The Chrysler 300C may not be a Bentley, but it’s still one of the best luxury muscle sedans in history. Chrysler certainly did a great job in combining the idea of rear-wheel-drive and V8 power. And even if the company almost faced bankruptcy back when the car was released in 2011, they still did a pretty impressive job of making the Chrysler 300C a fantastic platform, especially for modifications.
There’s no denying that the Chrysler 300C is one luxurious behemoth of a car. It’s indeed a sight for very sore eyes, considering how stylish and commanding it looks. The car is clearly for people who want to feel powerful and evoke a sense of luxury and grandeur whenever they drive.
The Chrysler 300C may be considered a “poor man’s Bentley,” but it still does a pretty good job of providing whoever’s behind the wheels feel powerful – that’s because the car itself is powerful. Under the hood lies a monstrous 5.7L HEMI V8 capable of producing 363hp and 394lb-ft of torque. It also has a capable suspension system that can handle the 4400lb car beautifully.
Because of such potential, many enthusiasts opt for various aftermarket modifications to further amplify its performance. Some prefer to prioritize power mods, while others like to tinker with its suspension system first. Needless to say, the Chrysler 300C is a one-of-a-kind platform that, when modified, can provide you with a luxurious corporate-feel type of ride while having your hands on the reins of a V8 engine.
Come check out the usual modifications car enthusiasts get for their second-generation Chrysler 300C.
#1 Cold Air Intake
- Why You Should Get It: Better air quality for the engine
- Price Level: $$$
Adding an aftermarket cold air intake system to your arsenal can bring you a plethora of benefits. For starters, you can feed your engine with colder air that’s free from any impurities. Providing more airflow to the engine is necessary to make fuel combustion more efficient. By ensuring that the 5.7L HEMI V8 is fed with enough air, you can guarantee a slight boost in horsepower and torque. You’d also get to enjoy that whooshing sound cold air intakes are famous for.
Many car enthusiasts would argue that getting an aftermarket Chrysler 300C cold air intake is just a waste of money. Is it though? Sure, the performance gains you’d get from it aren’t astronomically high. But the other benefits you’d get from it will set you up in the long run. Aftermarket intakes are notorious for prolonging the life of any car’s engine, all because of the innovative air filters that come with them.
By equipping your muscle sedan with a cold air intake, you’re not only improving your car’s power, but you significantly increase its life span as well.
RECOMMENDATION: Corsa Performance Closed Box Air Intake
- Manufacturer: Corsa Performance
- Part Number: 463576
- Performance Gains: +18hp, +23lb-ft of torque
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chrysler 300C (2011-2019)
- Chrysler 300C Luxury (2013-2014)
- Chrysler 300C Platinum (2015-2017)
The Corsa Performance Closed Box Air Intake is an ideal aftermarket CAI for the Chrysler 300C for three main reasons:
- It has a closed box configuration, which means the ambient air sucked from the outside won’t be tampered with by the heat from the engine bay.
- It uses Donaldson PowerCore filter, which Corsa claims can filter up to 99.99% of the dirt that may potentially damage the engine.
- It’s capable of producing power gains that can ramp up to 18hp and 23lb-ft of torque.
#2 Performance Tune
- Why You Should Get It: To maximize horsepower gains
- Price Level: $$$
You can equip your Chrysler 300C with as many performance modifications as you want, but without a performance tune, you won’t get the best out of them. That’s because cars that come out from the factory are often programmed to perform under standard conditions. This implies that once you’ve modified your vehicle, the car’s internal commands won’t readily work with new parts, thus not maximizing all the horsepower available.
A performance tune is basically a third-party software telling your car’s brain that it’s now equipped with new parts and needs to adjust. A proper tune-up is ideal if you want to squeeze out as much horsepower as you can get from your newly modified vehicle. Not only that, but it will also significantly improve your mpg ratings. Considering how gas-guzzling the Chrysler 300C is, all we can say is that it’s definitely a must.
