Hi there XF fanatics... I'm looking at maybe getting into an SRT-6 and have a couple questions that I hope you could answer. I did a little bit of searching, so please forgive me if I missed any answers in my own search.
I test drove an SRT-6 Coupe, '05, extremely low miles. I love the engine's pull, and the car's confident stance in cornering. However, I had a couple reservations, and I was hoping you guys could maybe shed some light on them, i.e., if there's an aftermarket fix or something similar:
1. How exactly does the Autostick work? I'm used to seeing autosticks where you have to push the shifter to the right (with vertical up and down shitfing), but in the SRT-6, it seems like you just push the shifter left or right to upshift or downshift. Does the car automatically stay in "stick" mode (i.e., choose your own gears) once you've up- or down-shifted once, or does it reset to D once you come to a stop, or something similar? Also, does it give you 100% complete control (i.e., let you hold gears until you either upshift manually or redline), or does it sometimes out-think you and upshift/downshift on its own? My seat time during the test drive wasn't enough to get me 100% familiar with the tranny.
2. Is there a way to speed up the shifts on the autostick? I would upshift or downshift, and I got distracted when the shift happened a second or two later. Is there a way to adjust this, or to train the ECU to speed this up?
3. There seems to be a delay between hitting the gas pedal and getting the engine up and going. From my understanding, a sprint booster will take care of this. Any other comments?
4. Do all Crossfires have ESP/traction control or something similar? Exactly what system is used (i.e., does it just cut throttle, or does it apply individual brakes, etc.)? And is there a way to turn it off if you feel like driving like a hooligan? If you can "turn it off", is it ever completely off? (What I read so far is that it's never completely off)
5. How the heck do you use that cupholder? What kind of cups can it hold and what can it not?
6. I saw mention of "track experience" cars being sold for low miles. What are the easiest ways to spot one of these?
7. I read that these cars have an open differential, and that there are no aftermarket options for a limited-slip differential. Is this true? Have you guys been in situations where the open diff is an obvious hindrance? (edit: scratch that, I guess there's a Phantom Grip LSD.. in that case, how much of an improvement are you guys seeing with a Phantom Grip vs. the standard electronic diff (if that right?))
Thanks in advance for the replies, and I hope to join the family!