Time marches on...

Sports car engine development is moving really quickly these days.
The non-SRT6 Crossfire was designed about 6-7 years ago. It was very competitive when it was first released. But since then the bar has been raised. Newer cars are making more power every year. Engines are getting more sophisticated w/ variable valve timing and displacement etc. DCX didn't invest any additional R&D into the Crossfire once the design was first "frozen". This is too bad since other new Sports cars have been introduced and continuously developed with every year that passes. This lack of support and development is what really hurt the Crossfire.

The flip side is...these cars are terrific bargains now. Less than 20K for a brand new Mercedes sports car ? Heck ya, where's my checkbook ? I bought one in March and have NO regrets. I recall one reviewer said the car has "pedestrian underpinnings". Oh really ? Since when has any Mercedes product been "pedestrian". They could have made it a FWD poseur car using Neon/PT Cruiser parts. Now THAT would have been "pedestrian underpinnings".

The new car "horsepower war" is bound to continue. That does not make the Crossfire any less sophisticated or well engineered. Good design does not have an expiration date. The Crossfire is great balanced package that is now proving (now that decent 19" rubber is available) to be quite competitive in SCCA D/Stock auto-X events.

Slim