Originally Posted by gsgtreefrog
I think we can all agree its at least on par with a Z, and their base is a mere 2.5k less! They ain't head turners like crossfires, and a mercedes engine they lack!
Well, sort of. The only Crossfire I would even attempt to challenge a Z with would be the SRT. Period. The Z has a few things going for it...
For one, it's cheaper. We're talking sticker price, but still. Also, there is a religious following of Japanese cars among the tuner crowd. Aftermarket companies know this. Third, the Z (and most other Japanese cars) are relatively easy to mod. The Mercedes engine is both a blessing AND a curse. It is a wonderfully balanced, smooth engine with a long life expectancy. BUT, from what I've gathered on here, it's a PITA to work on. God forbid any hardcore re-wiring or programming. The Z, on the other hand, has one of the largest aftermarkets out there.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE the SRT. So much so, in fact, that I will be buying one as soon as my raise goes through. I work at the Nissan Manufacturing plant, and I see 1,000 350Z's a day. Same for the G35 Coupe. I don't want to blend.
Know how many Crossfires are at Nissan? ONE. And it's a Limited model. We have over 9,000 employees here... so that's an AWESOME ratio for owning an exclusive car. There are tons of Bimmers, tons of Mercs. ONE Crossfire.
The Crossfire is a victim of one thing, and that's poor marketing. If DCX had handled the car as it should have been, they would have TOUTED the MB bloodline... instead, I think Daimler didn't want to rob sales from its grossly overpriced, upcoming SLK350 model. So they treated the Crossfire as the step-child and kept it in the dark. Poor move. NOW, we have thousands waiting on dealerships, trying to survive sales cuts.
I think it's horrible, honestly. BUT, that will not sway my opinion or my decision to buy one. I have already been bitten... I drove an SRT a while back, and fell in love...