Chrysler ended production (again) in 2023 with a limited run of final edition 300C models – 2,000 for the US market and 200 for Canada. A bit of a unicorn. Rumor has it all 2,200 cars were preordered within a half-day of becoming available in 2022. Chrysler beefed up some parts and trim here and there, but the coup de grâce was the upgrade to a 6.2-liter V-8 pumping 485 naturally aspirated horsepower. More than the SRT-8 but not as much, not even close, to the Hellcat motor that was never offered in the 300C anyway. Well, CarMax has two of these Final Edition models for sale. Autotrader has another 28 for a little more money, although none sell above the MSRP of $56,000 when new. Folks probably weren’t buying them as investments anyway.
The Chrysler 300C debuted in 2005 (not the 1950’s version) and hasn’t changed a whole lot since then. Car and Driver posted, “The 300’s styling, interior comfort, and driving dynamics earned it 10Best honors in 2005 and 2006.” The second generation spawned in 2011 and got a facelift in 2015. For better or worse, the 2023 Chrysler 300C is almost a straight-line descendent of the original. Sales started to plummet in 2019, and the model was discontinued in 2023. We will miss all the cool trim levels. Not just the SRT-8, but the Varvatos, the Uptown, and the Motown trim levels as well.
(My apologies to regular readers for plagiarizing here and there from my blog two weeks ago that included the 2019 300S. I’m hoping to cross-post this on David Fesz’s Facebook page, “Unique Cars For Sale 2.0“. Give it a look. Moderator Rick Jaeger is way more clever than I will ever be.)
The 2023 300C Final Edition got four-piston Brembos and a limited-slip 3.09:1 rear end. With an eight-speed automatic, it hits 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. I got a chuckle from Car and Driver’s review: “Chrysler unlocked a couple of unique achievements with the 300C. At wide-open throttle, we recorded 88 decibels, an absolute roar that tops even the Lamborghini Urus Performante. And this long, angry barge is also the only car in recent memory that can use every bit of its 160-mph speedometer.” Something to be proud of.
Inside, in addition to specially stitched and logo-embossed Laguna leather seats, the Final Edition gets a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, panoramic sunroof, auto cruise control, heated and cooling seats, rear heated seats, heated steering wheel, automatic headlights, and Apple CarPlay. And some carbon fiber here and there.
I have my own history with the 300. Back in January 2016, we had a blizzard in Northern Virginia on a Sunday morning, and I needed to be in North Carolina to work by Monday morning. My neighborhood was impassable. Airports and Amtrak were shut down, but the National Car Rental at Reagan National had a few cars for rent. I answered an ad on Craigslist offering 4×4 rides for $100, not much more than a regular taxi! I asked my daughter to take down the license plate of the Jeep when it came in case I got murdered. I did not. I rented a very nice Chrysler 300S and raced in the night down the single-plowed lane of I-95. It was a remarkable ride, and I had no complaints about the Chrysler. Like many rental cars, I could see myself owning them…..for a while.
The 2023 Chrysler 300C Final Edition is currently reserved here in Fresno, California. You can track it using that link or search on CarMax for the stock number or VIN below. It’s an accident-free car that oddly lists three owners on the road in just over a year. I wonder if that’s a paperwork issue, a repossession, or a sale and return to CarMax? It’s the lowest-priced 300C Final Edition I can find, and it’s still under manufacturer warranty for another two years and 26,000 miles. If MaxCare were cheap, and sometimes it is because you’re only buying the handful of years post-manufacturer warranty, I might recommend it mostly for the electronics and higher-tech doodads. The motor and drivetrain should be fairly reliable for this old design. As reliable as a mass-produced Chrysler can be. Scroll down if you’re interested in the second 300C Final Edition!
Stock No: 26506546 VIN: 2C3CCAPJ5PH542472
There is no need for screenshots of the lower-mileage one below, which costs $5,000 more. It’s an identical twin but with 3,000 fewer miles. This one is coming soon to my local CarMax in Dulles, Virginia! Here’s the link. You can also find it by the stock number and VIN below.
Stock No: 26187633 VIN: 2C3CCAPJ0PH501957
