Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
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From: PA
Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
Since the XF is not an SLK, it makes our cars even more unique. Good find.
A huge % of the parts are European (excluding German).
A huge % of the parts are European (excluding German).
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Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
Originally Posted by Emthusiast
A huge % of the parts are European (excluding German).
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From: Charleston, SC
Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
All the major mechanicals are "off the shelf" Mercedes Benz SLK '2002 generation. Engine, Drivetrain, Chassis, Suspension, Brakes, Transmission, Electronic Management... The car was "rushed" into production immediately after the marriage of Daimler & Chrysler. The interior was designed by a firm in Orange County, CA. This is a paraphrase from the Director of Crossfire Operations, Andre' Amoit during a lengthy conversation I had with him over a year ago... He also stated that many of the specs and engineering information was very slow in coming from the engineers at Mercedes and they were reluctant to share them with their "American" counterparts in Detroit...
Also, had some interesting conversations with the gentleman, who's name escapes me now, that was responsible for generating / converting the parts catalog from the Mercedes SLK parts to the Chrysler parts catalog.
So, that 39% quoted in the article is, in my humble opinion the vehicle... The rest of the stuff is just accessories and appearance...
That being said, I completely disagree with the original poster of this thread... This is the MB SLK320 / 32 And the Director of Crossfire Operations agrees...
Also, had some interesting conversations with the gentleman, who's name escapes me now, that was responsible for generating / converting the parts catalog from the Mercedes SLK parts to the Chrysler parts catalog.
So, that 39% quoted in the article is, in my humble opinion the vehicle... The rest of the stuff is just accessories and appearance...
That being said, I completely disagree with the original poster of this thread... This is the MB SLK320 / 32 And the Director of Crossfire Operations agrees...
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From: LovesPark, IL.
Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
Originally Posted by HDDP
All the major mechanicals are "off the shelf" Mercedes Benz SLK '2002 generation. Engine, Drivetrain, Chassis, Suspension, Brakes, Transmission, Electronic Management... The car was "rushed" into production immediately after the marriage of Daimler & Chrysler. The interior was designed by a firm in Orange County, CA. This is a paraphrase from the Director of Crossfire Operations, Andre' Amoit during a lengthy conversation I had with him over a year ago... He also stated that many of the specs and engineering information was very slow in coming from the engineers at Mercedes and they were reluctant to share them with their "American" counterparts in Detroit...
Also, had some interesting conversations with the gentleman, who's name escapes me now, that was responsible for generating / converting the parts catalog from the Mercedes SLK parts to the Chrysler parts catalog.
So, that 39% quoted in the article is, in my humble opinion the vehicle... The rest of the stuff is just accessories and appearance...
That being said, I completely disagree with the original poster of this thread... This is the MB SLK320 / 32 And the Director of Crossfire Operations agrees...
Also, had some interesting conversations with the gentleman, who's name escapes me now, that was responsible for generating / converting the parts catalog from the Mercedes SLK parts to the Chrysler parts catalog.
So, that 39% quoted in the article is, in my humble opinion the vehicle... The rest of the stuff is just accessories and appearance...
That being said, I completely disagree with the original poster of this thread... This is the MB SLK320 / 32 And the Director of Crossfire Operations agrees...
Think about this everyone; most of the Engine, Drivetrain, Chassis, Suspension, Brakes, Transmission, Electronic Management were duplicated from the SLK series; as HDDP has stated and has been proven throughout my experience with the Xfire! In fact most of the parts you can find for the SLK can be used for the XFire. That is why some of our SLK cousins visit this forum so frequently, and most mods that are preformed or found, can be generally migrated between product lines.
I for one would be happy to disenfranchise the Daimler name with Chrysler, but I'm happy to say that the CrossFire was one of the few moments that Daimler and Chrysler got some things right; even if they screwed up on the merchandising, and support of the vehicle!
Just my humble opinion,
XFH
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From: Shawnee KS< KC Burb
Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
Originally Posted by Cincinnati Slim
That's a great post.
Karmann does have a new factory here in the US producing top assemblies for the Sebring and Pontiac G6. Maybe an independent Chrysler could use them to get the Firepower into production quickly and efficiently ! I hear the new plant is capable of low volume full body production...
Cheers,
Slim
Karmann does have a new factory here in the US producing top assemblies for the Sebring and Pontiac G6. Maybe an independent Chrysler could use them to get the Firepower into production quickly and efficiently ! I hear the new plant is capable of low volume full body production...
