300. It’s a number that made a name for Chrysler in the mid Fifties. Back then, Mopar performance was alpha-numeric. The fleetest of the fleet – the big, 300 series coupes - were badged with sequential letters and backed by serious hardware. In 1956, a 300b “letter car” was the first to pack one horsepower per cubic inch – an early milestone, in the upcoming horsepower wars. And so it went, through 1965, when lettered versions of the 300 series disappeared.

Chrysler dusted off the digits a few years back, introducing the 300M to the lineup. Based on the LH platform, it was a nice, front wheel drive sedan, but hot, it was not. Now, Chrysler has re-invented the 300 and revived the letters, and this time it’s packing heat.

The 2005 Chrysler 300 is offered in four versions. A 2.7 liter, 190 hp V-6 drives the base model, which stickers for $23,595. Next up, price and power-wise is the Touring model, which pairs a 250 hp, 3.5 liter V-6, with a $27,395 price tag. Also sharing the 3.5 six is the 300 Limited, at $29,890. At the top of the food chain is the $32,995 300C, which I’ve recently had a chance to evaluate in two extended stretches, spaced several months apart.