On the eve of the 2022 North American International Auto Show, the Chrysler brand said it is paying tribute to the end of an era.
The first scheduled press conference of the auto show’s return to downtown Detroit on Tuesday showed a special edition model near The Spirit of Detroit statue, called the 2023 Chrysler 300C, as the brand prepares to end production of the current version of the Chrysler 300, its lone sedan offering, next year.
It’s an approach parent company Stellantis is also taking with its Dodge brand, which will be offering special editions as it wraps up production of gas-powered Charger and Challenger versions at the Brampton Assembly Plant near Toronto, where all three vehicles are currently built.
Chrysler, which is also known for its Pacifica and Voyager minivans, is shifting its focus from a gas-powered past toward an electrified future but not before offering its internal combustion engine customers something commemorative for the road. The Chrysler 300 dates to 1955, when its 300-horsepower Hemi V8 helped make it “the most powerful full-size car in the world,” the company said.
The 2023 Chrysler 300C is set for a limited production run for the U.S. market of 2,000 vehicles (200 in Canada), the Stellantis brand said in its announcement, and it’ll come equipped with a 6.4-liter, 392 cubic-inch Hemi V8 engine expected to deliver 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque.
That power should help the 2023 300C manage 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds, with a quarter-mile time of 12.4 seconds, the company said.
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Chrysler brand CEO Chris Feuell said the idea is to honor decades of automotive history.
“We’re celebrating the Chrysler 300 and its iconic legacy in the automotive world,” Feuell said in a news release. “The Chrysler 300 changed the automotive world in so many ways, and we will carry that spirit of ingenuity forward as we transform Chrysler with a fully electrified future and breakthrough customer experiences.”
Feuell told the Free Press earlier this year that the brand would have a completely transformed portfolio between 2025 and 2028. At CES in Las Vegas, formerly the Consumer Electronics Show, the brand showed its electric Airflow Concept, a vehicle some have suggested as a potential competitor to the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E.
It’s not clear how close a future Chrysler production model will be to the Airflow Concept, which resurrects a name associated with automotive innovation from Chrysler’s past. During the interview, Feuell was asked about the future of the 300, which isn’t without its own fans.
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“In the event that we come out with a new vehicle that replaces the 300 with a fully electrified platform and all of the integrated technologies (several of which Stellantis is preparing to roll out), some of those legacy 300 customers may not find that appealing, but we anticipate attracting new customers to the brand, and that’s really what this is about. You know, we want to grow incrementally and not just cannibalize from the existing portfolio,” Feuell said then.
On Tuesday, after the wraps were pulled off a couple of the new models during the unveiling, Feuell kept the door open for a possible return of the name, noting the community of enthusiasts for the 300.
“I think there’s a place for it somewhere in the future portfolio, so stay tuned. It might come back some time,” she said.
But for now at least, Chrysler fans can reminisce with the gas-powered 2023 300C. It’ll come with a new tri-color 300C badge on the grille and rear decklid. It’ll also have 20-by-9-inch wheels, black chrome accents and black headlamp and taillamp bezels, with three exterior color choices, versions of black, red and white. The black leather front seats will have the 300C logo and silver stitching, which will also be on the doors and leather instrument panel, the company said.
Orders are open now at reservation.chrysler.com, with deliveries expected beginning in the spring. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $55,000, which doesn’t include the $1,595 destination fee. Fuel mileage wasn’t listed.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Become a subscriber.