“Lengthy within the teeth,” “outdated hat,” “dated,” “lipstick on a pig” — those are the typical phrases automobile reporters throw at automobiles sitting on bones older than about 8 years. And whilst some writers used the ones phrases to seek advice from the Chrysler Lx-platform all over its twilight years, for probably the most phase, sentiments in opposition to the Charger, Challenger, and Chrysler 300 remained the similar for nearly twenty years: Those automobiles are badass. And to drag off 20 years of badassery is an improbable feat that we must all applaud, so right here’s our little tribute to the unbelievable Chrysler Lx platform and the onerous paintings Chrysler put into retaining it particular for goodbye.
When the 2006 Dodge Charger got here out, it modified the sport for numerous folks, together with me. I’d already fallen in love with Jeep after my dad bought a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I’d already fallen in love with Ram after the third-gen 1500, with its implementing grille, made it inconceivable to withstand. However the ultimate straw that became me into a valid Chrysler fanboy, and somebody who would move on to review engineering and paintings at Chrysler, used to be the Charger. To many, it used to be blasphemous — “An actual Dodge Charger can not have 4 doorways!” the old-timers cried — however in my eyes, it used to be epic. Styled through the intense minds of Freeman Thomas (who had designed my favourite automobile of all time at that time, the Audi TT) and Ralph Gilles (a real legend who has penned extra beautiful Chrysler merchandise than I will even point out), the Charger seemed not easy, used to be geared up with a firebreathing 5.7-liter V8 pulled out of a full-size pickup truck (!), and as a rear-wheel force muscle-sedan it might do burnouts for days.
The Charger, its stately Chrysler 300 cousin, and its equally-tough-looking Dodge Magnum sibling confirmed the arena {that a} new technology, introduced forth partially through the DaimlerChrysler merger, used to be right here for Chrysler — an technology that will proceed on well past the Teutonic partnership. Phil Patton from the New York Occasions broke it down neatly in his article “From a Unhealthy Marriage, Lovely Small children,” writing:
When Daimler-Benz purchased Chrysler a decade in the past, predictions for the offspring — chunky German sedan meets lithe PT Cruiser — ran to cartoonish extremes. However the 300 hangs marvelously and daringly at the fringe of cartoonlike extra, by no means moderately succumbing. The 300 and its Dodge sibling, the Charger, mix American bravado with German solidity, simply because the authors of the merger was hoping.
The Charger and the 300 modified the definition of the American sedan with a power as profound as that of the unique Ford Taurus within the mid-Nineteen Eighties or the cab-forward Chrysler LH automobiles — the Chrysler Concorde and Dodge Intrepid— that helped to avoid wasting the corporate within the ’90s.
Probably the most concepts in the back of the union used to be to sign up for German style and reticence with this type of American exuberance and design energy demonstrated through Tom Gale, vice chairman for design at Chrysler from 1985 to 2000, in growing the Prowler, Viper, PT Cruiser and LH sedans.
The remainder of the object talks about how Freeman Thomas, Trevor Creed, and in the end Ralph Gilles (who penned his farewell to the Lx-platform, whose manufacturing ended Friday after virtually 20 years on the Brampton, Ontario plant) had been accountable for the enduring 300 and Charger designs — sure, it used to be already transparent as of the writing of that article, Would possibly 27, 2007, that those automobiles had been iconic, with the creator writing concerning the DaimlerChrysler merger that “wins as giant because the 300 and Charger are ancient,” and occurring to notice that hip-hop figures had “recommended the glance.”
Certainly they’d. From the soar, the 300 and Charger had been humongous hits, discovering their manner into driveways of rappers and politicians alike (Barack Obama famously owned a first-gen 300), in many ways bridging the space between social categories through providing undying taste at a cheap access value (the 2005 Chrysler 300 and 2006 Dodge Charger began at about $23,000, which is set $35,000 these days).
