New car news

21 June 2008 - 11:00

SRTed out

Chrysler is releasing a diesel 300C SRT. This is exciting news.

The SRT is the full Mafia-spec, top of the range version of Chrysler's Goodfellas-chic saloon/estate, until now equipped with a 6.1-litre V8 Hemi for proper tyre-smoking excitement.

But the prospect of a massive oil-burner - a la Audi R8 V12 TDi, perhaps - is a tempting one. How giant, how torquey, will this SRT diesel engine be?

Erm, the same size as the old one: a three-litre V6 developing 218bhp and 376lb ft of torque. Don't get us wrong, it's a cracking engine, but we were hoping for something a bit meatier from a 300C this evil.

The SRT diesel is part of a mid-life visual refresh for the 300C, which sees all models get a revised rear end with new light clusters and a bootlid spoiler. There are a few tweaks inside, too, with a fresh instrument panel and extra LED lights for that sinister interior glow.

More significantly, Chrysler is also offering the 300C with a new 'infotainment' system (possibly Top Gear's most hated word in the English language) including touch control sat nav and a 20GB hard drive. It comes as standard in the SRT diesel, along with, well, just about everything else you need to be a bona fide 21st century gangster.

Fedora hat and menacing New York accent, however, remain optional extras.