You Can Now Own The Strangest Mopar Race Car Ever Built

NASCAR and NHRA are likely the first racing series that come to mind when mentioning a Mopar race car, but German Formula 1 and sports car racing outfit Zakspeed decided that they could turn a Chrysler 300C into a touring car racer – and now one of the cars is up for sale. The Zakspeed Chrysler 300C SRT8 raced in the Italian Superstars series against cars like the Audi RS-4, Lexus IS-F, and Porsche Panamera S, and Zakspeed made significant changes to it in order to make it competitive.

The Superstars International Series launched in 2004 as a production-based touring series that featured BMW M5 race cars competing against Jaguar S-Type race cars. The series grew after FIA approval in 2007, and additional car models from a variety of manufacturers entered the field, including the 300C entry from Zakspeed. By 2013, there were ten models represented in the series ranging from cars such as the Chevrolet Camaro to oddities like the Maserati Quattropporte and the Chrysler 300C.

Turning the Chrysler 300C Into A Race Car

The SRT8 variant of the Chrysler 300C featured a lot of performance-oriented upgrades over the standard trims. Those upgrades ranged from a customized HEMI engine to performance suspension and brakes, as well as a weight-reducing aluminum hood. Even with those changes, it was still a 300C, and that meant it measured over sixteen feet long and weighed over 4,100 pounds.

Making the 300C competitive against cars like the Audi RS4 and Lexus IS-F, which weighed hundreds of pounds less in production form than the 300C, was a major challenge for Zakspeed. The easy first step was to strip out all of the interior bits that weren’t needed for the race track, which immediately dropped some weight – but the counter quickly went back up as steel tubing was added for the roll cage.

Zakspeed’s team had to get more creative. They re-created most of the external body panels in carbon fiber, which, combined with some new, lighter mechanical components, allowed them to bring the 300C’s weight down by over 1,300 pounds. One of those new mechanical components was a sequential gearbox from EMCO originally designed for use in the Dodge Viper. Zakspeed was no stranger to racing with Mopars, having won the 2002 Nurburgring 24-hour with their Viper GTS-R. The Superstars series allowed Zakspeed to install the sequential gearbox because they did not have a production H-pattern available as required by the rules.

The 6.1-liter Hemi V8 engine received lighter pistons and a modified fuel injection system controlled with a Motec M800 ECU. These changes, combined with a lighter and more free-flowing racing exhaust system, bumped engine output up to 480 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. The 7-liter Hemi 426 engine was also approved for use in this car by the Superstars series. The engine rules were pretty flexible and allowed engines with six to twelve cylinders as long as they had a minimum displacement of 3.8 liters and were piston designs – no rotaries allowed.

Additional changes to the suspension, wheels, and tires were made to allow for adjustments and optimize the car’s center of gravity. These included KW coilovers, BBS wheels, and Pirelli Superstar tires in the PO265/645-18 size. The interior of the car was stripped bare and equipped with not much more than a Recaro racing seat and a Motec ADL dash and data acquisition system. A 100-liter fuel cell covered by a carbon fiber enclosure was installed where the rear seats would typically reside. Outside the 300C, the most notable aero change could be seen on the trunk, in the form of a custom carbon-fiber wing.

Racing The Zakspeed Chrysler 300C SRT8

Zakspeed entered their 300C SRT8 into a few races in the Superstars series in 2008 with German driver Sascha Bert and current Ferrari factory driver Davide Rigon, but did not see success until 2009 when they hired former Formula 1 driver and Le Mans winner Pierluigi Martini to drive the car. Martini saw more success with the 300C, winning multiple races at tracks including Imola and Adria, and ultimately taking home the rookie trophy for the 2009 season.

The 300C SRT8 would go on to compete for a few more years in the Superstars series with teams including Mauro Rally Tuning and Bat Racing and drivers like Mauro Cesari and Matteo Cressoni until the series folded in 2013. The Zakspeed 300C saw its last racing days in 2014 in the short-lived EuroV8 series, which featured cars previously approved for the Superstars competition.

Zakspeed began work on an additional car that was never completed, and based on reports in Speedhunters and the listing’s description of the 300C as a “new car,” it is likely that the car listed here was being built up as the Superstars series folder. No price is shown in the listing, but the car appears to be fairly complete minus the engine, which could likely be replaced by any number of crate Hemi engines by someone who wants the ultimate oddball track day car.