And it wasn’t on the subject of the manner; the 300, Charger, and Magnum had been cast performers for his or her length, too. “The good American sedan reborn — with slightly lend a hand from Mercedes-Benz” used to be Motor Pattern‘s headline for its 2005 Chrysler 300 evaluation, which mentioned the cars’ Mercedes-Benz underpinnings, pointing out:
There’s various Benz, most commonly of the E-Elegance selection, in those massive machines. The aluminum five-link rear suspension on all 300s is in accordance with the E-Elegance design, however the 300 has a much broader monitor and larger wheels and tires, with a metal cradle rather than the E’s aluminum one. The 300’s 120-inch wheelbase is 2 inches longer than the E-Elegance’s and only one inch shy of the Mercedes S-Elegance’s. Its seating place is two.5 inches upper than the 2004 300M’s, and its beneficiant inner has a number of rear-seat legroom and headroom for six-footers.
Motor Pattern used to be keen on the 300’s using enjoy, writing:
The auto rides extra firmly than a Mercedes E-Elegance (together with the air-suspension-equipped fashions within the softer of its twin settings). Carving up mountain roads has a tendency to be restricted extra through the perceived length of the auto than through its dynamics. There’s reasonable roll at turn-in, however the C stays poised as you push it, with gentle understeer. The 300’s guidance is a little bit too mild, nevertheless it’s additionally direct and exact. And the massive brakes, aided through the not obligatory ABS and brake help however with out the Merc’s digital brake switch nanny, are robust, lending Germanic effectiveness with out the electro-artificial really feel. Chrysler has totally tackled the noise drawback prevalent at the outdated 300M and Concorde (you couldn’t dangle a dialog with back-seat passengers) with a stout chassis and a number of sound deadening. Body rails are composed of octagonal sections, and there’s liberal use of polyurethane foam all over. The result’s a sedan that feels exceedingly cast and runs quietly till you stomp the throttle to the ground. This automobile is very best for an old style cross-country circle of relatives go back and forth, nevertheless it received’t get cushy and unappealing whilst you get to twisty mountain or canyon roads.
Automotive and Driving force favored the Charger when it got here out for the 2006 mannequin yr, calling it a “keeper” within the headline, and proceeding:
We hammered our Charger round Virginia Global Raceway and had been stunned on the automobile’s steadiness and common neutrality…
…Brake really feel is terrific…
Right through, the Charger’s frame motions remained as studiously supervised as a Vassar school celebration. The less attackable not obligatory dampers eradicated even the minor dive and squat we’ve spotted within the 300C. Actually, all over an 800-mile two-stop blast from VIR to Detroit, the ride-and-handling trade-off proved not anything in need of miraculous till we encountered Michigan’s Baghdad-quality potholes. Even then, the platform held as firmly and shiver-free as a bridge abutment, and no subassemblies rattled or squeaked.
Right here’s Motor Pattern‘s take at the 2005 Dodge Magnum, the wagon-version of the Charger:
It must come as no nice marvel, making an allowance for its kinship to the Mercedes E-Elegance and the oft-praised Chrysler 300, that the 120-inch-wheelbase Magnum is a wonderful long-distance hauler. Unusually, on the other hand, it’s additionally slightly agile. Clean, linear guidance, a low middle of gravity, four-wheel impartial suspension, competitive tire fitment, and cast construction give it an stress-free alertness when the street turns twisty, heightened in RT trim. Even though neatly mannered for a big wagon, the Magnum doesn’t transfer with the finesse of main midsize automobiles.
Different retailers weren’t as extremely joyful with the cars’ slightly super two-ton girth, and certainly, as time would move on, this — at the side of inner high quality up till Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne purchased Chrysler and glued the cabin plastics round 2011 — will be the go-to criticism from reporters over time, nevertheless it didn’t subject. That’s as a result of Chrysler knew its automobiles had been fats, and as an alternative of sweating an excessive amount of looking to lighten them, the corporate simply leaned into the heft through throwing in increasingly more energy. Actually, after I attended a 2016 release of a brand new Dodge Charger Pursuit police cruiser, I recall the top of the Dodge emblem Tim Kuniskis creating a comic story about why the development used to be being held proper there on Woodward Road — there are not any turns!
