....yeah, especially when the door is closed, which is 99.99999% of the time.

What's next, neon lights for under the car, and those weird chrome wheels that appear to keep spinning after the car has stopped? I'm praying this car doesn't start showing up in gangsta rap videos....

I really, really like my Crossfire, but as I've lived with it (the last three days) and read the manuals and realized how many gadgets it's got on it, I wish they'd taken a page out of Colin Chapman's book...if it doesn't make it go faster, take it off.

My favorite example: I really can read the suggested maintenance manual for myself...don't really need some lit up wrenches on the dash reminding me. And I resent having to read the manual and actually practice with the controls to make the little wrenches show up! I'm pretty handy with a tire pressure gauge too!

Again, getting to know the car, I wish they'd toned down the non-performance enhancing gadgets a bit and used those resources to engineer in a few more hp and some more lb feet of torque...although on the other hand it has more than enough oomph to either kill me or get me into plenty of trouble.

I LOVE the way it handles though, and it would even be better lighter, absent some of the needless gadgets. If this thing were 200 lbs lighter, the 215 horses would be more than enough for you speed demons!

I would caution anyone to think twice about buying the car for it's 'attention getting' factor. That's a BIG investment for a fleeting novelty. Back in 84, I had one of the first Honda CRX's sold in my state. EVERYBODY came up to me at gas stations...for awhile. After a few months it was an invisible car.

Look at 'Vettes. As a performance car for the money, they are the equal or superior to some Ferraris and Porsches, and can give the Viper a go. But they're invisible...too many on the road. At any given time of day, at any convenience store, the odds are there's one in the parking lot.

Mini Coopers...anybody even notice them anymore unless they've got a trick paint job?

Audi TT's...VERY novel when new, now two or three in every Applebee's parking lot at happy hour. When did you notice your last SLK (well, now that you have a Crossfire you probably notice all of it's fraternal twins as they pass on the beltway)?

If you like this car, get it for how you enjoy driving it and how YOU like its lines, NOT because you like the attention you get. The car will be invisible on the road a year or so from now. Don't drop this much money for the costume jewelry factor...it WILL wear off. It's a great touring car to drive, THAT'S the lasting pleasure of this car.

If this car bombs in sales, and Chrysler pulls the plug after a year or two, then its novelty factor will remain intact. People still ogle over the occasional Delorean even though it was a technical piece of crap in every respect, because it died young. If the Crossfire survives beyond a couple of years, the kid in the Neon next to you won't give it a second glance.

My point is that some folks seem to want to dress up their Crossfires, others want to hop it up. That's it's main problem...it doesn't know if it's the pretty cheerleader to be seen with, or the kickass football player that outperforms the competition.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading to the garage to say goodnight.