Thats the adjective that came to mind the first time I laid eyes on the new 300 in the skin. This beast looks like something villainous from the set of Batman, and I dont mean that negatively. In a world of uninspired bar-of-soap auto designs, the chopped roofline and long horizontal hood of the 300 imparts a bad-guy image that stands out like a mobster

In a daring move, Chrysler designers drew upon the 1960s glass-to-steel ratio when they penned the new 300. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

at choir practice. You know the guy I mean, standing in the shadows wearing a dark pinstriped suit, carrying a violin case.

Chrysler achieved the 300s striking form by altering todays glass-to-steel ratio and fabricating over-sized wheel housings. Glass-to-steel ratios (the split between window size versus door size) in the 1960s hovered in the range of 1/3 glass to 2/3s steel. During the following decades that ratio increased to a range of half glass and half steel. In a daring move, Chrysler designers drew upon the 1960s ratio when they penned the 300. The

Although it may feature 1960s design cues, Chrysler has equipped the 300 with the latest in safety features and performance-oriented engineering. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

retro ratio conveys the "sinister," chopped roofline effect that I so admire, an effect that is further emphasized by the large wheel housings that reach far into the 4-door sedans high beltline.

Although the 300s design theme hearkens back to when the space-race and cold war were playing out on black and white televisions across America, its technology doesnt. Chrysler has equipped the 300 with the latest in safety features and performance-oriented engineering.

After feasting my eyes for a short period on the 300s external hardware, I climbed aboard my tester and immediately noticed

Despite its abundance of interior space, the new 300 is 1.0 inches shorter in overall length than the outgoing 300M. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

a higher than typical seating position. In fact the lower seat cushions in todays 300 sit 2.5 inches higher than those in last years 300M. The added elevation improves roadway visibility and ease of ingress/egress. Regrettably what looks great from the outside in terms of roof structure is problematic inside. Wide A- and C-pillars interrupt the drivers field of vision, therefore extra care is needed to ensure pedestrians and other objects are not concealed from view when turning or reversing.

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