Sure, he used to be joking about how Dodges are heavy and now not the most productive dealing with, and he may comic story, as a result of no person cared. Dodges had been drag-racing, loud, burnout-ripping beasts, and so they had been cool whether or not they might navigate a hairpin or now not, and the gross sales numbers proved it.
I do know one of the vital individuals who paintings at the car dynamics group at Chrysler, and what they did with the Charger, 300, Magnum, and Problem (the two-door coupe that will come for the 2009 mannequin yr) is outstanding, however in actual fact, Chrysler knew that its automobiles weren’t going to overcome BMWs at the dealing with circuit — that’s now not what those automobiles had been about. They had been unabashedly about two issues: 1. Swagger and a couple of. Directly-line, neck-snapping pace. Via being fair — and assured — about what those automobiles had been, Chrysler used to be in a position to increase the lifetime of the LX automobiles through merely pumping increasingly more cubes and increasingly more spice up beneath that hood.
It used to be a mixture of persisted styling enhancements and persisted energy upgrades that averted the LX automobiles from ever turning into anything else not up to badass over their 19 yr span. So let’s speak about the ones.
The LX-Vehicles Simply Were given Extra And Extra Tough, And That Was once The Price tag
In 2005, the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum got here with 3 engine choices: a 2.7-liter V6 making 190 horsepower via a four-speed computerized transmission; a three.5-liter “Prime Output” V6 making 250 horsepower via a five-speed auto; and a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 making 340 horsepower via a five-speed auto. When the Charger introduced for the 2006 mannequin yr, it got here with the similar engines, although in a while thereafter all 3 cars — the 300, Charger, and Magnum — won SRT-8 variants, which had 6.1-liter HEMI V8s placing out 425 horsepower via a five-speed computerized.
For causes virtually definitely having to do with emissions, the two.7-liter base engine’s energy dropped to 178 ponies beginning in 2008, the similar yr that noticed the debut of the Challenger Coupe, however handiest in 425 horsepower SRT-8 guise; this used to be the first actual LX automobile to be geared up with a guide transmission. In 2009, the Magnum died off, and the Challenger won the 250 horsepower high-output V6 as the bottom engine and the 5.7-liter HEMI for the R/T trim. However now the Hemi used to be more potent than ever, making 360 ponies within the 300, 370-ish within the Charger, and 370/375 within the Challenger (5 horsepower extra when geared up with the six-speed guide).
Kokomo, (Ind.) – August 9, 2010 – Chrysler Workforce LLC’s Kokomo Casting Plant facility. (Joe Wilssens picture)
Chrysler Trenton Engine Plant, Trenton, Michigan
Chrysler Trenton Engine Plant, Trenton, Michigan
Now not a lot modified for 2010, however in 2011, issues were given actual. That used to be when Chrysler began pumping the three.6-liter Pentastar V6 into just about the whole thing, and that incorporated the L-cars. This 3.6-liter V6, which debuted with 292 horsepower within the 300 and Charger (“63% extra usual horsepower!” Dodge said in its press unencumber) and 305 ponies within the Challenger, would exchange each the two.7-liter and the three.5-liter V6s (the overall engines constructed on the Kenosha Engine Plant, which used to be then leveled and has sat as an empty box for over a decade now, finishing an over 100 year-long historical past of vehicle production within the the town) and proceed on as the bottom engine for the 300, Charger, and Challenger the entire manner till their ultimate model-year, 2023.
2011 additionally noticed the loss of life of the Charger SRT-8, however the start of the all-wheel force Charger R/T. This mannequin used to be particular in that it paired a playful all-wheel force machine with the 370 horsepower HEMI engine, growing without equal snow-drift cell. I do know this, as a result of I used to be an intern at Chrysler in the summertime of 2012, and an intern were given a Charger R/T AWD for the weekend, and he ripped humongous donuts and did unbelievable drifts in it. In truth, I’m amazed all of us weren’t arrested. I additionally consider from that summer season that, when requested what his 3 favourite automobiles of all time are, CEO Sergio Marchionne spoke back (and it is a tough quote): “The Ferrari Enzo that I personal, Audi RS6 Wagon, and the all-wheel force Dodge Charger R/T.”
As for the 300, it will get an entire new glance (extra on styling adjustments in a little bit) at the side of a slight horsepower bump for the HEMI — to 363 from 360. The Challenger, for 2011, were given an enormous horsepower bump for its SRT mannequin, with the determine leaping from 425 to 470 because of the alternative of that 6.1-liter HEMI with a 6.4. The Charger would get this similar remedy when its SRT8 variant (and the inexpensive variant, the “Tremendous Bee”) returned for the 2012 mannequin yr.
Talking of the 2012 model-year, that’s when the eight-speed computerized joined the celebration. It used to be not obligatory to start with at the 3.6-liter within the Charger and 300 (which were given all-wheel force for 2012), although the Challenger stored the five-speed computerized on all 3 engine choices — 3.6, 5.7, and six.4 (it’s value noting that the latter two presented a stick shift, however handiest within the Challenger). The eight-speed used to be an enormous deal for Chrysler, permitting it to boast a few “best-in-class 31 freeway miles according to gallon (mpg) and best-in-class all-wheel-drive gasoline financial system.”
For 2013, the Charger’s base V6 horsepower may well be bumped from 292 to 300 if you were given the “Rallye Look Workforce,” after which now not an entire lot modified till 2015, when Chrysler went ape-shit with the L-cars. That mannequin yr, the 300 SRT died off, as did the V8 all-wheel force variations of each the 300 and Charger. That used to be a tragic loss. At the plus aspect, the eight-speed computerized turned into usual on all fashions, however extra importantly: There used to be energy. A lot and a number of energy.
2015 used to be the yr that Chrysler in point of fact democratized horsepower. Omit the 292/370/470 energy choices, you currently had a humongous vary of energy alternatives. There used to be nonetheless the 292 horsepower Pentastar (which used to be now moderately fast because of the eight-speed, doing 0-60 within the low sixes, only a few ticks off from the 5.7-liter V8 mated to a five-speed when the auto debuted in 2006), which jumped to 300 horsepower with the Rallye package deal. And there used to be nonetheless the 370 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI. However the 6.4-liter jumped as much as 485 horsepower, and may well be had now not simply as an SRT (referred to as the SRT 392) but in addition as a inexpensive R/T Scat Pack. The Challenger additionally were given the inexpensive (the Charger and Challenger Scat Packs may well be purchased within the low $40,000 vary) however absurdly robust R/T Scat Pack trim, and in a guide, too. This quantity of energy at this low value is one thing that are supposed to now not be overpassed, since the Scat Pack used to be an enormous deal, and but it’s simple to fail to remember the Scat Pack as a result of… The Hellcat had arrived.
For 2015, each the Charger and Challenger may well be had with a 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI making 707 horsepower via an eight-speed computerized, although the Challenger may well be had with the Dodge Viper’s six-speed stick. There had by no means been anything else moderately like them — two impossibly robust, rear-wheel force muscle automobiles that it is advisable purchase out of your Dodge broker for simply $65,000. The automobiles set the arena on fireplace, with clothier Ralph Gilles inaugurating, in probably the most epic manner conceivable, what would later change into a national symphony of supercharged fury:
Issues were given even crazier in 2018, when the Challenger Demon debuted with 840 horsepower and the power to actually elevate its entrance tires off the bottom all over release. The article comes with a TransBrake, which locks the transmission to load up the torque converter, after which with a unmarried unencumber of a seize: BOOM, 0 to sixty in 2.3 seconds — the fastest manufacturing automobile ever. Sure, ever.
