Spotted outside the SEMA Show in Las Vegas was this odd creation pictured above; a hotted-up and lowered-down Chrysler 300C with a Dodge Magnum fascia - talk about family ties... And just in case you wondering what the opposite face-transplant would look like, we checked around out the tuner's website -that would be USWheel- and, not surprisingly, we discovered a Chrysler 300-snouted Magnum. More photos after the break.
It looks like the Viper-powered Chrysler 300 teased on the group's Dodge Youtube channel is nothing more than the dream of one man: David Ekins. The 300 SRT10, it turns out, started as an unsuspecting 2006 Chrysler 300 Touring (which initially came with a V6); now it's got four more cylinders and puts down a claimed 525-550 horsepower.
Mr. Ekins is said to have built the project himself (except for some specialty work), having sourced the 10-cylinder 8.3-liter engine and T-56 Tremec transmission from a wrecked donor car. Other than the power train, a slew of other systems obviously had to be upgraded in order for the car to become a 300 SRT10 and not just a 300 Touring with a massive engine.
This homemade project now rides on Eibach coilovers and gets a new sway bar kit, as well as a little bit of extra cooling up front in the form of a 3-inch thick radiator and "custom" oil filter. Other additions include a new fuel tank mounted in the trunk and the little styling tweaks found throughout.
David says, "It took me about a year because I had to figure everything out...I built it knowing about the power and trying to keep it reliable. I didn't really build it to race it, I just wanted something different. I really liked the Viper, but I couldn't fit my whole family in it."
Not to take a single iota of mad love away from this build, but I think it would look ever more righteous with a set of Viper wheels (hey, I'm an OEM+ guy). Short of that nit-picking, this is one amazing ride that I'd love to see more of. Chrysler, pay this guy to show it off at SEMA and get started on a DIY kit for Viper-to-300 conversions...STAT.
A new recall announced by the Chrysler Group will affect 26,397 owners of Chrysler and Dodge brand vehicles in the USA. The recall includes certain 2010MY Chrysler 300 and Sebring, and Dodge Charger, Avenger, Challenger and Journey, and some 2011MY Ram pickup trucks, because a power steering pressure hose may leak fluid onto a hot engine and cause a fire.
The U.S. automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that dealers will inspect and replace if necessary the power steering pressure hoses free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin before the end of the October 2010.
Owners may contact Chrysler for more information regarding the recall at 1-800-853-1403.
According to reports, 13,000 vehicles are also being recalled outside the U.S. for the same problem.
Dodge has published a video of a current generation Chrysler 300 badged as the SRT10 and fitted with a Viper-sourced 8.4-liter V10 powerhouse on its official Youtube channel. The company did not provide any intel on the car, but it did ask the question, "What happens when you put a Viper engine into a Chrysler 300?". Feel free to post your answers in the comments section below.
A quick search on the net failed to return any results on the Chrysler SRT10, so this V10 powered project car could be anything from an older private build to a new tuning proposal for the upcoming 2010 SEMA Show in Las Vegas this November. We just don't know - yet.
Those of you with a strong memory, will surely recall the Detroit firm's 2008 SEMA Show Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept car powered by the Viper's 8.4-liter V10 engine churning out 600 wild ponies and 560 lb. ft. of torque. If you don't remember it, scroll down and refresh your memory with the promo video.
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