So we bought a 2015 Chrysler 300 SRT
Yep, we’ve bought yet another car, adding to our ever-expanding self-owned long-term fleet. We hyped it long enough on our Facebook page where we asked our fans to guess the car, and it was great fun watching the comments pour in. This here is a 2015 Chrysler 300 SRT in a rare red colour, and in full-option trim — so fully-optioned, that you won’t find this specification at all dealers as it was originally custom-ordered.
Bought from a friend, who was briefly the second owner, it has just over 9,000 km on the clock. Aside from some scrapes on the low front lip and a bit of curbing on a couple of the wheels, it looks brand new. We will go over the cost of these repairs (as well as the running costs of a monster SRT) over the course of our ownership.
Aside from the usual UConnect screen, nav, panoramic glass roof and all the usual features, the special options include a black-out trim package (so all chrome trim is painted over), black-out headlights, smoked-chrome wheels, a stitched-leatherette dash and full Nappa-leather tan upholstery as well as the full active-safety package that includes adaptive cruise control with full braking functionality, lane-departure warning and prevention, and blind-spot monitoring.
The 2015 model also rocks because it is so rare. In SRT trim, this car is now offered in the GCC, Australia and only a handful of other markets. So you will never see U.S. grey-imported versions of the updated-in-2015 300 SRT (when an 8-speed automatic and a fancier LCD gauge cluster were also added alongside an aggressive front-rear facelift), although you may still come across non-SRT 300 imports.
Less than 2,000 of these facelift cars have been built since 2015, making it rarer than a Lamborghini Aventador (5,000+ built) or even a Dodge Challenger Hellcat (20,000+ built). And yet, parts will never be an issue because it shares its mechanicals with a common Dodge Charger SRT and most of its exterior panels with a Chrysler 300S.
The reason for the 300 SRT’s slow sales is obviously that it’s more expensive than a Dodge Charger SRT. But for that premium, you get a completely unique subtle look that doesn’t drown out in the sea of V6 Chargers. And with the “Redline Tri-Coat Pearl” paint on our car, it’s a total head-turner that even gets prime valet parking spots at hotels.
We’ll talk more about how it is to drive in the coming weeks, but needless to say, a regular 485 hp SRT model is already overly powerful, ever since they all got the 8-speed in 2015. It doesn’t need the overkill Hellcat engine.
https://www.facebook.com/drivearabia/videos/10154211482287084/
Original Mileage When Bought: 9,010 km
Latest Mileage To Date: 9,250 km
Latest Average Fuel Economy: 18.8 litres/100 km
Cost of Latest Problems: Dhs 0
Cost of Latest Maintenance: Dhs 0Total Non-Fuel Running Cost Since Bought: Dhs 0
Comments
Mohammad
Sounds like u r already planning to sell the car and therefore lecturing us about how great and rare. Even going as far as saying that the hellcat is an overkill…thereby implying that its better than the hellcat.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Hey, if you want a 707 hp Hellcat for the street, go right ahead, lol. This one spins its tyres at the slightest provocation as it is (leading us to drive in Eco mode at times).
samer
the chrysler engine is not the 485 version, as far as I remember it is still coming with the 470hp one, I think they didnt give it the power bump coz the chrysler srt comes with 255 tires not like the charger which gets 275, wide tires in chrysler means more road noise and chrysler is more towards luxury, so a power bump will mean a lot of tire spin and handling issues with stock tires
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
There was a lot of wrong information going around about the 300 SRT since it wasn’t available in the U.S. any more. This one did get the power upgrade, since it got the new gearbox. It is what it is, and great fun to drive.
Zao
Congrats guys…you really have an impressive collection now….a small roadster, a real sports car, a muscle car, a large SUV, a big luxury car, a proper off-roader….only thing missing is a family van …
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
We already sold the Mercedes and donated the money to charity, lol. We drove it around for a month while we were looking for a serious buyer (and eventually sold to a friend of a friend). I’ll be putting up a review soon, and talk about Japanese imports.
Vivek
Unique as the 300 SRT maybe, let’s not say the Charger SRT doesn’t stand out amongst its V6 brothers. The body kit does a world of wonders for that car.
Penn
And easy to clip onto V6 Chargers from sharjah, which some doing already. V6 Hellcats!
Orion
was quite close to upgrading from my V6 to the SRT at the dealers with less than 8k mileage last year (a 2015 MY)..the remote start scares the hell of anybody close and not noticing it and the drive is something that falls short of words to describe! A very close yet completely different drive experience was the Volvo S60 polestar..unassumingly civil yet brilliant. Any word on the purchase price?
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Can’t mention the price due to privacy for the previous owner. And yes, a V60 Polestar could potentially be on our future fleet.
samer
let me know if you decide to sell
mitch
I missed the Merc updates. was it sold before you even started?
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Was never meant to be a long-termer. But there will be a review.
Sting316
noice :))))
Anish Fernandez
Hi I would like to write the good and the bad of imported car. i.e US spec and Japanese Spec and how it is compared with the GCC spec cars. thank you
Sam
I think the review of 2017 Cadillac CTS-V would be more intresting.. sure it costs a more than 300 SRT lot yet has refinement, balanced chassis, luxury and power.
But dont know read on forums that it under performs due to weather and has some reliability issues .
Tony May
I live in the USA is there ANY way i could import a 300 SRT to the USA and how much would it cost
Zoe
How could I get 1 imported to the states