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
Sure, the 2018 model-year used to be an absurd one for the Challenger, with Dodge pointing out concerning the to be had trims:
The Dodge Challenger has the most powerful mannequin lineup in its historical past, starting from the 305-horsepower V-6 SXT mannequin to the high-octane powered 840-horsepower SRT Demon, and together with Challenger GT, R/T, R/T Scat Pack, 392 HEMI Scat Pack Shaker, T/A, SRT 392, SRT Hellcat and SRT Hellcat Widebody fashions in between.
Sure, the bottom trim made 305 horsepower, those in between made 370, 470, 707, after which the top-dog Demon made 840. Simply wow!
The Demon went away in 2019, however used to be changed through the Hellcat Redeye, which didn’t make 840 horsepower, however did make 797. The TransBrake used to be long gone, and so used to be the two.3 2nd 0 to 60 time (as much as 3.6 seconds), nevertheless it used to be nonetheless a monster. The Hellcat additionally noticed a ten horsepower soar to 717.
The Charger Hellcat later noticed that 10 horsepower bump within the fiftieth Anniversary Daytona fashions in 2020, and from 2021 on 717 turned into the usual Hellcat horsepower for the Charger. In 2021, although, the Charger were given a Hellcat Redeye variant of its personal, with Dodge boasting an absurd peak pace of 203 mph. That very same yr, the Challenger won a “Tremendous Inventory” Trim for its Redeye fashions, bringing horsepower as much as 807. Then in 2022, Dodge presented a “Jailbreak” possibility for the Charger Redeye, bringing energy as much as that very same 807 determine. This is able to later change into its personal Charger trim in 2023, becoming a member of the usual 797 Horsepower Hellcat Redeye and the 717 horsepower Hellcat, in addition to after all the 300 HP Pentastar, the 370 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V8, and the 485 horsepower 6.4-liter naturally aspirated HEMI.
What has the 300 been doing all this time that Challengers had been getting 707 horsepower Hellcats and 797 Horsepower Redeyes and 807 horsepower Tremendous Shares and Jailbreaks? Now not an entire lot. It’s caught with its 292/300 horsepower Pentastar V6 and a 363 horsepower 5.7-liter V8. This is, till the overall model-year, 2023.
The auto that began all of it additionally ends all of it, with Chrysler writing its farewell press unencumber:
the 2023 Chrysler 300C — returning to the 300 lineup after a two-year hiatus — honors the robust legacy of its forbears through handing over 485 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque, acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in simply 4.3 seconds, a quarter-mile mark of 12.4 seconds and a peak pace of 160 mph.
Certainly one of my favourite quotes comes from Dodge’s CEO Tim Kuniskis by means of AutoGuide, who writes about long run plans for Dodge and the Brampton, Ontario plant:
“It’s been a 20-year run of Dodge muscle automobiles, over 3 million cars and over 1000000000 horsepower. Brampton constructed the Dodge emblem”
Simply absurd.
The 2d Price tag Was once Styling, Which Modified Gracefully Over The Years
Within the earlier segment, I didn’t even point out the efficiency packs, the addition of energetic exhaust, the addition of release keep an eye on, the addition of line-lock for optimum burnout-effectiveness, and the entire different instances Chrysler added efficiency to the LX-platform automobiles. What the corporate did to stay the ones automobiles recent from a efficiency point of view used to be a real masterclass in relevancy-retention, however simply as a lot of a masterclass had been the styling refreshes. The 2005 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum appeared like what you notice above, and in 2006 when the Charger joined the celebration, it appeared like this:
Via 2008, when the Challenger were given in at the amusing, it appeared like this:
FESTIÑ05/08/08 Ñ Chrysler rolls out the brand new Challenger on the Brampton Meeting Plant, April 8, 2008.
