This sector has very fashion conscious buyers and the Crossfire will certainly provide a talking point. It may be based on the running gear of the first generation Mercedes SLK but its exterior couldn’t be more radical.
Head on the Crossfire is very American, almost Cadillac-like. The heavily creased bonnet is certainly different from the norm. When viewed sideways the car looks like it is already moving. Crossfire has a wedge-like look thanks to the massive 18 inch front wheels and get this - 19 inch rears! This side profile is worth the money alone.
The best view is yet to come as you move your eye to the rear of the car. The tail end is weird and wonderful. The rear screen and hip lines provide curves galore. Crossfire’s exterior party trick is the cool Porsche 911-like ‘tea tray’ spoiler that rises automatically at 65Mph to aid rear end grip and stability at high speed.
You can also operate the spoiler with a dash-mounted button. I must confess to hitting the button a few times especially at traffic lights to give kids of all ages a laugh. The just launched convertible Crossfire sadly loses the character of the fixed head coupe as the rear look is compromised, so I find it hard to warm to it.
Power comes from a Mercedes 3.2 litre V6 petrol engine. It makes a glorious meaty sound when pushed hard thanks to the beautiful centre mounted twin exhaust system. Crossfire’s power plant is refined and sophisticated at low speed. With automatic and manual gearboxes available I would opt for the Auto.
My test cars six-speed manual gearbox featured a nice short throw but the three pedal layout annoyed me, as the clutch position was far higher and therefore closer to me than the accelerator. The brake pedal split the distance. The €56,995 auto version (which I drove a few months back) is more suited to the Crossfire.
Performance figures are impressive as you would expect with the sprint to 62Mph (100Km/h) coming up in just 6.5 seconds. 150 Mph is the top speed so it is fair to say that safe overtaking is easily achievable. Mpg is a reasonable for a 3.2 (27-Mpg average) but about town don’t expect more than 20 to the gallon. Surprisingly the slippery looking 1,466Kgs Crossfire has a surprisingly poor .37 cd of drag.
Inside the Crossfire the layout is not bad for an American car and this is due to the Mercedes influence and switchgear. The large combined indicator and wiper stalk reminds of the SLK and of course the cruise control (that is so valuable these days) stalk.
There is an abundance of shiny metal look plastic that looks smart but I found the little window switches annoying to use. Manicured nails won’t have an easy time either with some of the secondary controls. The leather seats of this strict two-seater have comfy backs but a very wide and un-supportive base. Large backsides have plenty of room to wiggle.
Coupes are about looks and performance and while the Crossfire is stunning the driving experience can live up to the styling. Of course in the real world the car is better than most of the boxes on our roads and certainly in the top 10% of cars I would prefer to be in, but when pushed the American machine lacks a suspension set up to suit our demanding roads.
The long way home will seldom be seen, as the smooth straight road route will always be more appealing. The crossfire has a soft-ish ride that loses composure on rough twisty roads.
On looks alone the Chrysler Crossfire is a winner but I would buy a Nissan 350Z before it as the Japanese’s effort delivers on looks and driving promise.
- Michael Sheridan
