Post by ferrari512s on Jun 24, 2014 6:01:12 GMT -5
Breaking Bad Chrysler SRT8
The main character in AMC's show Breaking Bad is Walter White, a formerly mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher turned cancer patient turned meth cook and ruthless murderer. No matter how much of a badass he is, he isn't exactly someone we'd consider an ideal role model or a good "get" for a product endorsement.
But Chrysler's SRT brand now has prominent product placement in the show. That begs the question: Why would you want your vehicles associated with a meth cooking murderer?
For the first four seasons of the show, Walt's trademark car was possibly the worst thing to ever leave Detroit: the Pontiac Aztek. But last season (minor spoiler alerts coming), it was in a crash and he sold it to the mechanic for $50.
On this weekend's episode, the Aztek was replaced by a sinister blacked out Chrysler 300C SRT8. When his son, Walt Jr., got jealous, Walter went back out and leased a Challenger SRT8 for him. This leads to a whole montage of the cars sitting and revving in the driveway. There is also a conversation at the dinner table about horsepower, handling, and how the cars make you feel.
Featuring the SRT brand in the show almost seems like a marketer who is really interested in buzzwords and netspeak said "Breaking Bad is hip and cool, we should totally be all over that shit!" But maybe they should've insisted Walt's DEA agent brother-in-law Hank got a 300 SRT after his promotion.
We asked Chrysler why they chose to publicize the cars in Breaking Bad, and they replied with the following comment:
The placement on Breaking Bad is part of an overall marketing strategy to place products in tv shows and movies. This vehicle was the right fit in terms of the plot line and the character.
So Chrysler agrees that the 300 SRT8 is the right fit for a character with questionable moral values that is on the wrong side of the law...
In a way, the fact that Chrysler realizes it's providing a car to a criminal makes it a perfect fit. America likes a charming bad guy and the bailout put Chrysler on the wrong side of many Americans. They know they've got to fight negative associations.
Source
jalopnik.com/5932457/how-chrysler-is-using-a-meth-cooking-murderer-to-sell-cars
The Chrysler 300 SRT8 is not everyone’s cup of tea. For a start, it’s American, so Europhiles will scoff. Then there’s the monstrous V8 engine that is caged underneath, desperate for attention. If you get over all of that, the in-your-face styling remains the last hurdle.
Of course, it just so happens that it’s up against some local heroes, such as the offerings from HSV and FPV. Big V8 sedans are a relatively niche market these days, but one where allegiances and loyalty are the strongest. But in very tangible terms, the Chrysler 300 SRT8 has plenty going for it against the local duo.
The 6.4-litre SRT8 Hemi V8 is the sort of engine that doesn’t try and kid itself. It may have picked up variable valve timing, electronic throttle control, plus the ability to deactivate four of its cylinders to save fuel, but at the end of the day, it’s a big all-American V8 that drinks its share of fuel and beats its drum loud.
With 347kW of power and 631Nm of torque, it also out-muscles the best that FPV and HSV have to offer. It’ll screech off from the traffic lights and hits 100km/h in around 4.8 seconds. That makes it just as fast as a new manual Porsche 911 Carrera. Chrysler says it uses 13L of fuel per 100km, but that’s only if your right foot is made of feather. Expect figures in the 15s if not higher.
Sadly the 300 SRT8 is stuck in the prehistoric age with a five-speed automatic left in charge to muscle in all that power. Thankfully it’s a pretty decent gearbox and, relying on the torque of the engine, tends to find itself in the right gear the majority of the time. But even so, this is likely to change soon: the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, which makes use of the same engine, recently had its five-speed box replaced with an eight-speeder.
From the outside the Chrysler 300 SRT8 is like an American tourist in most Australian cities; it tends to stand out. Our pearl white test car certainly turned a lot of heads during our fortnight road test, though we weren’t sure if it was always for the right reasons.
The C-shaped LED daytime running lights (DRLs) go a long way to emphasis the SRT’s road-presence, but it strangely shares this DRL design trait with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Thankfully the bold black-mesh grille dismisses any possibility of getting the two confused from afar.
As with its predecessor, the 300 SRT8 follows the same principle of high door lines and as little window space as possible. It’s the gangsta look. You would think this would hinder visibility but behind the wheel it’s actually not too bad and the reversing camera certainly helps its cause.
As for the interior, the American-ness is not as obvious as before. There’s certainly been an attempt to improve cabin ambience and the general feel of the interior is by no means cheap for its class. Our test car came with Napa leather trim (100 percent real leather) with perforated suede, but the optional $2,200 ‘Leather Interior Group’ package added an even higher grade of leather trim as well as ‘luxury’ floor mats, which strangely enough, looked like regular floor mats.
The chunky SRT steering wheel feels good to grip and comes with controls for both the audio and active cruise control systems. Being an American car both the front and rear seats can accommodate larger than average passengers and you’ll have no trouble fitting three adults in the back seat – with rear air vents an additional bonus.
Source
www.caradvice.com.au/214609/chrysler-300-srt8-review/