When Chrysler declared bankruptcy, the automaker was forced to “shop around” for a new corporate sponsor and partner in order to stay alive. Along comes Fiat, who gets a 30% stake in Chrysler for no money down. And we must admit that since the partnership formed in 2009, Chrysler products have been on a noticeable upswing. Saving Chrysler is just one part of the plan though; next, Fiat plans to sell rebadged Chryslers in Europe.

One of the first such vehicles is the venerable 300 sedan, which will be called the Lancia Thema. As Carscoop points out, these cars appear to exist only in Photoshop for now, but plans to make a Europeanized 300 are almost certainly underway.

The redesigned 2011 Chrysler 300 definitely shows a lot of European style, inside and out, and that’s to be expected what with Chrysler’s numerous European influences (Daimler, Fiat, and a long time ago, Renault). However, don’t expect the 5.7 liter HEMI V8 engine to make the transition, as Fiat has plenty of other engine options on the table to comply with stricter European emissions standards.

The looks of the Lanca Thema aren’t all that different from the 2011 Chrysler 300, but under the hood will be a 3.0 liter turbo diesel engine. So what, you say? Well this turbo diesel engine is rated at a respectable 224 horsepower and a whooping 405 ft-lbs of torque. It makes us wonder if Fiat might bring such an awesome motor to our shores, as through the upcoming eight-speed automatic, this oil burner can return up to 28mpg. Not too shabby considering that’s over 400 ft-lbs of torque on tap. The Pentastar V6 engine will be the base motor, but who can resist all that torque?