Originally Posted by juddz

...I would argue that the Ford GT is a rare case, indeed. If you read the magazine regularly, can you think of any other American cars that have met with good reviews in the UK recently? Please note, most of the Fords they get over there are not American Fords (though I will concede that the GT, built less than a mile from where I am typing this, is.) List up ten (or even half of that) and I'll eat my words.

I would find the Mazda Miata (and a lot of sports cars like it) to be underpowered, yet it meets with rave reviews by the British motor press. In fact, I would find a lot of Euro market cars (whether Japanese or European) to be very underpowered by American tastes. Take a look at the 0-60 times in the back of any of those British mags, then compare it to ours. Some of this is no doubt due to gearing differences between American and European markets, but some of it is also due to less hp on tap due to the huge cost of fuel over there. After you do that, see where your Crossfire comes in, acceleration wise.

As for outdated machinery, the British make some cars for literally decades on end without revising them. Bristol, Morgan, Jaguar, and until recently Rolls and Bentley all are guilty of this. So is Lotus, for that matter. Yet, in many cases, these cars still get decent reviews. The Crossfire, by contrast, was introduced in 2004. The SLK on which it is based was first launched in the latter half of the nineties. That's not old by British standards.

Sure, the Crossfire is not a hardcore sports car. However, I still find it extremely fun when pushed through the twisties, and yet it won't beat you up when you just want to get home from the office after a long day. One more thing - I would put money on it feeling more tight and rattle-free than nearly anything else would in its class, after five years of driving on Michigan's cracked and pot-holed roads. But old fashioned and underpowered?