Officially, the 2023 Chrysler 300 is moving forward into the new model year with minor changes in store. However…things just got more interesting with this teaser posted to the brand’s retail website. With all the fanfare surrounding the “Last Call” models of the Dodge Charger and Challenger next year, it’s been strange to see nothing out of their luxury-minded sibling. Chrysler appears to have a performance model up its sleeve though, saying we should expect “one of the most powerful and luxurious special edition vehicles” in its history next week.
Of course, the company doesn’t flat out say it’s a special edition Chrysler 300. Since the brand only produces two cars at the moment, though, it doesn’t take any major investigation to deduce which model we’re seeing here.
Based around what we’ve seen out of Dodge so far, our hunch is on Chrysler sending off the 300 with a revived SRT model (or SRT8, as they called it back in the day). Fitting the big 6.4-liter Hemi under the 300’s hood once more would make some folks happy, since the brand discontinued that option back in 2014. These days, the naturally aspirated powerplant makes a bit more power, too, putting out 485 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque in the Charger and Challenger R/T Scat Pack models. That would make for a pretty sweet (and pretty svelte) muscle sedan.
Maybe, maybe (did I say maybe?) a Chrysler 300 Hellcat?
That said, it’s tough to say exactly what we could see here, with just a brake and caliper shot. Could Stellantis go completely mad? Could they say, “Screw it, we’re putting the supercharged Hellcat motor in this and make hay while the sun’s still shining?” Technically yes, although it would be a real stretch. I don’t see it happening, as much as I love the “Hellcat everything” philosophy. But…the company put the engine in a freaking Jeep, a Durango and the Ram 1500. So, hush my mouth — possibly.
Chrysler is meant to be a more restrained brand than Dodge, but I’d expect them to be more hyperbolic here if a 700+ horsepower monster is their intent. They do say “one of the most powerful” rather than the most powerful, so that pretty much lays out one logical route.
The company does say this is a limited production run, though it’s unclear how many units will be this special performance model just yet. Fortunately, we only have to wait until September 13 at 6 PM EDT to find out more. We’ll have much more information for you then.
For the moment, Chrysler’s also been cagey on saying exactly when (or even if) Chrysler 300 production will end. We sort of expect it the brand to wind down its aging sedan around the same time as the Dodge Charger and Challenger — all three are built in the same Brampton, Ontario plant — but there’s no official word that the 2023 model year will be the last just yet.
If it is, at least Chrysler is sending out their long-running halo with a bang.
It’s been a hot minute since we’ve had a Chrysler 300 to review, but you can check that out in the video below:
