New York Auto Show: Kickin' back in the Chrysler 300 LWB
Absent the Imperial Concept, nothing says “Upper Middle Class” like the Chrysler 300 LWB and its six-inches of extra length, 10.2-cubic feet of additional interior space and whopping 46-inches of rear legroom. Those extra six inches are extremely transparent from the outside, as evident from the ten minutes we wasted unsuccessfully attempting to pick out the LWB from a group of 300s Chrysler had on display.
As you can see, our dogs quit their barking once we sat down in the LWB’s back seat. What you can’t see is that we took a time out from the show back there that lasted another ten minutes. While the rear seats may not recline in place or offer a retractable ottoman like some multi-hundred-thousand-dollar luxury cars we know, on our middle-class incomes we’ll take what we can get.
More shots of my feet and some official images from Chrysler after the jump…
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
john 12:09PM (4/14/2006)
Whooo Hooo, it's a 300 with 6 inches, we get it.
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iamhoff 12:25PM (4/14/2006)
Nice shoes.
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Michael Karesh 12:28PM (4/14/2006)
Where's the price? Price will determine whether these are mostly bought by livery companies or the average middle class Joe with tall friends.
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TheOne442 12:31PM (4/14/2006)
Great addition to the 300 line up!
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TheOne442 12:31PM (4/14/2006)
Great addition to the 300 line up!
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Woody 12:35PM (4/14/2006)
The marketing campaing could be halarious.
Ladies, by the new 300 and get an extra 6 inches.
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Bill 12:37PM (4/14/2006)
Last time I was in NYC, I always tried to cherry-pick the cabs so I'd get one of the stretched Crown Vics. It really does make a difference!
You'd think Chrysler could make properly fitted floor mats though?
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Peter Reynolds 12:38PM (4/14/2006)
John, this 300LWB will be an alternative to the Lincoln Town Car. It could change the look of car service fleets, and the aesthetic of our airports and cities.
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Kamil 12:42PM (4/14/2006)
Wow. White tube socks with dark dressy shoes.
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Bill 12:53PM (4/14/2006)
Last time I visited NYC, I cherry-picked the cabs so I could make sure I got into one of the (then new) stretched Crown Vics. The extra space makes a huge difference!
This stretch looks nice and not disproportional. But Chrysler should redesign the floor mats to properly fit this car.
p.s. never ever ever wear white socks with anything except gym shoes.
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Ken 12:56PM (4/14/2006)
I imagine the stripper version (strippers, 6", etc...) will be popular with airport taxi drivers. I am already seeing a lot of 300C taxi's around.
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Jim in Tampa 1:00PM (4/14/2006)
Can't they cover up the rails for the front seats. Looks kinda cheap with the rails showing.
And I think I have the same style of shoes!
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Alistair 1:20PM (4/14/2006)
The stretch actually improves the proportions of the car. This is also true of long wheelbase 7-series and XJ8. My boss has a 745Li, and it's actually better to ride in the back of the car than the front. As long as it's priced reasonably well, this is a great move from Chrysler.
However, given the incredible depreciation of Jaguars, the smart choice for LWB luxobarge might be a low-mileage '04 XJ8L for $40k or so.
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Philip Hutchins 3:01PM (4/14/2006)
I don't care about your shoes, but the white socks are too much.... please show us that your belt matches your shoe color.
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Mike 3:15PM (4/14/2006)
I wonder if this will trickle over to the 300's two siblings?
Totally agree with #13. I've always liked the lines of the 300 but it does tend to look just a bit stubby. This stretch adds quite a lot to the profile.
(Maybe if they put *two* rear mats on each side??)
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RamSport47 6:26PM (4/14/2006)
to all: the floor mat is there to show the difference between the standard wheelbase and long wheelbase back seat floor space...DUH
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kumar 8:25PM (4/14/2006)
my next P.I.M.P. mobile
I just hope it comes with a nautical horn so that I can sound off when making turns... arrr, turnin starboard matey...WWOOOOOOTTTT
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JimboNC 9:50PM (4/14/2006)
White socks look like athlete's foot. ;) Hey buddy, don't put your feet on the furniture! Bad manners ya know.
The 300 still strikes me as a stretched Dodge something or other. Chrome wheels are out since 1970s. And the floor mats look like the same lousy quality you get in intro-compacts -- steam-rolled muskrat. Where can buyers get real, deep cut-pile, carpet mats these days? I really miss those.
Remember Beverly Hills Motoring, they use to have them. Now they are gone too.
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chewy 10:49PM (4/14/2006)
What is the premium for the stretch upgrade.
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shiznannigan 11:21PM (4/14/2006)
You would have to have some very tall friends to justify that purchase. Accoding to Chevrolet.com, my Malibu Maxx has 41 inches of rear legroom, and at 6'3", with the front seats all the way back, I still have plenty of legroom (Not that I sit in the back much).
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