It’s okay if you wish to spend a few moments to take in all the visual aggression of the Chrysler 300 SRT8 parked on our screens. After all, this rendering brings what might be the most outlandish transformation the modern 300 has seen since it entered production a full 18 years ago.
There’s a reason for the modern Chrysler 300’s somewhat limited high-velocity appeal (otherwise, we would’ve expected real-world builds or even other renderings to have grabbed the title mentioned in the intro by now). And while we’ll get to that in a moment, we first need to cover the downright brutal aero remaster of this 300 SRT8.
Given the venerable age of the American sedan, this has enjoyed more than one racing incarnation, whether we’re talking about the Zakspeed conversion based on the pre-revamp car built before 2011 or less known incarnations like the one portrayed in the YouTube clip at the bottom of the page (lens tip to 19Bozzy92). Hey, back in 2012, Chrysler even considered entering the 300 in Australia’s V8 Supercars series, but the budget was limited, so it stuck to providing a pace car for the championship.
However, none of those motorsport toys, at least the ones we’re aware of, can hold a candle to the full-fury Chrysler 300 SRT8 created by digital artist Dom Host (aka altered_intent), who also builds hot rods in real life.
The Chrysler 300 SRT8 Aero Ace looks like one fast cookie
The enthusiast went way above the usual widebody conversion that’s so popular these days, introducing an all-out motorsport take, which is why we’ve decided to nickname the machine “Aero Ace”—he dubbed it “Evasive”, which is how its imaginary competitors would probably call it on the track.
The super-sized overfenders that hold the grip devil that is the new wheel/tire package could only be paired with the kind of front end and posterior treatment you’d expect to see on a Pikes Peak racer, but that’s just part of the story.
There’s an air scoop taking up most of the roof, while the installation of that massive rear diffuser means the exhaust now protrudes through the boot lid. Speaking of which, the rear of the car shows exposed carbon and we’re expecting the wonder material to also be hiding under the white and red finish of the vehicle’s other panels.
Giving this project an RPM (real project in the making) Potential rating doesn’t come easy. On one hand, the complexity of the proposal means not too many aficionados would rush to bring it to life. On the other hand, the sheer fact that it appears to be the baddest Chrysler 300 the world has ever seen might tip the balance the other way, so we’ll have to stick to 5/10.
The Modern Chrysler 300 sits in the shadow of the Dodge Charger
Whether we’re looking at overall sales or the sheer vehicle range, the Chrysler 300 has always been in the shadow of its platform mate, the Dodge Charger. So, while these days you can buy a 797 Charger Hellcat Redeye in factory Widebody trim (or build one out of a V6 rental car), the 300 stopped at the otherwise brilliant N/A 6.4L HEMI, missing out on the supercharged fun.
The situation is arguably similar on the aftermarket side, so while certain 300 owners take their machines down the Hellcat route, the Charger remains the more popular one.
One might believe this to be a function of how each of the two brands operates, which Dodge injecting extra badassery into its limited model range almost every year and Chrysler being much more cautious with its also-small range.
The Future of the Chrysler 300 and its HEMI history
Even if we look into the future, Dodge has already announced the release of a drivable prototype for an all-electric muscle car scheduled for production in 2024, thus providing continuity to its muscle heritage. Chrysler? Well, the 300C is on its way out and its replacement is expected to be an electric crossover. We’re talking about the showroom car based on the Airflow Concept that Chrysler introduced back in January at CES 2022.
Speaking of the future, now that former Chrysler and Dodge parent company FCA has merged with European group PSA to form Stellantis, the company’s struggling brands, a list that includes Chrysler’s name, have been given a decade to prove they deserve to be kept alive.
Nevertheless, if we look back at the history of the 300 and the Charger bloodlines, we’ll notice something interesting. As such, the first 300 model was born more than a decade before the original Charger came to the world.
The year was 1955 and the name of the Chrysler model was owed to the 331 ci (5.4L) HEMI Firepower V8, which churned out 300 horsepower. Sure, once the Charger got a major revamp and became one of the dominant muscle figures of the 60s, there was no turning back. But, at least to us, that OG aura of the Chrysler 300 is enough to justify the otherworldly velocity transformation we have here.
