Every so often a car comes along that causes the automotive media to explode in a frenzy of admiring adjectives. And if said car enjoys a few months of sales growth the manufacturer's execs, in typically unhumble manner, tell us how they anticipated success from the beginning.
Such a car is the 2005 Chrysler 300; in particular the 300 Hemi.
Call me the odd man out, but I think this is a load of lamma droppings. To my eyes – and these eyes have witnessed countless new model intros over the years – the new 300 is boxcar ugly. Especially when lined up, side-by-side, with the previous 300M and Chrysler Concours. Which, by the way, caused the automotive media to explode in a frenzy of admiring adjectives.
If vertical styling is the new design mantra, might as well shut down the wind tunnel for good. I have not, by the way, seen even a whisper of the 300's CD (co-efficient of drag) numbers in any of DC's pr releases. What does that tell you? That boxes aren't aerodynamic? The front end should be a warning to pedestrians. Get hit by this battering ram and you'll need to contact the nearest control tower before touching down.
DaimlerChrysler tells us the big grille is a reminder of times past. Maybe. But it reminds me of the current Dodge Ram's front end, which I believe was created so guys short on teresterone could pretend to be 18-wheeler drivers and scare anyone who dared occupy road space in front. You think I'm kidding? Have you ever seen one of those monsters in your mirrors?
Now let's consider the greenhouse. In car designer-speak, that means the portion of the vehicle made mostly of glass. Windshield, side windows, rear window. The more there is the easier everyone can see out, especially the driver. The smaller the greenhouse, passengers feel claustrophobic and the driver's vision is limited. The Chrysler 300's greenhouse is small. Very small. Worse still, those high sides create a sense of sitting in a bathtub. Like my old Porsche 356.
Where do they get these ideas? I'll tell you where. Chrysler stylists have always been influenced by the past. Think Prowler, Viper, PT Cruiser. Look at the rear of the Concorde and hark back to mid-50's Jaguars. (Or as a retired Chrysler design exec asked me, "where did Jaguar get the inspiration for those windows... late 30's Bugatti Atlantic, right?" Right.)
Brace yourself, Chrysler. You may not have been consciously aware, but your new 300 design owes its inspiration to the 1930's Voisin. Who? What? Voisin was a pioneering French aircraft designer and engineer with a well-developed sense of aerodynamics. Applied to his cars, this meant putting the shape first, driver and passenger second. Like the designers of the 2005 Chrysler 300.
Now let's consider the nonsense perpetrated by Chrysler and other manufacturers (including my journalist colleagues) about the switch to rear-wheel-drive. Following decades of hype (mostly accurate) regarding the advantages of front-wheel-drive, DC abandons this logic (saves space, improves traction in snow, mud, etc.) in favor of rear-wheel-drive. The latter is useful to performance fanatics who like to perform tail-out powerslides but means nothing to folks who struggle through everyday weather. Police and cab owners prefer it because, to be fair, front-wheel-drive servicing is more expensive than the horse-before-the-cart placement of rear-wheel-drive.
Above arguments aside, DaimlerChrysler should be congratulated for making all-wheel-drive an option. Whatever we said regarding front-drive vs. rear-drive goes into the dumpster if all-wheel-drive enters the discussion. It is, indeed, the best of both worlds. Worth every extra penny.
Finally, let's consider the Hemi engine. Hemi, for the uninititiated, which includes almost everyone, is a cut-down synonym for hemispherical combustion chamber. A clever method of more efficiently shaping the space where air and fuel combine before being exploded by the intrusion of an electrical burst from the spark plug. Bigger bang, more power. It was not invented by Chrysler. France's Peugeot and America's Deusenberg were first.
What Chrysler cleverly did was to pre-empt all former claims and turn the Hemi into a NASCAR race champion while convincing the public that Hemi meant more. More of everything.
The new Hemi, thankfully, does mean more than just horsepower because DaimlerChrysler has added a computer-based system that under cruise conditions cuts out half the cylinders and saves fuel. Not an industry first (GM tried and flopped) but if it works this will be the first successful application of computer technology to the disparate objectives of power vs. economy.
Meanwhile, with due respect, I submit that the 2005 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum are nothing less than ugly manifestations of the industry's drive to be different. You don't agree? Neither does Colin Hefferon. Read his contrary view on the next page.
