2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8: the second generation, 470 hp

Chrysler launched the second-generation 300 SRT8 on August 31, 2011, at $47,170 plus $825 destination. Its 6.4-liter HEMI made 470 hp and 470 lb-ft through a five-speed automatic with paddle shifters, and an active-valve exhaust gave what Chrysler itself called a 21 percent highway fuel-economy gain. Chrysler claimed 0-60 mph in the high-4-second range and a quarter mile in the high 12s, and the car continued to be built at Brampton.¹

No SRT8-specific production count was published for 2012. Chrysler's own sales reports instead give 70,747 US sales for the whole 300 nameplate across calendar 2012, a figure the company itself described as its best year for the nameplate since 2007, though this record treats that total strictly as context covering every 300 trim rather than the SRT8 specifically, and as a sales figure rather than a production count in the first place.²

The 300 SRT8's own MSRP is documented at $47,170, excluding an $825 destination charge, as of the car's August 2011 launch. The 6.4-liter, 392-cu-in SRT HEMI, carrying engine codes ESG and ESH and fitted with an active-valve exhaust, is rated 470 hp and 470 lb-ft as the factory's own advertised output, the only engine offered on the 300 SRT8 for the year. The sole transmission documented is the five-speed automatic with paddle shifters, standard equipment.^1,3

A substantial options and packages list is documented from Chrysler's own feature-availability sheet: a panoramic dual-pane power sunroof; Goodyear F1 Supercar 245/45ZR20 three-season tires, with Eagle RS-A2 all-season tires standard; a Black Chrome Group bundling Black Vapor Chrome 20-inch fully forged wheels with black chrome grille surrounds, a black chrome lower-fascia surround, and a rear accent bar; a Leather Premium Interior Group with Nappa leather door armrests, bolsters, and center armrest alongside Poltrona Foligno leather covering the instrument panel, cluster brow, door uppers, and console side panels, plus luxury floor mats; an SRT Option Group I bringing Harman Kardon audio with 19 speakers, a subwoofer, and a 900-watt amplifier; and a SafetyTec Group combining forward collision warning with adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection, LED rear fog lamps, and mirrors with supplemental turn signals and approach lamps.⁴

Specification detail is extensive: the 6.4-liter HEMI with Fuel Saver Technology is given as 392 cu in, 6,424 cc, with a 4.09-by-3.72-inch bore and stroke and 10.9:1 compression, rated 470 hp at 6,000 rpm and 470 lb-ft at 4,300 rpm under SAE J2723, with a 6,400-rpm limit, and built at the Saltillo Engine Plant in Mexico. The W5A580 five-speed automatic's gears run 3.59, 2.19, 1.41, 1.00, and 0.83, with reverse at 3.16, a 3.06 final drive with a Getrag limited-slip differential, and a 2.54 overall top-gear ratio. Dimensions include a 120.2-inch wheelbase, 63.4/63.1-inch track, 200.33-inch length, 74.24-inch width, and 58.26-inch height, with a 4,365-lb curb weight split 54/46 front to rear, a 19.1-gallon fuel tank, and EPA figures of 14 city and 23 highway mpg. Brakes are Brembo four-piston fixed calipers on 14.2-by-1.26-inch vented and slotted front rotors and 13.8-by-1.10-inch vented and slotted rear rotors, on 20-by-9.0-inch fully forged aluminum wheels with a Black Vapor Chrome finish available.⁵

Six exterior colors are documented: Bright Silver, Tungsten, Bright White, Black, Ivory, and Deep Cherry Red. Two interior color combinations are documented, a Black Nappa leather seat with Axis perforated suede inserts and silver accent stitching, and the same treatment in Radar Red over black. Chrysler's own manufacturer claim puts the quarter mile in the high-12-second range, though this record's own performance note flags that the test conditions behind that claim are not stated. VIN positions 5 through 7 for the model year identify the SRT8 with the code CAF.^4,1,3