Road Test: Chrysler Crossfire

By Damien Tomlinson - 9/11/04

Chrysler's Crossfire may not float your boat, push your buttons or tickle your fancy, but it sure as hell will turn your head.

Boasting 19-inch wheels (at the rear), bordering-on-bizarre styling and a howling Merc V6, this extreme styling concept registered a record reading on my patented 'what-the-%$*#-is-that-ometer' when I had it for a week in Brisbane recently.

The Crossfire is the result of collaboration between DaimlerChrysler stable mates Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler, and is the last hurrah of Merc's now-superseded SLK platform.

By wrapping a new, crazy shell around the compact underpinnings of the SLK, the boffins at German company Karmann, together with Chrysler's Advanced Vehicle Engineering, have either a) given a new lease of life to the Mercedes-Benz platform; or b) limited the Crossfire's potential lifespan by releasing it with an out-dated platform and old technology, including recirculating ball steering.

The Crossfire first broke cover as a concept car at the North American International Auto Show in January 2001 and according to the spin doctors, "press and public reaction was so positive that a team of engineers was assembled to build Crossfire in just two years". The result was a controversial car unveiled to the world in the latter half of last year.

The convertible version of it has also hit the streets, and supercharged versions of both are in the pipeline. So, like or love it, hate or loathe it, the Crossfire is here, at least for now. And can this latest tilt be the first American car Aussies have really taken to in recent history (Holden Suburban, anyone?)?

The Crossfire has radical styling, but those big wheels ensure plenty of grip

First impressions when you sit in this little beast will be a mixture of nervous bewilderment, tension and excitement.

Nervous bewilderment will be the result of your first look at the Crossfire's flashy interior; tension will arrive the first time you look out from inside the thing's wrap-around sunnies-like glasshouse; and excitement will eventually dominate as soon as you strap in and turn the key.

The exhaust note from the Crossfire's 3.2-litre donk, delivered through a set of wide dual chrome pipes exiting from under the centre of the car's backside, is a treat.

Under hard acceleration, the long, escalating, guttural note is as satisfying and entertaining as any rear-end tune I've heard (pun intended).

The whine of a performance six is at first a lot less satisfying than the thump-thump of a free-revving big V8, but once you get used to it, it's great.

This car is low, and stiffly-sprung. My 20-degree driveway had me on two wheels the first time I attempted the steep climb. This translates to a somewhat-jittery but firm ride on the road, and also allows the Crossfire to whip around anything you throw it at.

Huge tyres at each end provide all the grip you'll need.

Striking the gentle balance of throttle and steering will produce a tiny hint of oversteer, but traction control (switchable) will keep you in line.

Vision from the cockpit is not great, but that is a design initiative, not a flaw, according to them. The narrow glasshouse looks great from outside, and gives the car a really sporty profile, but unfortunately doesn't provide much outward vision.

Rear-vision through the thin vertical window on the Crossfire's weird-looking tailgate is less than ideal, and thick c-pillars make for significant blind spots. That said, the side mirrors, which give you a view back over the sweeping waistline of the car, are a great touch, and provide pretty good vision of whatever's behind you.

Long drivers like me might find it hard to find a comfortable position, as the drivers' pew doesn't have a huge amount of travel.

This is due simply to the small dimensions of the SLK platform - a 2400-millimetre wheelbase and a 4059-millimetre overall length - and the fact that as the Merc is a convertible, there is a thick torsion bar across the back of the seats.

This meant that, for me, stretching my legs was a pipedream. I eventually settled on tilting the seat back and raising the front of the cushion so it fitted snugly behind my knees.

One glaring problem, in my opinion, is that the (electric) seats actually don't know their own parameters; once the seat back hits the torsional bar, it will keep forcing against it until the seat itself begins flexing!

A small cabin mars an otherwise fine automobile

A bit of a worry that the designers should take a look at before they start being flooded with burnt out electric motors or buckled seat racks.

Once you are settled in, the Crossfire will not disappoint. While it appears to hesitate off the line, it gathers pace before wailing past four-grand and beyond.

Aggressive drivers will love the low, pouncing feel of punting it hard, but they may find the semi-auto tranny's side-to-side shift action takes a little getting used to.

Ditto that for the electric spoiler, which deploys automatically at highway speed. All a bit gimmicky really.

The Crossfire's interior looks the goods, but doesn't feel the goods. Everything looks like chrome and brushed aluminium, but is in fact all just chrome-look plastic, with all the quality feel of a $2 Rolex.

Also, a couple of left-hand drive gripes: the shift "map" adjacent to the (auto) shifter is on the passenger side, which means the driver can't see it, and the handbrake is also designed to be pulled from the passenger (left) seat. Tsk, tsk.

The majority of your $69,990 is soaked up by the Crossfire's styling, and every inch of the car's rippling exterior has been discussed, approved and sculpted with emotion in mind.

The long, ribbed bonnet; the central spine running from front bumper, via grille, bonnet, roofline and tailgate to the rear bumper; the large wheels and wide tyres; deep body and shallow glasshouse give the car a distinctive presence on the road and even when parked.

As I said above, the styling may not warm your cockles, but it is in-your-face, and that means "mission accomplished" for Chrysler. This is not a Camry - you're not meant to blend in when you're in this car, and buyers hoping for anonymity shouldn't bother.

Overall: 4/5

The Crossfire is an exercise in non-conformity, and I must applaud Chrysler for having the kahunas to take a chance in what is becoming a very conservative motoring world.

Time will tell whether Chrysler's punt pays off, but I for one hope it does. In an age where one-size-fits all and even Lamborghinis use Audi switchgear, the Crossfire allows buyers to step out of line and be different.

As a roadster, the Crossfire is pretty good, but probably inferior to a Nissan Z or Mazda RX-8 in its ability to tear up a mountain range. That said, it will draw more attention than either of those cars on Chapel Street, and might resell better down the track, too.