Big, bad and blinging, this is the ultimate proof family cars need not be boring. Taking the 300C 5.7 as its starting point, Chrysler’s Street and Racing Technology department has bored out the classic Hemi V8 to a mighty 6.1-litres. It’s also bulked up the 300C’s already aggressive styling to create a bona fide modern day muscle car, albeit one available in family friendly estate car clothes. You get a lot for your £40K too. The huge 630-litre boot, commodious accommodation front and back and supersized appointments mean you’ll never be stuck for space. Even the wheels are oversized, the huge 20-inch rims positively erupting from the arches.

There are three cars in the 300C range, roughly described as sensible, a bit daft and totally over the top. And with that gigantic Hemi V8 under the bonnet it’s obvious enough the SRT-8 is the latter. The 300C is all about presence and its cartoonish lines ooze transatlantic cool. The 3-litre diesel version is all very well for those who live in the real world but true muscle car fans will stand for nothing less than a stonking great V8. And if the 5.7-litre Hemi is just too puny for you the potent SRT-8 is the only choice, bespoke Bilstein dampers and burly Brembo brakes adding substance to the style.

If you love Pimp My Ride, watch a lot of hip-hop videos or have a love of old school American hot rods then you’re going to love the SRT-8. Big, bold and wearing its custom car styling influences with pride the SRT’s hopped up motor provides the necessary rumbling V8 soundtrack and tyre-shredding performance. And in long, low Touring form the 300C has a certain menace about it not usually found in family estate cars. Certainly our all-black test vehicle had more than a hint of hearse about it but either way it’s a car that backs up its visual muscle with some serious big-cube grunt.

Consume petrol, mainly. Unsurprisingly the SRT’s old school flavour extends to its drinking habits, which are undeniably excessive. Putting that aside for a moment the SRT’s other chief talent is turning heads. Short of driving a military-spec Hummer along your local high street you couldn’t stand out more among bread and butter Euro hatchbacks if you tried. It goes pretty well too, as you might expect for a car packing 419bhp and able to hit 60 from rest in just five seconds. There’s tons of space too and it actually rides pretty well, despite those huge wheels.

Let us return to fuel consumption. Put bluntly running costs for the SRT-8 verge on the untenable. Put it this way, even the over optimistic combined fuel consumption figure is just 20mpg. In the real world making it out of the teens is a reason to celebrate and you’ll have to really love that V8 soundtrack to make it worth your while. Disappointingly it doesn’t even feel that fast, at least until you get some revs on the clock. This top end nature means you have to really rag it to make serious progress. And if you do that you’ll be lucky to record mpg in double figures, never mind hold onto your licence.

This flagship model is, as our American friends would say, fully loaded. Sat nav, a six-CD changer and thumping 240-watt Boston Acoustics speaker system come as standard, as do those fantastic forged wheels and eight-way power adjustable sports seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara. You also get xenon headlights and parking radar included in the £41,290 asking price. The low roof line limits load lugging slightly but with 630 to 1602 litres of luggage space accommodation is generous. It actually drives very nicely too, with less of the wallowing you get in the standard car. Finding a big enough parking space to accommodate its bulk can be a chore though.

You’re joking, right? Weighing in at two tonnes and pumping out 335g/km of CO2 the SRT-8 is so spectacularly out of step with the car industry’s attempts to go green it’s almost laughable. It’s not all bad news for the 300C though. If you love the look but can’t stomach the thirst the 3.0-litre V6 diesel version offers all the good bits but with an engine you could just about afford to run on a daily basis. And with 215bhp and 376lb ft of torque the diesel is no slouch, sprinting to 60 in 8.6 seconds while emitting a more real world 215g/km of CO2.

As much as we love the SRT-8’s mean looks and the novelty of a gen-u-ine big cube V8 under the bonnet the joke soon wears thin. It’s not as if the drive is spectacular enough to make up for it either. You have a right to expect proper punch you in the guts acceleration every time you hit the accelerator in a car like this. But the big V8 disappoints, only really getting down to business when there are some very naughty numbers on the speedo. The interior fit and finish lags behind European rivals too. But the diesel is a lot more tempting, offering a helluva lot of car for £10K less.

The Chrysler 300C SRT-8 sounds like the kind of bargain American performance that we haven't seen since the original muscle car era of the 1960s. But what do the real enthusiasts think – does the SRT-8 really measure up? We decided to find out by taking it to the famous Ace Café in north London. An 'All-American' car meet on the cafe's busy social calender, was the perfect opportunity to put Chrysler's modern-retro credentials to the test by taking an SRT-8 to meet some fans of automotive Americana. What makes a true muscle car? And does the Chrysler 300C SRT-8 count – or is it just a wannabe?