RECOMMENDATION: DiabloSport Programmer Kit (Kit- Mod Pcm & T1000)
- Manufacturer: DiabloSport
- Part Number: PKIT-300V815-T
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chrysler 300C (2015)
- Chrysler 300C Platinum (2015)
If you frequently visit the forums, then there’s a chance that you’ve seen the name DiabloSport. They’re one of the highly favored tuners by the community, and for good reasons. For the Chrysler 300C, they have a programmer kit that includes a DiabloSport Modified PCM and an Intune I2 handheld programmer. This programmer can make your throttle more responsive. It can also add low-end horsepower.
#3 Performance Headers
- Why You Should Get It: Increase in low to mid-range horsepower and torque
- Price Level: $$$$
Headers, in a nutshell, are car accessories designed to suck out the exhaust out of the combustion chamber. The main difference between the stock manifold and aftermarket headers is that the former is more restrictive than the latter. Replacing the restrictive cast-iron manifold with some more free-flowing headers can give you a good bump in horsepower and torque.
Now where those horsepowers and torque will wind up depends on the kind of header you’d get. Shorty headers are ideal if you want low-end power, while long tube headers are more desirable if you prefer mid-range and top-end power.
Generally, Chrysler 300C owners get long tube headers because the top-end power comes in handy whenever they go WOT. But if you drive your car daily and you want some readily accessible low-end power.
RECOMMENDATION: Kooks 1-⅞” x 3” SS Headers & Catted OEM Connections
- Manufacturer: Kooks
- Part Number: 3100H420
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chrysler 300C (2011-2016)
- Chrysler 300C Platinum (2015-2016)
Kooks Headers manufacture some of the best aftermarket headers available today. They are proudly made in the United States and mainly focus on fitment, performance, and sound. For the Chrysler 300C, Kooks have cooked up stainless steel 1-⅞” x 3” headers that come with catted OEM connections. Kooks ran these headers on dyno-tests and applied them on races first to ensure that you’re getting the most value out of the hard-earned money you’ve spent.
#4 Cat-Back Exhaust
- Why You Should Get It: Aggressive Sound Quality
- Price Level: $$$$
A cat-back exhaust system is probably the most common Chrysler 300C modification. In fact, most enthusiasts who own any project car would get them first before any other mods! That’s because aftermarket exhausts can drastically change the personality of a car sound-wise.
There are usually two sound levels available for aftermarket exhaust systems. The first is the mild-sounding ones, ideal if you want to drive civically on the streets. The second is the aggressive ones, which can send shivers down your spine once you rev up your engine. Regardless of your sound preference, a cat-back exhaust system is a surefire way to upgrade your car.
Sound quality is not the only improvement you’d get once you decide to equip your car with a performance exhaust system. You can gain a decent amount of horsepower and torque too. Like intakes, the stock exhaust system is restrictive too, and it’s high time you get a suitable replacement for it.
Generally, you’d get a 2%-5% increase in horsepower. That may sound unimpressive, but you’d get the most out of it once you partner it with other modifications like intake systems and a proper tune-up. You can even enhance the rear-view appearance of your car with custom exhaust tips!
RECOMMENDATION: CORSA Performance Sport Cat-Back Exhaust (w/o Tips)
- Manufacturer: Corsa Performance
- Part Number: 14972
- Sound Level: Mild
- Vehicle Fitment: Chrysler 300C (2014-2017)
Corsa Performance has a knack for making cars sound impressive. Their drone-less exhaust is highly desirable, especially for those who prefer a crisp and clean sound. For the Chrysler 300C, we recommend the Sport Sound Level Cat-Back exhaust system because it’s excellent for a daily driven setup. It’s for drivers who prefer to cruise around with a low and deep non-brash exhaust note. Drone on this exhaust system is basically non-existent, even when the MDS is on.
#5 Lowering Springs
- Why You Should Get It: Drop in ride height
- Price Level: $$
Power production is not the only aspect of your vehicle you should consider improving. Your car’s suspension system deserves some love too! For a heavy stylish brute, the Chrysler 300C sure does handle pretty well. It has some pretty good bones, considering it’s built on the LX platform by which the Dodge Charger and Challenger are also built upon. There’s so much performance potential with its suspension system; that’s why you ought to upgrade it as soon as you can.
