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Wednesday, March 3, 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER D7 AUTOMOTIVE Chrysler 300M simply marvelous By Malcolm Gunn SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Chrysler's 300M is out to prove that big cars can be just as exciting and fun to drive, yet far more practical than a traditional sports car. The 300M's nameplate harkens back to Chrysler's 1950s past, a time when cars of massive proportions ruled the earth, possessed blinding amounts of chrome, giant swept-wing fins and V8 engines with an unquenchable thirst for vast quantities of cheap and seemingly limitless amounts of fossil fiiel. In this world, the now legendary 300-letter series cars were unchallenged in their ability to outmuscle, if not out­ weigh almost anything else on the road. Between 1955 and 1965, the 300 C thru L (300 referred to the first model's 300 gross horsepower rating) were revered for their upscale girth, as well as power-producing abilities. Although times have certainly changed, retro cars, either in name or in style, have become high-fashion. With the rag­ ing success*of the Volkswagen New Beetle, not to mention the Porsche 550 Spyder-inspired Boxster, the time was ripe for a performance-oriented car like the 300M to make its debut. Don't expect this latest version to carry over much more than its model designation. The front-wheel drive 300M is based on the latest L-H platform of full-sized four-door sedans, which includes the Intrepid, Concorde and LHS models. Physically, however, there are some key differences. With its shorter front- and rear-end, the 300M appears leaner and meaner than the other marques. The car's retro flavor carries through on the inside, where the driver is greeted by that long-ago look of black-on-white gauges, set off with chrome- plated round bezels and an honest-to-goodness analog clock mounted smack in the middle of the instrument panel. The rest of the interior, with its leather seats, power accessories and other techno-gadgets is as modem as anything on the road today. In the power department the 300M stays true to its historic roots. Nestled under a short, sloping bonnet is a 3.5-litre SOHC V6 that develops 253 horsepower. This is the same engine that powers the luxurious LHS and has been shoe- homed inside the outrageous Plymouth Prowler. Mated to this powerplant is Chrysler's AutoStick four-speed automat­ ic transmission, a unit that encourages the driver to perform clutchless shifts, but will work like a regular automatic if notched into the Drive position.' Chrysler claims a 0-100 km- h performance of slightly more than eight seconds. And with 16-inch Goodyear Eagle GAs, disc brakes and ABS, all- around stopping distances will likely be significantly shorter. A true luxury vehicle, the 300M comes equipped with niceties such as heated eight-way power front seats with memory settings, 120-watt eight-speaker sound system plus every other power convenience item you can imagine. Plans for the 300M call for the car to be marketed in Europe, the Middle East, Taiwan and other countries around the globe. These locales may not have experienced the orig­ inal 300-series cars in the past, but with its distinctive look, tush-coddling comfort and tarmac-tearing thrust, the newly- reconstituted Chrysler super sedan will earn a warm wel­ come, if not a loyal following. FLIGHT DATA '99 Chrysler 300M ★ Four-door, front-wheel drive sports sedan ★ 3.5-litre SOHC V6, rated at 253 horsepower ★ Four-speed automatic (AutoStick) transmission ★ Wind-cheating styling ★ Class-leading V6 power ★ Full range of luxury appointments ★ Base price: $38,000 (est.) 1999 Chrysler 300M The New '99 Ford Windstar. Car wash tips □ Avoid washing your car in the sun. When possible, work in a protected area to cut down on the wind, which can carry dust and dirt. □ Rinse off as much soil as possible before washing. □ Properly clean the tires first, then the wheels. Spray a cleaning solution onto the tires and scmb with a strong-bristled brush; it will let the tire absorb dressing more evenly and more thoroughly. □ Avoid cleaning warm wheels. A chemical that might be safe at 60 degrees F might easily discolor or otherwise damage a wheel that is at 80 or 90 degrees F or hotter. □ Never use household detergents or dish soap to wash your car. These strip the protective wax coat, quickly causing your car's finish to dry out and age pre­ maturely. □ Wash in straight lines, not circles. Use overlapping strokes to make sure you reach every area. Purchase Financing up to 48 months on Every New '99 Ford Windstar, The 1999 Windstar is the only minivan to get a Five Star Safety Rating, five years in a row.