Have mercy that Challenger nonetheless appears implausible. Additionally in 2008, the Magnum won a styling replace that will stay for simply 2008, the mannequin’s ultimate model-year:
2008 Dodge Magnum R/T. DG008_007MA
In 2011, the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger each won main updates, with platform adjustments from “LX” to “LD.” With that got here all new styling inside and outside:
The inner replace from the onerous plastics of the MCM (Subject material Price Control) days of DaimlerChrysler used to be an enormous boon to shoppers and automobile reporters, whose handiest actual closing main gripe used to be the automobiles’ heft — once more, a gripe that Chrysler battled through merely leaning into it and injecting increasingly more energy.
2015, like I mentioned within the “energy” segment of this retrospective, is the yr that modified the sport. The Charger went from what you notice above to browsing like this:
The Challenger went from what you notice above to browsing like this:
I’d be a idiot to not give the “Hellcat Twins,” as they’d change into identified, their very own little segment, so listed below are the 2015 Charger Hellcat and 2015 Challenger Hellcat:
Even the 300 were given some love in 2015:
2015 Chrysler 300C Platinum
2015 Chrysler 300C Platinum
From there, the massive adjustments took place to the Challenger in 2018, when the 840 horsepower Demon arrived, at the side of a widebody edition of the 707 horsepower Hellcat:
From left to proper: 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody and 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
For 2019, the Charger GT and R/T were given a snazzier-looking hood, and the Hellcat were given a brand new grille, however the larger trade used to be that the 485 horsepower 6.4-liter Challenger R/T Scat Pack (at the proper within the pic underneath) may now come as a widebody, which is shared with the 797 horsepower Hellcat Redeye (on left within the pic underneath) that changed the 840 horsepower Demon:
Then in 2020, the Dodge Charger Hellcat and Scatpack were given widebody variations similar to the Challenger:
Then Charger were given its personal Hellcat Redeye in 2021:
2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye: Essentially the most robust and quickest heavily produced sedan on the earth with 797-horsepower proven right here in Triple Nickel with Twin Carbon stripes.
For 2023, Stellantis has proven off seven of each and every of the Charger and Challenger “Remaining Name” particular editions, which you’ll view right here on MotorTrend‘s roundup of the 14 last-hurrah fashions. However the very final L-Automotive to come back off that Brampton Meeting Line is a one-of-2000 limited-edition Chrysler 300C, a trim that hadn’t been to be had in a few years, however now returns for the primary time ever with that very same 6.4-liter HEMI V8 that’s been present in R/T Scat Packs and 392 Chargers/Challenger SRTs:
Chrysler emblem is commemorating the just about 70-year legacy of the Chrysler 300 with the 2023 Chrysler 300C, powered through a 6.4L HEMI® engine with 485-horsepower. The 2023 Chrysler 300C used to be published on September 13, 2022, at the eve of media day for the 2022 North American Global Auto Display.
I’ve Slightly Even Scratched The Floor
There’s so a lot more that must be mentioned concerning the L-cars. In regards to the wagon edition (principally a Magnum with a 300 face) presented in Europe, concerning the Lancia Thema (additionally a rebadged post-2011 300), concerning the police automobiles presented within the U.S.:
In regards to the Chrysler 300 SRTs that Australia used as police automobiles:
In regards to the roles they’ve performed within the Rapid and Livid Franchise:
About how the automobiles had been elementary to the status quo of Roadkill Nights, the completely BONKERS high-horsepower, smokeshow of an tournament held each and every yr on Woodward Road outdoor of Detroit:
I may move on and on about the entire little particular editions through the years that I didn’t duvet above, about the entire small styling tweaks, about the entire powertrain tweaks, about the entire chassis tweaks, however this text would take you hours to learn, and I take a look at the analytics information of this web site sufficient to grasp that you just all have 2-3 hours. However suffice it to mention that these kind of adjustments through the years are what have stored this unbelievable platform recent. At no level within the final 19 years has the LX/LD platform ever been anything else not up to badass, and that’s a hell of a feat for any automaker to drag off. And as you’ll see through the entire iterations I discussed and the ones I’ve been not able to say: Chrysler, Fiat Chrysler, FCA, Stellantis, or no matter you need to name them did this via onerous paintings.
All Photographs: Chrysler
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