The Chrysler 300 Hemi
The Chrysler 300 hemi is Chryslers attempt to get into the suddenly hot muscle car market. After falling out of favor for about two decades there is now a large market for muscle cars. This is largely the result of a major redesign of the Ford Mustang. The new Mustang sold very well and resulted in everybody else jumping into the market. In most cases the new muscle cars are simply luxury cars with bigger engines and that is the case with the Chrysler 300 hemi. Regardless the car has had decent sales but it has tended to be overshadowed by some of its competitors.
The Chrysler 300 was introduced in 2005 and was sold as a sporty luxury car. A big part of the design has come as the result of the merger with Daimler Benz as many of the components on the car come from Mercedes. The car has sold relatively well despite the fact that people tend to have very strong opinions about this particular vehicle. The car has won a number of awards and is generally considered to be a good car but a lot of people find the styling to be unappealing. The car sales have been declining quite dramatically over the last couple of years so the future of the car is in question. In all likelihood there will be a redesign within the next couple of years.
The Chrysler 300 Hemi is the top of the line version of the company's high performance luxury car, and according to The Chrysler Blog, the primary difference of course is that this version has a hemi for an engine. A lot of people will by a Chrysler specifically because they want the hemi but at the same time a lot of other people seem to think that the advantages of the hemi are overrated. The reality is that the success of the hemi is mainly the result of good marketing more than it is the result of good performance. While there are some advantages to a hemi it is hard to justify buying a vehicle solely on the basis of it having a hemi engine.
If you think the engine causes controversy the design of the car is even more controversial. Some people like the styling of the car while others view it as an ugly box. The front grill in particular stirs up a lot of strong opinions; some people think it is a retro design that reflects the past of Chryslers designs. Other people think it looks like it came straight off of a Dodge Ram pickup truck. The windows are also a source of considerable discussion because they are very small and give a rather claustrophobic feel to people who are driving in the car. Ultimately whether or not you think the Chrysler 300 hemi is a good car is going to depend on your personal opinion.