* Or lease a Windstar LX with many great features $299 No Security Deposit $3,698 down payment plus $895 freight 36 Month Lease Add High Capacity Auxiliary Heater/Air Conditioning with Overhead Console only $19 more a month. WE HAVE THE RIGHT LEASE PAYMENT FOR YOU based on 4 .9% o ve r 36 m o n th s 1999 WINDSTAR LX DOWN PAYMENT OR EQUIVALENT TRADE S299 w ith S3.698 S335 w ith $2,500 $365 w ith $1,500 $410 w ith $0 Down OR MAKE ONE SINGLE PAYMENT OF $12,113 & DRIVE FOR 36 M0NTHS.***t COMPARE 0 % vs. 8.75% FINANCING OVER 48 MO NTHS** Amount financed Cost of Borrowing at 0% over 48 months Cost o f Borrowing at 8.75% over 48 months YOUR SAVINGS $15,000 $0 $2,831.52 S2.831.S2 $20,000 $0 $3,775.84 S3.77S.84 $25,000 $0 $4,719.68 $4,719.68 $30,000 $0 $5,663.52 $5,663.52 Ontario F O R D Mercury Dealers Visit our website at: www.ford.ca/offers/ WISE BUYERS READ THE LEGAL COPY: ' Lease a new 1999 Windstar LX w ith Twin Quad Group, Appearance Group and Aluminum Wheels, monthly lease payment o f $299 based on a 36 month lease from Ford Credit to qualified retail lessees, on approved credit. Total lease obligation is $14,462. Down payment or equivalent trade, fre ight and first month's payment required (see advertisement). No security deposit required. **0% purchase financing on new 1999 Windstars fo r a maximum of 48 months on approved credit to qualified customers. E.g. $20,000 financed a t 0% annual percentage rate fo r 48 months, monthly payments is $416.66, cost o f borrowing is $0 and to ta l to be repaid is $20,000 w ith $0 down paym ent compared to a financing rate o f 8.75% up to 48 months cost o f borrowing is $3,775.84 w ith $0 down payment. These are sample calculations only. Sample calculations based on a 8.75% financing rate comparison. ***36 month Advanced Payment Program lease available to qualified retail lessees on approved credit. Total lease obligation is $12,113 due a t inception o f the lease based on an annual interest rate o f 0.9% over 36 months. Financing and lease rate offers herein are mutually exclusive. Offers cannot be combined with any other offer. TSome conditions and a mileage restriction o f 60,000 km over 36 months apply. Charge o f $0.08 per km above mileage restriction, plus applicable taxes, w ill apply. Licence, insurance, administration fees and all applicable taxes are additional on all offers. Dealer order may be required, please allow 6-8 weeks fo r delivery. Dealer may sell or lease fo r less. Offers may change w ithou t notice. Limited time offers. See dealer fo r details. *The highest frontal impact rating fo r both the driver and fro n t passenger in U.S. government National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing fo r vehicles w ith in 227 kg (500 lbs.). Ontario FMDA, P.O. Box 2000, Oakville, Ontario L6J 5E4 Under inflated tires costly There are about 15.5 mil­ lion light duty vehicles roaming Canadian roads these days. C ollectively they go through about 33 billion litres of fuel each year, or an aver­ age of just over 2,000 litres per vehicle. An esti­ mated 70 per cent of vehicles drive with at least one tire under inflat­ ed. Based on a weighted average of under inflated tires, the overall annual cost to Canada's light duty vehicle pop­ ulation is about 400 million litres of gas, or $235 million, not counting the cost in reduced tire life or accidents caused by tire neglect. \ y / y y ^ > 0 % OFFER ENDS SUNDAY, MARCH 7TH is limited time offer includes oil short 175 WYECROFT RD., OAKVILLE 845"6653 (BETWEEN KERR & DORVAL) www.lockwoodchrysler.com £ ■ i H . .* a J H f c k .... .......... ......... V S P - -- ;-- i http://www.ford.ca/offers/ http://www.lockwoodchrysler.com