The most essential upgrade you can do to your car’s suspension is to install some high-quality lowering springs. They are by far the cheapest and most straightforward solution you can lean on if you want to lower your car. These Chrysler 300C modifications will lower your car’s center of gravity so it can deal with issues like body roll and corner leans. Additionally, they eliminate those pesky fender gaps, which ruins the luxurious and commanding vibe of the car.
Lowering springs are great; however, they can’t really improve the way your car handles that much. Sure, they can lower their center of gravity, thus opening the doors for other subtle handling changes, but they’re primarily for height reduction. Lowering springs are for enthusiasts who want to drop their cars significantly without giving too much care about handling improvements.
Note: It’s not advisable to use lowering springs on stock shocks. For best results, upgrade your stock shocks as well, or you might as well opt for something better (scroll down to the next entry below to know what we’re talking about).
RECOMMENDATION: Eibach Sportline Lowering Springs
- Manufacturer: Eibach
- Part Number: 4.10528
- Height Lowering (F/R): 1.2” -1.7”/1.5” -1.8”
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chrysler 300C (2011-2019)
- Chrysler 300C Luxury (2012-2014)
- Chrysler 300C Platinum (2015-2016)
Eibach is unrivaled when it comes to performance-oriented lowering springs. The Chrysler 300C has the Sportline Lowering Springs, which is a bit of an upgrade from their best-seller PRO-KIT. It offers a more drop compared to its predecessor, along with a comfortable ride whenever you drive your car on the streets. Eibach used a progressive spring rate design on these springs to make the ride more tolerable than its linear spring rate counterparts.
#6 Coilovers
- Why You Should Get It: Significant handling improvement + ride height/damping adjustment
- Price Level: $$$$$
Coilovers are better than lowering springs in a lot of ways. For starters, lowering springs can only give you a pre-set ride height reduction, whereas coilovers can provide height adjustment. Most coilovers allow you to adjust your car’s ride height to whatever you see fit, as long as it’s in the adjustment range. It’s pretty handy if, for some reason, you use your Chrysler 300C on the track.
Additionally, coilovers can give you the chance to adjust your car’s damping. This is the winning element of coilovers: the ability to change the height and its damping. By simply twisting the adjustment knob, you can easily tune how bouncy or stable your car can be. This is why many motorsports-oriented drivers tend to flock to coilovers compared to other suspension upgrades available.
Coilovers are no doubt worth it because of the suspension tuning freedom provides. The caveat with them, however, is that they cost a lot. A decent coilover setup capable enough to make your track days similar to the real ones will cost you more than a grand. However, there are budget coilovers out there that will do the job pretty well too. Keep in mind though: when it comes to coilovers, you generally get what you pay for.
RECOMMENDATION: KW Coilover Kit V1
- Manufacturer: KW Suspension
- Part Number: 10227019
- Spring Rate: Progressive
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chrysler 300C (2011-2019)
- Chrysler 300C Luxury (2013-2014)
- Chrysler 300C Platinum (2015-2017)
KW Suspension is notorious for making some of the best street-oriented coilover kits out there. For the Chrysler 300C, we recommend the KW Coilover Kit V1. Chrysler 300C modifications like these are a benchmark for tuning fans who want to bring in the kind of suspension you’d see on the tracks down on the streets. It sports features like inox-line stainless steel technology, lowering ranges of 1.2” to 2.1” for both the front and rear, and impressive handling improvements.
#7 Anti-Roll Sway Bar
- Why You Should Get It: Better vehicle stability
- Price Level: $$
Sway bars are one of those optional Chrysler 300C modifications that you don’t necessarily need unless you’re into some specific applications. The car has stock sway bars, but unfortunately, they restrict rather than enhance. Considering how heavy the vehicle is, the stock sway bars can be a problem if you bring your car to the tracks. Without the help of a decent sway bar, you may experience more body rolls, difficulty in cornering.
