Just yesterday we tempted you with our exclusive news of a supercharged Challenger and Charger from SRT, both sporting eight-speed transmissions. Today, Sergio Marchionne says the 2012 Charger and Chrysler 300 V-6 models, when equipped with the eight-speed, will achieve 31 mpg.

That's not quite as cool as an extra 100 horsepower, but it's pretty impressive considering the size and performance the LX-platform sedans offer.

For comparison, Ford's new 3.7-liter V-6 in the Mustang scored 30 mpg and they went nuts spreading the word that it was the first car to combine 30+ mpg with 300 horsepower. The 2012 Chrysler 300 and Charger V-6s aren't quite up to 300 horsepower, but they're close--the 2011 model rates 292 horsepower in the 300--and there's a whole lot more car being hauled around behind the 3.6-liter Pentastar, too.

Even before the 31 mpg figure popped up, however, orders for the eight-speed V-6 sedans were so strong the company had to stop taking them for a while back in June.
ZF, the initial supplier of the eight-speed that will be built in-house by Chrysler starting in 2012, has already surpassed the cog count with a new nine-speed automatic. Applications for the new nine-speed haven't yet been announced.

[Automotive News -- sub. req.]