A Chrysler 300 SRT with the 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 will arrive in late 2018.
According to , Fiat Chrysler’s plan to move the 300 to the Giorgio rear-wheel drive platform that is used in the Giulia has been scrapped. Instead, FCA engineers will work to significantly improve the 300’s LX platform, with the automaker planning to introduce the reworked version of the sedan sometime in 2019.
Before the updated 300 arrives, the Hellcat version will. ‘s sources didn’t provide much info on the super sedan, but previous Hellcat-powered products give us a pretty good indication. In the closely related Charger Hellcat, FCA’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8 makes 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, so we’re expecting similar output levels for the 300.
SEE ALSO: Chrysler 300 Jumping on the Hellcat Bandwagon?
Spy shots of a curious 300 SRT Prototype surfaced earlier this year, fueling rumors the 300 is in line for a Hellcat makeover. The prototype was wearing the Dodge Demon’s extra-wide tires at all four corners, so it’s possible the production version will be a widebody. Furthermore, FCA has already proven its all-wheel drive system can handle the Hellcat’s hardiness. If FCA wanted to differentiate the Chrysler from its Dodge counterpart, it could make it AWD.
Chrysler spokesperson Kristin Starnes told us earlier this year that “there are no plans” to bring a high-performance Chrysler 300 to North America, but that’s typical of PR personnel. We’re inclined to believe on this, after all, they predicted the arrival of the widebody Challenger Hellcat and the all-wheel drive Challenger GT well before either had made their debut.
[Source: Automotive News]
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