Cheers,
Slim
I'm for anything that would get the Firepower built, seems like it would be a better business case to build them on the Viper line though, since it's the same chassis.
DB
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From: Essex County, NJ
Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
In a way, I'd also have to agree with HDDP.
I was hoping that the article in AEI was more of a third-party technical tear-down and analysis but it reads more like an editorial piece and, I might be wrong, but back in 2003 when the car was launched, I doubt that anyone at DC was allowed to publicly comment that the Crossfire was an SLK with different dressing.
While I would say that the Crossfire is a unique car, different from the SLK but it shares enough of the key components with the SLK more to be a brother than a distant cousin, but not a clone in the pure sense of the word.
I was hoping that the article in AEI was more of a third-party technical tear-down and analysis but it reads more like an editorial piece and, I might be wrong, but back in 2003 when the car was launched, I doubt that anyone at DC was allowed to publicly comment that the Crossfire was an SLK with different dressing.
While I would say that the Crossfire is a unique car, different from the SLK but it shares enough of the key components with the SLK more to be a brother than a distant cousin, but not a clone in the pure sense of the word.
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Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
when i bought mine, i was clear that it was a "dodge treatment slk" with stuff (stability control and tire pressure?) that the slk did not have yet but improved in radical american ways. the rake of the big back tires is american. the big wide hips were definitely american. all those nice solid mercedes qualities. dependability. how is the '04 z doing in value?
overall, i figured i was 20-grand ahead on the purchase.
now, the market never saw it that way and the mercedes label was wasted on people who could just not see 35 - grand for a chrysler.
i've driven it from houston to l.a., las vegas (back in one hop) and mid-iowa 20 times. it is absolutely the best, most comfortable road machine i've even been in. i swear i've done 70 to zero in that thing in about 6 inches and the stability control in a downpour can be spooky.
i think we are guaranteed some special status since there will never be any more made. after they put all the pieces in inventory together, if they haven't already, it's over forever.
cool.
dan
overall, i figured i was 20-grand ahead on the purchase.
now, the market never saw it that way and the mercedes label was wasted on people who could just not see 35 - grand for a chrysler.
i've driven it from houston to l.a., las vegas (back in one hop) and mid-iowa 20 times. it is absolutely the best, most comfortable road machine i've even been in. i swear i've done 70 to zero in that thing in about 6 inches and the stability control in a downpour can be spooky.
i think we are guaranteed some special status since there will never be any more made. after they put all the pieces in inventory together, if they haven't already, it's over forever.
cool.
dan
Life is random...so am I.
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Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
Seats by Lear huh...that scares me. I've had to work with Lear in the past. IMO, a welding engineer should actually know something about welding! Although in his defense, it was a hot-stamped AHSS boron part that had him befuddled.
Either way, I think I could lengthen the car a little by pushing it back with the power seat! Strong motors.
Either way, I think I could lengthen the car a little by pushing it back with the power seat! Strong motors.
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From: Leicester UK
Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
...Either way, I think I could lengthen the car a little by pushing it back with the power seat! Strong motors.
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Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
Here is my .02
The motor is a 3.2 in the slk configuration
The trans slk
Front suspension slk
Hvac slk
Rear slk
Brakes slk
Of course any body/interior/trim/glass/wheel changes will require specific new parts.
The crossfire is more slk then anything else.
Of course the crossfire is its own entity but lets not deny where its engineering came from.
The motor is a 3.2 in the slk configuration
The trans slk
Front suspension slk
Hvac slk
Rear slk
Brakes slk
Of course any body/interior/trim/glass/wheel changes will require specific new parts.
The crossfire is more slk then anything else.
Of course the crossfire is its own entity but lets not deny where its engineering came from.
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From: Charleston, SC
Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
Originally Posted by AMGLover
I decided to post this as a separate topic since there is SO MUCH MIS-INFORMATION about the Crossfire being a first generation SLK (R170). The scan is from the Automotive Engineering Institute July 2003 Global Vehicles Magazine
The quoted sources are not journalist's or media hacks, but people involved in the actual engineering of the platform. Many people - especially the automotive press - have been fooled by the center console and interior trim into a state of SLK-copy-itus.
So this article silences several debates:
1) SLK or not.
2) Mercedes or Chrysler.
3) Percentage of parts raided from MB (39%)
4) Driving dynamics, SLK clone or unique to Crossfire.
May this forever silence the R170 clone comments...
The quoted sources are not journalist's or media hacks, but people involved in the actual engineering of the platform. Many people - especially the automotive press - have been fooled by the center console and interior trim into a state of SLK-copy-itus.
