Car blogs

No one, it seems, could mistake this full-size sport-and-luxury car for anything but American made. A wide stance, masculine road presence and muscular bravado in all the right places have Detroit — not to mention “The Sopranos” — written all over it. If that weren’t enough, a brawny, 5.7-liter Hemi V8 fist-pumps this full-size sedan up the highway while...




No one, it seems, could mistake this full-size sport-and-luxury car for anything but American made. A wide stance, masculine road presence and muscular bravado in all the right places have Detroit — not to mention “The Sopranos” — written all over it. If that weren’t enough, a brawny, 5.7-liter Hemi V8 fist-pumps this full-size sedan up the highway while almost daring comparisons to its pan-Asian and European cousins.

Photo by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

Welcome to the United States of Bam!



All of which is why I stopped in my tracks when a savvy coworker took one look at the Chrysler 300C I was test driving and said, in so many words, “Dude looks like a Bentley.”



“Look at the front end and the grille — it’s very Bentley,” he said matter of factly.



The longer I spent regarding the stately countenance of the 300C’s front end from various vantage points, the more I could see the comparison to the British-born Bentley, that rolling rajah of Rodeo Drive and fixture of London’s tony Mayfair district. Turns out, though, the coworker was by no means the first to notice the similarity.



In fact, the perceived style connection between the two cars is so commonplace there are aftermarket kits to custom build a Bentley body on a 300C platform (and for a pittance of the sticker price of one of the world’s most luxurious cars, which start at around $200,000). Those not looking for a full-blown Chrysler 300C Bentley conversion will find companies specializing in Bentley grilles custom designed for the 300C. You can even get your aftermarket grille with the Bentley “B” logo on the front.



Photo by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

This comparison certainly has not been unfavorable to the 300C’s growing stature among a surprisingly youthful demographic. For proof check out the shrewd product placement a few years back of the 300C in a music video by 50 Cent. The rapper’s silver 300C was also featured in an episode of MTV’s “Cribs.” All of which helped put this uniquely styled four-door trawler on the radar of Hollywood’s hip, rich and infamous. For Chrysler the hip-hop publicity bump has been nothing short of manna from Heaven.



Just as Cadillac reinvented itself in 2006 by targeting middle-aged baby boomers with its breakthrough TV ads featuring an SUV stereo blasting Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll,” the 300 series likewise finds itself courting a new demographic that once viewed Chrysler as a brand largely for graying sports-lodge capitalists. Yet there is no skirting the fact this brassy muscle-car-meets-entry-level-luxury-sedan is not just another pretty blingmobile. Consider: Only a year following its introduction in 2004, the 300C snagged both the North American Car of the Year and Motor Trend’s Car of the Year awards.

Photo by James Gaffney/The Times-Picayune

Consumers ranging from classic-car enthusiasts to every-day sedan buyers looking for something a little different have not failed to notice how this smooth and nimble highway cruiser possesses a distinctive exterior and spacious, classy cabin with just the right touch of luxury. Improved reliability scores in recent years have helped place the 300C squarely in a consumer-friendly zone. Also, with a base price of $38,000, the 300C’s roster of standards is impressive. It includes a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 that pumps out 340 horses and 390 lb.-ft. of torque, heavy-duty antilock brakes, four-wheel independent touring suspension, remote start, dual-zone climate control, six Boston Acoustics stereo, auto-dimming rearview mirror and 18-inch wheels.



Inside, this performan

Tags: Chrysler, is-featured

---

BOY MEETS GRILLE: How Chrysler's 300C became part of American culture was originally published by New Orleans Auto Reviews: Chrysler. Read the full story by clicking here.