In short, more swaying.
Aftermarket sway bars are often stiffer and lighter than the stock. This is more ideal for the Chrysler 300C since it’s a large and heavy car. And as mentioned earlier, the stock sway bars won’t do the job pretty well once you use them for aggressive applications, so you might want to opt for aftermarket sway bars instead.
#8 Wheels and Tires
- Why You Should Get It: Looks + road traction
- Price Level: $$$$$
Many Chrysler 300C owners are oblivious to the fact that their wheels and tires are cumbersome. The standard 18” wheels that come out of the factory are around 26lbs, while the wheel and tire combo sit around 56lbs. That may come as a surprise for you, but seasoned Chrysler 300C enthusiasts know for a fact that the stock wheels are way overdue for an improvement.
The standard Chrysler 300C is equipped with 18” wheels with a tire specification of 225/60/18. Choosing an aftermarket replacement for those two can be pretty tricky, and it will depend on a whole lot on how you drive your car. If you want to know more about the stock wheel and tire sizes of the other Chrysler 300C trims, then check this website out.
Enthusiasts who want to make their cars look flashy and stylish usually go for larger wheels. If you’re planning to go the same route, then we recommend 20” to 22” wheels because they simply look fantastic on the car. Additionally, you can experience better grip, traction, and cornering with those puppies on, considering how much road contact larger tires have.
However, if you’re planning to run smaller wheels, we suggest that you think twice. Even thrice! Going below the stock 18” wheels can be problematic because you’ll face many issues like the brake calipers not fitting correctly, rubbing, and more. If you’re pretty much decided that you really want smaller tires, then we recommend settling no less than 17”.
As for the tires, it really depends on your driving application. Below are some options you can consider:
- All Season Tires – good comfort/handling on the highway, reliable traction for all-seasons
- Summer Tires – suitable for wet and dry conditions
- Touring Tires – reliable traction for all seasons, comfortable, more responsive handling
- Winter Tires – best for harsh winter conditions
- Performance Tires – better grip regardless of the weather
#9 Spark Plugs
- Why You Should Get It: Preventative maintenance
- Price Level: $$
Replacing your spark plugs periodically serves as preventative maintenance that can help you save yourself from costly repairs. Bad spark plugs can put unnecessary stress on your car’s catalytic converters, and you know how expensive cat replacement is, right? Additionally, bad spark plugs can be the cause of incomplete combustion and power loss. The worst-case scenario is you get a CEL, which is not a good sight to see.
You can dress up your car with various Chrysler 300C modifications, but don’t forget to check the health of your spark plugs! Bad spark plugs can put you in avoidable situations, which can cost you a lot of money that you could’ve saved up for other modifications.
RECOMMENDATION: ACCEL Ignition SuperCoil Set
- Manufacturer: Accel
- Part Number: 140038-8
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chrysler 300C (2011-2015)
- Chrysler 300C Luxury (2011-2014)
- Chrysler 300C Platinum (2015)
#10 Big Brake Kit
- Why You Should Get It: Better stopping power
- Price Level: $$$
A powerful car needs an equally powerful stopping power, don’t you agree? Chrysler did an excellent job with the stock brakes that come with the car, but it’s simply not enough if you’re gearing for spirited driving. The Chrysler 300C is pretty heavy, and you definitely need good brakes that can do the job of stopping the car, especially at high speeds.
Of course you can shop for individual parts like brake pads and rotor discs. However, you can instead go for big brake kits. They’re pretty expensive, but the stopping power they offer is serious. Big brake kits perform better, offer more stopping power, and are engineered to last for a very long time. Not to mention how they significantly affect your car’s aesthetic appeal.
Big brake kits are just one of many Chrysler 300C modifications you must prioritize if you’re planning to drive spiritedly.
RECOMMENDATION: Brembo GT-S 355×32 2-Piece 6-Piston Drilled Front Big Brake Kit
Do you agree with our list of the best Chrysler 300C modifications? If you have other mods in mind, let us know in the comments down below!