So this article silences several debates:
1) SLK or not.
2) Mercedes or Chrysler.
3) Percentage of parts raided from MB (39%)
4) Driving dynamics, SLK clone or unique to Crossfire.
May this forever silence the R170 clone comments...
Originally Posted by AMGLover
The official Mercedes-Benz designation for the engine is the M112.960 and it does not have altered cam shafts - just software. The mere mortal crossfire does have an altered air intake and exhaust, but not cam shafts.
POWER & PERFORMANCE
Fitted with Chrysler Group's own design of air-intake and exhaust systems - to best fit the available space as well as give the car its own unique intake/exhaust soundtrack - the 3.2-litre V-6 engine powering Chrysler Crossfire is manufactured at DaimlerChrysler's V-engine plant in Untertuerkheim, Germany.
This all-aluminum, SOHC, 18-valve engine weighs just 140 kg and produces 160 kW and 310 Nm of torque. Light, responsive, smooth-revving and ultra-reliable, the 90-degree power unit promises to deliver sparkling performance in the 1,388 kg Crossfire.
For effortless performance, the V-6 is designed to deliver high torque across a broad band of engine speeds. While maximum torque is generated at just 3,000 rpm over 90 percent of maximum torque is available from 2,600 to 5,300 rpm, and 98 percent is available from 3,000 to 4,500 rpm.
POWER & PERFORMANCE
Fitted with Chrysler Group's own design of air-intake and exhaust systems - to best fit the available space as well as give the car its own unique intake/exhaust soundtrack - the 3.2-litre V-6 engine powering Chrysler Crossfire is manufactured at DaimlerChrysler's V-engine plant in Untertuerkheim, Germany.
This all-aluminum, SOHC, 18-valve engine weighs just 140 kg and produces 160 kW and 310 Nm of torque. Light, responsive, smooth-revving and ultra-reliable, the 90-degree power unit promises to deliver sparkling performance in the 1,388 kg Crossfire.
For effortless performance, the V-6 is designed to deliver high torque across a broad band of engine speeds. While maximum torque is generated at just 3,000 rpm over 90 percent of maximum torque is available from 2,600 to 5,300 rpm, and 98 percent is available from 3,000 to 4,500 rpm.
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From: Charleston, SC
Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
BTW, for those that care... Here's a quote from one of the benzforum members regarding those of us with the Crossfire pertaining to a header development project... And these are people who bought the vehicle nearly six years before ours was built !!!
So, I don't have a lot of respect for some of them... Hey AMGLOVER lets' see some photos of your Crossfire... I can't seem to find a gallery of yours...
Originally Posted by 430
This is something we have been trying to get going for about as long as I have been on the board.
No. The Crossfire boys & girls have nothing going on. They are 1) cheap and 2) into the cosmetic aspects.
No. The Crossfire boys & girls have nothing going on. They are 1) cheap and 2) into the cosmetic aspects.
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,094
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From: Charleston, SC
Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
Originally Posted by AMGLover
I decided to post this as a separate topic since there is SO MUCH MIS-INFORMATION about the Crossfire being a first generation SLK (R170). The scan is from the Automotive Engineering Institute July 2003 Global Vehicles Magazine
The quoted sources are not journalist's or media hacks, but people involved in the actual engineering of the platform. Many people - especially the automotive press- have been fooled by the center console and interior trim into a state of SLK-copy-itus.
So this article silences several debates:
1) SLK or not.
2) Mercedes or Chrysler.
3) Percentage of parts raided from MB (39%)
4) Driving dynamics, SLK clone or unique to Crossfire.
May this forever silence the R170 clone comments...
The quoted sources are not journalist's or media hacks, but people involved in the actual engineering of the platform. Many people - especially the automotive press- have been fooled by the center console and interior trim into a state of SLK-copy-itus.
So this article silences several debates:
1) SLK or not.
2) Mercedes or Chrysler.
3) Percentage of parts raided from MB (39%)
4) Driving dynamics, SLK clone or unique to Crossfire.
May this forever silence the R170 clone comments...
Senior Member
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,094
Likes: 8
From: Charleston, SC
Re: Never call it an SLK again! Required reading for every owner.
Now here's a hoot... I run across this guy who professes that the Crossfire has minor relation to the Mercedes SLK, yet he / she posts photos of his / her Crossfire with the MB KOMPRESSOR logo plastered on it... Talk about hypocrisy... 
