2023 will mark the final model year for the fabled Chrysler 300 and to provide the legendary luxury-sport sedan with a proper send-off, the company will offer a limited number powered by the 392-cubic inch Hemi. The original 392 Hemi played a key role in helping the classic Chrysler 300 build a reputation of being one of the most powerful cars on American roads in the 1950s, but the modern Hemi packs far more power – allowing the 2023 Chrysler 300C to be the quickest and most powerful vehicle to wear the fabled name.

When the modern Chrysler 300 was introduced for the 2005 model year, the 300C was the V8 trim level, featuring the 5.7-liter Hemi with 340 horsepower while the SRT8 trim came with the 6.1-liter Hemi with 425 horsepower. The 5.7-liter Hemi would jump to 360 horsepower in 2009 and 363 horsepower in 2011, which remained unchanged until the 300C name was removed from the lineup for the 2021 model year. The 5.7-liter V8 was still available in the 300S, but there was no 300C for the 2021 or 2022 model years – presumably setting things up for the 2023 model year.

As for the SRT model, after being introduced with the 6.1-liter Hemi, the 6.4-liter, 392-cubic inch Hemi became standard in the 300 SRT starting in 2011, offering 470 horsepower through the 2014 model year, which was the last for the Chrysler SRT trim level in the United States. The 392 was not offered from 2015 through 2022, but for 2023 – the final model year for the Chrysler 300 – the 392 Hemi is back.

While the SRT-prepared 392 Hemi is back in the Chrysler 300 for the 2023 model year, there is no “SRT”, instead calling the highest performance model the 2023 300C. The 392 Hemi with 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque makes this 300C the most powerful model to wear the name. 

The 8-speed automatic transmission and 3.09 rear gears help to make it the quickest – hitting 60 from a stop in just 4.3 seconds while running a standing quarter mile in 12.4 seconds. Also, thanks to the standard Bilstein adaptive dampers and the Brembo 4-piston performance braking system, this big sedan corners and stops just as well as it accelerates. In short, the 2023 Chrysler 300C is the best performing 300 and the best performing Chrysler production car ever.

While the 2023 Chrysler 300C is engineered to perform like a muscle car, it is designed to fit in among a crowd of luxury sedans at the local country club. There is no elaborate body kit that is specific to the package, with just a new badge design and an array of black trim providing the unique exterior look on three available exterior colors – Gloss Black, Velvet Red and Bright White. The badge on the grille hearkens back to the red, white and blue 300 letter series badges of the 1950s and 1960s, while the grille, headlight bezels, taillights and exhaust tips are all finished in black.

The blacked-out treatment continues on the inside of the 2023 Chrysler 300C, with Laguna leather wrapped seats that are heated and ventilated with the new 300C logo embossed on the seat backs and silver trim stitching throughout the cabin. Carbon fiber and Piano Black trim is also found on the dash and door panels, working with the black leather to give a very traditional, upscale look. 

The 8.4-inch UConnect infotainment screen mated to a 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system is standard, as is a long list of safety features such as Advanced Brake Assist, Lane Departure Warning and Full Speed Collision Warning. Of course, the black leather from the seats is found on the center console, door panels and dashboard as well, with plenty of silver trim and light blue illumination through the gauge cluster. The contrast of the copious amounts of black with the spread of light trim creates a very bold look that bolsters the classic feel of the 2023 300C.

The 2023 Chrysler 300C will be limited to just 2,200 units, with 2,000 headed to the United States while the other will be sold in Canada. The MSRP in the United States is $55,000, which isn’t a bad price for what is essentially an SRT 300.

Those folks who are serious about getting one of these limited edition 300C sedans can reserve one through the Chrysler website here. When you reserve your 392-powered 300C, you only need to pick your exterior color and the delivery dealership, along with making a deposit. If customers are ordering and paying through the website, it should be harder for dealerships to hit buyers with an additional markup over MSRP.