The Daily Ping

FROM: jk
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 9:15:12 am

Really? My honest opinion? Ostentatious American beast.

FROM: Chris
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 9:18:25 am

It's a Chrysler.

FROM: Greg
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 9:52:16 am

Yawn.

FROM: towinlovinit
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 10:49:45 am

It would look good in a horror movie. Those big teeth in front chasing you in you nightmares!

FROM: Kate
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 11:12:50 am

It needs some fins. Or else a periscope. It looks like a lousy version of the Batmobile.

FROM: Rob
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 12:09:47 pm

CHRISTINE!!!!!!

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 12:32:21 pm

Beats a Caravan. Beside, where else can you get a big new Mercedes for less?

FROM: jk
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 3:54:58 pm

Hmmph, I thought my comment was harsh. But honest, yessirree!!!

FROM: Robert [E-Mail]
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 6:53:32 pm

I can see my reflection in the hood!

FROM: Matt
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 7:17:07 pm

It's a beauty.

FROM: Dave Walls [E-Mail]
DATE: Tuesday March 2, 2004 -- 9:14:54 pm

You know what's funny? I report on traffic for a living right now. I drive about 200 or so miles a day. Before today, I hadn't seen any of these. Since I read the Ping this morning, I saw about 20 of em on the road. Where the hell did they come from?
It's Delaware, not THAT many people here. ;p

About the car, the black ones look really nice. Something about the grill of the car..just stands out and makes it look powerful. Other colors didn't come off quite as well.

Not like I know how they handle or anything, but if you get one, the black ones look good. Like a BMW with nuts.

FROM: Marcus Mackey
DATE: Wednesday March 3, 2004 -- 12:37:29 pm

Disappointing would be an understatement, but Paul already knew my feelings on that. It looks like a Dodge Diplomat/Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue modernized; and that was arguably Chrysler's worst designed "large" cars since the Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare IMHO. If you like 'em box-shaped with some rounded edges and swathed with more chrome than you'll see at a World of Wheels extravaganza... it's your ride. Compared to the previous 300M though, it's atrocious! I mean I was sooooo looking forward to RWD and V8 power for the 300, but not if it's going to look this bad! Blech.

I saw it and the Magnum at the Chicago Auto Show. Originally in photos the Magnum looked better... but honestly, the 300C looks better in person because the Magnum in wagon form points out "CLEARLY" how little headroom and ease of ingress/egress these things have. Compared to what I'd seen in Chrysler's Airflite concept, which looked like a melding of the 300C's masochistic late 70's inspired shape (worst period in American auto design) along with the last gen 300 (sleek and stylish) and the Chrysler Chronos/Chrysler Crossfire (between it and the Pacifica and Airflite as Chrysler's best current stylings)... this thing is just plain ghastly and dull at the same time.

Then again if I could compare them into anything reasonably new, the last car that comes to mind is the old pre-"styled" Volvo's. I can hear Dudley Moore's (R.I.P.) voice beaming out saying...

"They're boxy, but good."

I tell you one thing though... they sure look like a good ol' American taxi cab; almost like a modern Checker Marathon. With that Hemi engine option they'll probably make a whale of a police car too. Oh well... have to see what Chrysler decides to do otherwise with the platform. There's no doubt in my mind these things aren't remotely aerodynamic enough to be in NASCAR... so I'm sure they have something else up their sleeves. Maybe a Dodge Charger? ::begging:: The concept Charger looked soooo much better than these things, and it still could've used a nosejob.

Speaking of Taxi cabs... hey Paul, when you make it back in Chitown, you'll have to check out the London Taxi's floating around all over the place now. They're wild when you catch a glimpse of them. They look like a super tall and long version of a Mini Cooper. I just saw 'em for the first time recently tromping through good ol' Berwyn of all places. I'd read about it in Autoweek but never expected to see 'em 'round the way. Then again I had no idea they were so big... their shape makes them appear smaller than they really are. They're pretty neat.

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Friday March 12, 2004 -- 9:10:34 am

Marcus: If you like London cabs, here's a rare one. Better get yours now, they're being discontinued.

http://www.mitsuoka-motor.com/english/lineup/yuga/index.html

I don't know if it's the same size as a London cab or if it's a scaled down version.

FROM: Nick
DATE: Saturday April 3, 2004 -- 3:25:03 am

Completed Cut;that is:
Perfect Front
Perfect Sideface
Perfect Rear(Cut) -Tail lights;No comments-but I hope Customs will be available.
Other than (I hope CustomFront grid will be available- Like the Bentley azure for instance) and "survey set"

This Car is Perfect

FROM: chalie
DATE: Tuesday April 20, 2004 -- 10:09:28 am

its the best looking car in the 20,000 doller range!!!!!!!!!!!!!!fuckers what looks better?

FROM: Paul
DATE: Tuesday April 20, 2004 -- 10:25:49 am

fuckers what looks better?

Anything? And is your name really "chalie?" Seems like you're missing a letter.

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Thursday April 22, 2004 -- 12:34:28 pm

I have to say, I'm not really the big American car guy, but I'm liking the Chrysler Crossfire. There's something very European about it. Oh yeah, Chrysler's a German company now. The Crossfire looks like a modern take on the classic 1955 Mercedes 500 SL "gull wing," sans the gull wing doors.

FROM: Dave Walls [E-Mail]
DATE: Thursday April 22, 2004 -- 1:43:46 pm

Good call, Joesph. I watched the finale to "The Apprentice", and I was more jealous that Bill won a Crossefire than working for "the Donald".