As soon as we're parked we're immediately greeted by big grins from the two blokes and their boys sitting in the car next door. John and Alan are the responsible adults, and as the kids climb all over the Chrysler we ask the questions. It's a united front as far as muscle cars are concerned: “Lots of power and noise!” But although they plainly like the 300C, it doesn't quite get their muscle car seal of approval. “It doesn't seem to have a lot of growl to it,” complains John. And while Alan reckons “It's what the Terminator would drive!” they both agree it looks too German. Oh dear.

Gerard is a steward at the Ace – sorting out the parking and keeping trouble-makers at bay. He's also studying to be a mechanic, and isn't shy about expressing his opinion. So what makes a muscle car, G? “The way the chassis twists when you rev the throttle – that's American muscle.” And the Chrysler? “The engine says the b*******!” he replies enthusiastically. “It's a big beastie, you could say it was American muscle. But it's more of a businessman's car.” Uh-oh. The suede and leather interior starts to win him back over – until he discovers it's automatic. Then it's downhill all the way. “You can't really say you're driving it, can you?”

Slick arrived on a trike – one of two he currently owns, but not the one with the 7.0-litre 'smallblock' V8. No. The one you see in the pictures makes do with a 3.5-litre Rover V8. And a jet engine from a French helicopter. But we digress – what makes a muscle car, Slick? “A touch of class. But it needs the engine.” Does the SRT-8 count? “Yes – 'cause it's got a Hemi in it. This is muscle simply because of that.” That doesn't make its perfect, however. “The finish inside,” he says, with a shake of the head. “It looks like a Bentley – they should have made one.”

Given how Phil was dazzling us all with his shirt, it was probably a relief to everyone when we approached him about the Chrysler and the first thing he wanted to do was sit in it. He picks the popular “engine” and “noise” responses to the muscle car question, but throws in “the shape” as well, just to keep it interesting. As for the 300C, Phil smiles as he says, “It looks the business!” But much more gangster than muscle. Not for your everyday sort of criminal, either, the SRT-8, Phil has it firmly set as the ride of the “upper echelons”. Classy, but menacing, then. Cool.

Steve is another Corvette owner – Saturday being the first time he'd made the trip in his dark green C5. Although the 'vette is more sports car than muscle car, he's very clear about what the term muscle car should mean. “Power to weight,” is his immediate reply. More power, less weight means better acceleration. But that's not all – engine size is also important, as is a lack of accessories. Muscle means “Just an engine and a car,” as far as Steve's concerned. Does the SRT-8 even come close, then? “No. It's a people carrier. Too big, too modern, too electronical, too refined.” That's Chrysler told, then.

Martin, as you can see from the picture, is much more of a biker – one of the large contingent of Triumph Rocket riders also using the Ace as a meeting point on Saturday. The Rocket, aside from being a mildly bonkers V6-engined motorbike, is a chunky, good-looking machine. So perhaps it's unsurprising that his definition of muscle car centres on the visuals. “A muscle car looks butch. It's got to really look right.” Does the SRT-8 meet this criteria? Do you really have to ask? “It's massive!” says Martin, “You look at that in the rear view mirror, you're going to move over.”

Stan's another Rocket rider. He's a relaxed kind of guy, and unlike some of the Ace's other older clientèle, resists disapproving of the 'stunters' – the young hotshots pulling wheelies and other tricks along the public road in front of the cafe. The relaxed attitude is reflected in his definition of muscle: “It's about cruising. It's got to be a nice cruiser.” Not so much about the power, then – which puts the SRT-8 in an interesting position, as most seem to rate it for the Hemi up front. But he still likes it. “It's unusual – it's an estate. The front looks nice – big and shiny. Not too aggressive, just about right. Bentley like.”

Stephen is a particular person – as you tell from his very specific choice of favourite car. He knows what he likes, and his definition of muscle is equally clear-cut: “Simplicity, nice looking, and off-the-line snap.” The SRT-8 seems to be in with a chance here. “In terms of power, absolutely,” says Stephen. “But you must remember originally a muscle car was putting a big engine in a mid-size car.” But it's bias that does for the Chrysler. “I really wouldn't want one,” he says with a wink. “I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Ford man.” Well you would be if your dad had worked there all his life.

So, what does that tell us? That the SRT-8 can draw a crowd, and hold its own amongst much more prestigious American machinery – sure. But is it a muscle car? No. It's too big, too cosseting, too modern. None of which makes it a failure. Comparisons to Bentley were rife – right down to expectations concerning the price. Everyone thought it far more expensive then it actually is – usually by a factor of two, or even three. A £120,000 image for £40,000? That's some kind of triumph for Chrysler.