When the Chrysler 300 first came out in the mid-1950s, it was just like most other performance cars: it had two doors. Although it was a large car, it was considered a performance luxury car: it took up the full parking space. It also took a half a state to make a U-turn, yet it had a powerful Hemi engine that was aimed at NASCAR. In racing, the car was painted to reflect Chrysler’s claim that it was the world’s fastest stock car, taking in the Flying Mile at 127.58 MPH.

You would be hard-pressed to detect that this was anything but a stock Chrysler 300C.

The cars were called “Forward Look” styling, a vision by famed designer Virgil Exner. For several years they were also called the letter series because over the years that followed the cars reflected the next letter in the alphabet, beginning with the 300B in 1956, the 1955 model was simply the C-300. Many people may not realize that the Chrysler 300 actually ran from 1955 through 1965 (300L), with a cameo in 1970 (Hurst 300) and in 1979, based on the Cordoba.

It wasn’t until 1999 that we saw the Chrysler 300 again, sitting on the FWD LH platform sporting a puny V6. It was rather disappointing, considering the 1970 version was powered by a 440 big block, and in 1979 it was powered a 360LA, thought it was quite detuned.

In 2004, however, the RWD platform was back (LX), with the 300C being the top of the line model powered by the modern 5.7L Hemi; the SRT8 was motivated by the more powerful 6.4L Hemi, possessing a little over 100 horsepower more than the smaller Hemi.

Almost since its introduction to the automotive world, the Chrysler 300 has been a bit of a sleeper for most models, the performance luxury model was no slouch when it came to putting the hammer down. But car owner Marc Viau, of Viau Motorsports in Lake Elsinore, California, took his SRT8 300C for an even deeper nap, making it the ultimate modern sleeper. He said, “My objective was to increase the overall performance of the 300 while maintaining stock appearance and reliability.”

Can you tell that the rear of this 300C has a slightly wider stance and a bigger footprint?

His plans meant that he wanted to out accelerate almost all other cars on the road, but you wouldn’t know the car’s secret if you were parked next to it. Some of the changes were very subtle, like the factory rear wheels that have been stretched to 10-inches wide to accommodate the wider 305/35ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport tires. Most people who see the car wonder how he got such wide tires on the factory wheels, but it all makes sense when he lets them in on it.

The suspension has been upgraded, too, with KW adjustable struts and a lowered stance of about 2-inches all around. The front and rear sway bars have been upgraded to Whiteline bars, and the frame connectors that he installed keep the chassis stiff for some of the spirited driving that the car sees.

Inside, the car is luxurious, and looks more like an attorney’s car (Viau is one) than a gearhead’s car. The only thing that gives a little bit away would be the A-pillar gauge pod for the Mopar SRT boost and A/FR ratio gauges. Yes, we said boost. One of the other subtle refinements on this classic black SRT8 is that Viau installed a Vortech V-2 centrifugal supercharger with a liquid intercooler designed by Arizona Speed & Marine.

Viau is someone who likes black cars, as evidenced by his 1972 Demon that we featured a few months back. But his attention to details doesn’t stop with the exterior or interior, it also extends to the engine compartment. Viau took that subtlety to the Vortech supercharger install, as he wanted it to appear as a factory unit so he used some matte-black paint on some of the components. But what truly sets this supercharger apart is that instead of the typical installation (with the belt behind the blower), Viau reversed the supercharger and put the belt towards the front side. This took a bit of work since you can’t just flip it over, but it makes it look more like it came from the factory that way rather than an aftermarket installation.

Another subtlety about this car is that the Vortech supercharger doesn’t typically mount this way. Why change it? He liked it better this way, and that works for us.

Though he’s running a conservative 6.5 psi boost, this sleeper was tuned by SVS Automotive Corporation and run on the dyno at Westech Performance where it put down an impressive 520+ RWHP. Yes, boys and girls, this executive looking classy 300C is hitting the traps at low 12-second times, surprising most people who aren’t aware of its sinister underpinnings. Keeping that power to the ground without breaking anything, the Getrag aluminum Sure-grip rearend with 3.08 gearing takes the power to the wheels via heavy-duty shafts and hubs from a 2009 SRT8 6-speed Challenger.

Even though he added the Vortech supercharger, Viau wanted a factory look under the hood. So he used a little paint, and then flipped the supercharger.

The 2,800 stall converter keeps things mild for regular cruising, and the reprogrammed Diablo Predator tuner helps the SRT 4 stage II fuel injectors deliver 65lb/hr fuel pressure, thanks to the Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump that provides more fuel under boost. Of course, none of this would suffice on a stock bottom end, so Viau built a 6.1L SRT8 Hemi with K1 forged rods and bored the holes 0.030″ over, filling them with Race Tech forged pistons. An ATI balancer keeps the vibrations down, and the CNC and hand-ported heads and intake smooth the flow of air to the cylinders.

The exhaust is siphoned through factory tube headers and a Corsa stainless steel cat-back system, sitting behind high flow cats. All of this go needs to be brought to a halt with confidence, so R1 Concepts drilled and slotted rotors are pinched by Hawk racing pads.

On the outside, Viau color-sanded and polished the deep black paint and kept it rather stock appearing, nothing out of the ordinary. But as black paint shows just about every imperfection he makes sure that the car is always clean and straight, and the reflections were truly mirror-like.

There was literally no place we could stand and take a picture of this car without getting everything around it in the shot. The mirror finish paint was reflecting cars that were a hundred yards away!

Seeing the car sitting in the sun, one would have to be a bit of a psychic to know that under the hood lies a Hemi that was warmed over and bred to run, but knowing Viau and his stable of performance cars over the years there was no way that we would think a completely stock vehicle is acceptable to him. Well, except for his daily driver/commuter vehicle – which probably has some sort of modification to it, but he isn’t spilling and we didn’t ask.

So if you ever see Viau on the road in Southern California, you probably won’t be able to tell that it’s him unless you can pick up on the subtlety of this SRT8 300C. You could probably pick out the wider rear tires and wheels, but even those who know something’s different still have to ask. Running the 1320 in low 12-second times means this is the ultimate modern sleeper, and that’s one of the reasons we like it so much.