FROM: russ
DATE: Sunday May 9, 2004 -- 12:46:33 pm

The 300 is awesome. I am sick to death of cars that make you feel like you're riding around in a terrarium. The high beltline gives the car a unique look. This looks like a car that means business. Get one with a hemi and it IS a car that means business.

The person who said the 300 looks like a Diplomat / New Yorker is on drugs or something. Those cars' shapes were about as interesting as an air conditioner with windows (yes, like a terrarium). And they were very mundane, pedestrian 'old school' vehicles. The new 300 is totally removed from that disastrous period.

Want to knock a crummy big car? That Buick Roadmaster pile of crap will suffice. I've never seen one outside a dealer where the paint hadn't dulled, the trim was falling off, and even at their best they're UG-LEE. Given their propensity to become very old looking so quickly they're among the biggest blights ever released. Now that is a vehicle for someone who has NO taste whatever in cars. Like an old person who has bought Buicks for 30 years because nobody else makes a car that good (yeah).

Sorry to wander off, the 300 is an awesome looking car, you can't confuse it with anything else, and if the shape is too much for you to handle, buy your 1978 Ford Fairmont while there are a few left.

FROM: Ziggy 911
DATE: Sunday May 23, 2004 -- 12:42:11 pm

It looks like that car in the 1977 James Brolin movie called "The Car". Very menacing, something gangsters would drive. Another example of societal chest beating...tattoos, Hummers...be scared of me, I'm dangerous!

FROM: Buzzard
DATE: Wednesday May 26, 2004 -- 4:37:57 am

The new 300C is what a letter series 300 car should look like in modern times. I'm personally over the Dove soap designs of the new GTO, the 300M, that try to imitate those ricers.

It's a great time. The HEMI is finally back in the original, it's RWD, looks stylish, performs equally or nearly as good as the 2004 GTO. The only fault I could find, no coupe version, but that's minor.

It's a good time to be a 2005 model Chrysler owner, and there are many who don't like that fact. Wait til the ME412, and there will be more mud slinging about em, and the nay sayers will be served with humble pie.

FROM: Will
DATE: Monday June 14, 2004 -- 7:43:30 pm

hey everyone
first off, all of your opinions are realistic, but i personall think , that the chrysler 300, is by far, one of the MOST HOTTEST CARS I HAVE EVER SEEN! lol,
the grill alone gives ya goosebumps, like if you seen it driving slow, you would be pissed off.
lol
its sweet, it kinda brings back the old muscle car looks, that i think , should be brought back in full force, cuz the oldies are 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 times better then most of the newbies..
well, hav fun people, and, respect the 300. lol
give dodge SOME credit
lol

FROM: mike
DATE: Monday June 14, 2004 -- 8:16:39 pm

this is a bentley, well sorta. it looks like a bentley, the headlights and the sort. I like it, its affordable, and it looks european. i would definetley want to drive this fine automobile.

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Tuesday June 15, 2004 -- 9:29:53 am

When this Ping originally posted I thought the 300 looked like an updated version of an old car I knew well. Seeing a 300 on the road yesterday, and aided by russ's "high beltline" comment, and Will's salivating over the grille, it came to me.

I submit that had Checker Motors lived to modernize the famous Marathon, the 300 is the modern Marathon incarnate!

http://www.cow.net/checker/photos/FRIENDS/twocars.jpg

The Chrysler 300--the perfect cab for the twenty-first century. I mean no disparagement in that statement. Since the loss of the Marathon, cabs really are not very classy anymore--they are usually run of the mill Caprice's. The Marathon was really a rather rugged but high class set of wheels. People loved them, but it guzzled too much gas to survive the gas crunch of the 1970's.

Long live the Chrysler Marathon!

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Tuesday June 15, 2004 -- 9:30:56 am

Egads! I've apostrophized a plural! Must go back to grammar school.

FROM: Scotty
DATE: Wednesday June 23, 2004 -- 10:16:02 pm

Look, Im no car savy dude. I dont know all about old cars that are cool. But I can tell you this. I am a very proud owner of a Beautiful 2004 Mazda RX8 that I would fight to the death over if someone even looked at it wrong. Its fast and sleek and has the most gorgeous lines of any car I could ever afford. The interior and exterior design are right out of fantasy land. When you sit in the driver seat its like getting a hug from a beautiful woman.
IM TRADING IT IN ON SATURDAY FOR A 300C LOADED OUT!!!!

FROM: Shadow
DATE: Friday January 7, 2005 -- 12:33:24 am

This is the ULTIMATE PIMP/GANSTER car!!! Radically different, it stands out, looking luxurious, fast, sporty, sedan, everything. Even the muscles of a pickup. BUT if you don't like it, lookf at the limousine version of this car. Right now, on the market, there's LINCOLN's Town Car and Cadillac's CTS. Lincolns outnumber Cadillacs like crazy. In comes the 300, and Limousine manufactures are choosing it as the new limo look. THEY DID NOT CHOOSE ANY OTHER CAR! So if it's the best car--- they stretch it. CONGRATS to CHRYSLER.

FROM: Fletcher Lyons
DATE: Tuesday January 25, 2005 -- 2:33:20 am

This car is the bomb!!!It is great looking; great interior; heavy sounding doors when you open or close one; a super radio system. The problem is this car may not appeal to the immature under 40 crowd. It harks back to an older time.

FROM: Chris
DATE: Tuesday August 9, 2005 -- 6:19:32 pm

UGLY!

FROM: The Man
DATE: Thursday May 18, 2006 -- 7:32:53 pm

I love the New 300C. It's a muscle car like the 300 was meant to be. The 300M was a waste. Front wheel drive killed it before it ever got off the drawing board. There has never been a front wheel drive muscle car, and there never will.