2007 CHRYSLER 300C SRT8

AS-TESTED PRICE: $46,040
DRIVETRAIN: 6.1-liter V8; rwd, five-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 425 hp @ 6000 rpm, 420 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 4160 lb
FUEL ECONOMY (EPA/AW): 16/15.4 mpg
OPTIONS: SRT option group II, including DVD-based GPS navigation system, six-CD changer, UConnect hands-free communication ($1,770); power sunroof ($950)

OUR TAKE: For the top SRT model selling in the mid-$40,000s range, there are still some “mass market” elements left over here. The trunk interior is pretty sparse and looks just like that in a V6-powered rental-car 300, and while the seats are upgraded and there’s a nav system and all, the dashboard materials and switchgear are still those of a car more than $20,000 cheaper. Inevitable? Perhaps, but Cadillac, for one, does a better job of upgrading the rest of the car when you opt for a V-Series on any chassis. Of course, a $40,000 Cadillac V-Series would be a bargain.

What everyone wants to know about is the performance, of course. Ride quality is very good, considering the 20-inch wheels with short-sidewall, high-performance rubber. But this car’s mostly about power.

It has 425 hp in a 4160-pound car, which makes for 10 lb/hp and a screamer. With all that power, though, the SRT8 is really well mannered, even with all the electronic assists switched off. You’d probably want to leave all those assists on in winter, however; the traction and stability control systems work so well that the worries a lot of people still have about driving high-powered rear-drive cars in the bad-weather states are made instantly irrelevant.

To get this big a car from Ford or General Motors (excluding Cadillacs, which generally cost more), you’re still looking at front-drive or fwd-derived all-wheel-drive models—at least until GM brings the new Chevrolet Impala and Pontiac G8 to market.

So, on style, performance and value, the 300C SRT8 is still tops in its class. Maybe now that Chrysler doesn’t have to worry about treading on Mercedes’ turf, the next version can move upscale and really match up to Cadillac, the way 300s of the 1950s did.