Chrysler 300M romps as international sports touring sedan
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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DEAUVILLE, France -- This picturesque village overlooking the English Channel on the Normandy Coast of France lures movie stars each summer to its international film festival, as jet setters sun on manicured beaches and gamble in chic seaside casinos.
Habituates, accustomed to mingling with the rich, the famous and powerful from around the world, are in general a cosmopolitan group who's been there, done that and seen everything. So what's all this commotion on Deauville streets over the appearance of a sleek and sophisticated -- but big -- sports sedan from America?
Heads turn and necks crane as eyes of sidewalk spectators follow the car down a narrow lane past European wheels which look like so many toys in contrast to our large machine with its daring exterior shape. As we park on a plaza, several of the pedestrians gather for a closer look, pointing to the abbreviated prow with a bulging low hood and corner pairs of articulated quad headlamps recessed in fluted bezels.
The dramatic form is hard to miss: It looks like an exotic sportster from the future with a bold face and sweeping expanse of canted glass on the windshield that initiates a smoothly arced line over the roof until the graceful descent to a high tail.
"Magnifique!" One French admirer proclaims -- magnificent. "But what is it?"
It's the 300M flagship sedan from Chrysler, we explain, a sport-tuned four-door car of full-size dimensions geared for action, and it's making a splash in European markets this year just as it did in 1998 when introduced to America.
The size, held to an international standard of five meters (under 200 inches) signals Chrysler's intent to market a worldly version in Europe and other foreign markets.
We steered a European 300M from Paris to Deauville, traveling on high-speed freeways as well as narrow back roads laced through the picturesque hills of Normandy.
The drive became a refresher course for the car, and for the better part of a week we played with it in various situations, logging hours of seat time each day with romps at a blurred pace on autoroutes, slow going down dusty farm lanes to Normandy apple orchards or historic Romanesque fortifications, and hesitant forays through medieval villages with streets geared more to horses and wagons than an avant-garde sports sedan.
Through it all, our 300M maintained an intense poise on the road and provided a luxurious haven on leather seats in the comfortable and quiet cabin, with ample space in the big trunk for a week's worth of gear for two travelers.
What's behind the unusual name?
It traces to special performance cars in Chrysler's past. Beginning in 1955 with the C-300, Chrysler produced a series of powerful flagship vehicles which merged the speed of a sports car with the comfort of a full-size sedan. The 300 sedans, which stretched to the 300L of 1965, became hallmarks of high performance and engineering advancements for Chrysler in that era.
This modern extension of the 300 series shows its best face -- a sporty character with the sure-footed manners of an international sports touring car -- when pushed through a wiggly set of curves over hilly terrain.
The windswept body maintains a flat stance around every bend despite lateral forces of motion at work.
A taut independent strut suspension stifles tire chatter from pavement swells as a quick rack and pinion system tells driver's fingers on steering wheel what they need to feel to sense nuances of irregular pavement.
And a pulse beats through the powerful engine: Press the pedal and it leaps to action.
Foundation for the 300M traces to Chrysler's Concorde, with shared platform, door panels, roof and front fenders.
Both cars have a chassis which extends in length and width beyond normal measures, with wheels pegged at extreme corners. A wide track and long wheelbase work to create a stable foundation and contribute to the aggressive attitude which 300M exhibits when pushed.
Compared against the Concorde's platform, though, the foundation for 300M was strengthened at crucial flex points to set up a stiffer structure for smoother ride sensations and more crisp handling traits.
To this stiff platform front and rear independent suspension components mount to generate reactive and adaptive handling characteristics. Front suspension elements include a MacPherson strut tied to a single-pivot lower control arm and tension strut. In the rear, a multi-link Chapman strut mates with an aluminum cross member.
&&& Innovations in production techniques and materials for 300M build strength, trim weight, and stifle noise and engine vibrations: A magnesium steering wheel structure and aluminum hood save pounds, as single-unit components like stamped doors cut labor costs and improve quality and fit, and foam injected into body cavities isolates noise by sealing the passenger compartment.
Chrysler developed three aluminum V6 engines to propel the 300M, but the two smaller units show up only in export editions, like the version we drove in France. High fuel economy marks for these two plants make them particularly attractive in countries like France where fuel costs more than $4 a gallon.
All 300M versions in North America draw from a progressive 3.5-liter V6 with single cam configuration and four valves in each cylinder. Output climbs to 253 hp.
The beauty of this engine is that it delivers forceful horsepower yet operates on regular gas and earns respectable fuel economy figures.
It teams with an electronically-controlled automatic four-speed transmission that's quiet and efficient.
To enrich performance, Chrysler adds the AutoStick, with shift-it-yourself choices of a manual stick.
Inside, the graceful exterior theme of gentle curves and contrasting sharp creases repeats in a space that's spacious and airy. Two firm bucket seats upholstered in leather flank a center console in front of a back bench for three with 60/40 folding split seatback and trunk access.
The dash contains analog instruments with bold black-on-white graphics ringed in chrome bezels.
A long list of standard equipment includes power controls for seats, windows and door locks, automatic climate system and safety devices like anti-lock brakes and traction control. With optional gear, changes for year 2000 models extend to 16-inch chrome wheels in a handling package, a four-disc CD player mounted in the dash, and chrome switches controlling windows, door locks and mirrors.
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| 2000 CHRYSLER 300M VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Full-size sports sedan
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| Model Options: |
Full-size sports sedan
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| Wheelbase: |
113.0 inches
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| Overall Length: |
197.8 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 3.5-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 AutoStick
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front)
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| Gas Mileage: |
18/27 mpg
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| MSRP Price: |
$ 29,085 |
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