The Chrysler 300 has collected a host of design awards around the world, and we'd call them well-earned. A handful of detractors claim the 300's styling, particularly its Bentley-esque front end, is derivative, but we think that's a superficial view. Certainly the 300 respects tradition and draws inspiration from the past, as many beautiful designs do. But it has also redefined what a Detroit sedan can be, more clearly and thoroughly than any automobile in recent years.

With its rear-wheel-drive architecture, the Chrysler 300 might be a case of back to the future. Yet there's little about it that's retro, except maybe the giant grille, which clearly draws on 300s from the past. The first Chrysler 300 was introduced in 1955 with an engine having hemispherical combustion chambers, called the Hemi. It had two four-barrel carburetors, and it achieved early fame as the most powerful engine built by Detroit, winning the NASCAR championship in its first year and setting top speed records on the beach at Daytona.

The current Chrysler 300 is just as bold, and cool, too. Its styling makes no apologies. Curiously, maybe magically, it appeals to young and old.

The Chrysler 300 looks dramatic in profile because its rear-wheel-drive layout allows a distinctive shape. The wheel-well cutouts, wrapping around rims up to 20 inches in diameter, are striking. The wheelbase is long but the overhangs are short, offering a visual sense of power. The roofline, a sort of '30s gangster tease, beautifully complements the long, low lines, which appear to be carved from a big horizontal block of metal. The roof rakes thickly down to a short deck, and the sides are like large slabs. The long hood glides forward and drops off a cliff whose face is the massive grille, framed by wing-like double-beam headlights.

New for 2007 are optional outside mirrors with supplemental turn signals and courtesy puddle lamps. These cast a useful halo of light on the ground beneath the doors when the 300 is unlocked with the remote key fob. This feature adds some security in dark garages and is very useful if you happen to drop something as you're getting into the car.

The high-performance SRT-8 may be the coolest-looking 300 of all. Its unique features include body-color front and rear bumper inserts, mirrors and door handles, and the modifications are more than aesthetic. The front and rear ends direct air flow through unique ducts that cool the brakes, while a specially designed rear spoiler increases rear downforce by 39 percent, helping keep the rear tires firmly planted at high speed without increasing drag. Yet the coolest thing about the SRT-8 might be its 20-inch, forged aluminum wheels and asymmetrical high-performance tires. These maximize that visual power, and they're staggered in the classic track-performance tradition, with the rear tires slightly wider than the fronts.

The Executive Series package, or long-wheelbase version, is new for 2007. It adds six inches to the standard wheelbase and provides more than 46 inches of rear legroom inside. Outside, it gives the 300 a stately, limo look.