Looking at the statistics for the 2006 Mercedes C-Class models and the SLK, I think it would be cool to have 2006 Crossfire's with the 3.5 engine and 6-speed manual trans. That would give 268 horsepower and a newer trans. I haven't seen any mention of the 2006 specs for the Crossfire yet, but it would be lame for them not to put the 3.5 engine in it.

 

hmm... well, if its like the current crossfire, then we'll have to wait until the 06' slk is terminated, then the next gen crossfire will get all the left over parts. I would settle for the 3.5 from the 300 or pacifica even, at least they have 250 hp. plus i'm sure they could be reworked and tuned to be putting out more hp suited more for a sportscar instead of a family type car. It wouldn't hurt. Every lil hp would help considering the choice of aftermarket parts.

 

they would sell twice as many crossfires if it got the slk350's drivetrain and wouldn't have to sell them for 10 grand under msrp.

 

What would be nice is if chrysler/mercedes/mopar or whoever made this car, made some aftermarket performance goodies that were reliable, actually worked and were affordable. Starting with how about a CAI 1st of all, maybe pulley's and diff. gears? I wouldn't mind having these three, affordable, yet would make a noticeable difference in performance #'s.

 

All comes down to demographics and if a market niche exists for them. I would be willing to bet if a poll was done on the median age for all Crossfire owners (not just the members on this board) it would show somewhere around people in their late 30's-40's + range and could really care less about intakes, pulleys, etc. on their base Crossfires...The speed freaks in this age bracket seem to go with the typical sports car icon...the Corvette.

 

mods can help redefine a niche. especially factory backed ones. and now that this car is cheap, i am noticing the forum members are getting younger and younger.

 

many before have dreamed of having the SLK 350 engine in the Crossfire, plus it's improved 6-speed tranny, plus it's rack and pinion steering, plus...

 

Considering '06 will be the last year for the Crossfire anyways...I wouldn't get your hopes up for any major (if any) changes...

 

06' is the last year? where did you hear this? i would love to have the rack and pinion steering over any of the above, even more than the power even though i am power hungry.

 

confirmed?

 

hey thanks!! i am turning 31 this year and like being called young. yes it is true if I didn't get my crossfire for 23K, I would have had to look at other cars.
any yes factory backed cars generate a niche.
look at the dodge truck market. it is a truck!!! but there are lots of guys sporting them up due to factory and aftermarket programs.

 

Chrysler does have a factory-backed performance crossfire...it's called the SRT-6.
How did the topic turn to trucks? Yes, that niche is quite large and popular at the current time...and what does this have to do with the Crossfire?

I think your missing the overall big picture...as you probably know the Crossfire is basically a older R170 SLK in a different shell. This meant Chrysler had to put in very little design effort to put them into production since all the major parts had already been invented, tested, etc. This move, in theory, was pretty smart. Problem was the market was not as large as Chrysler must have thought it was in '04. From my reading it seems one of the major complaints was the lack of power under the hood so that is when the SRT team came along in '05 to warm over the Crossfire but even that hasn't seemed to change the low sales numbers...

So, in short, why would a major company invest more time, effort and money into a dying model?

If anything, we are very lucky to have the aftermarket parts we do have from the SLK series since most of them will work on our cars...

 

the srt-6 for the price imo isn't an option, as far as power. when they came out at first yeah they had the power and style, but, for the price i'm sure most people would go with a vette - more power, even better handling, and in the same price range. Or wait till that new cobra comes out. It'll be right up there with dodge's own snake the viper for less than a srt8 charger.

 

Thats where price shopping and a little wheeling and dealing skills go a long way...From some of the prices posted of what people have bought there vehicles for...a number of people paid more for there new limited's then what I paid for my new SRT-6...

 

respdoc - that's true, but for us who couldn't wait, we unfortunately paid more. I am mad cause I have a lease and can't really get out of it. But in another way i'm glad cause of the value of these cars.

 

why do you want to get out of your lease?

 

I would like to go back to what Respdoc said, about being lucky for the parts we do have. I totally disagree. I don't care if the car was killed two years ago at Mercedes. Yes it was brilliant, to sell off the remaining SLK 170 class parts chassis etc., with out taking a huge loss. However, if simply look at the last years Sema Show. In the new products category, they were coming out with new rear ends, exhausts systems, etc, for 67' Pontiac's. So the thought of its a dying bread doesn't mean a whole heck of a lot. This particular run will not live on, because Mercedes's attitude was, out with the old in with the new. I think Mercedes got a case of Senior-Idous a few years to early. I think they were thinking only about, how different things were going to be with the New 06' lines, and all they wanted to do is get through the 03/04/05 model years, and try to make it up to all the new customers that would be flooding in with the new SLK-R's Specifically. So my guess is that of a hit and run. They ran, and now what they want to do is become the national spokes person , on hit and run victims, as well as SAD, MAD, ETC. So then it would be like the passed never occurred.
I am willing to forgive Mercedes and give them a clean slate, as soon as Schrempp is out and Joe Somebody is in there. I knew the new head Joe Eberhardt step's in officially, you will see the past fade away quickly. Its going to be a new ball game for Mercedes/ Daimler Chrysler, in the years to come. I would like to think that Daimler will step up and take care of the remaining SLK 170, as well as us Crossfire owners. I would like to see Chrysler take some new found pride in there Company and put some money into the Crossfire Program. I would like to see the red headed step children that we have become. Get some sort of pat on the back, and maybe an I'm sorry for killing your childhood, by pretending that you weren't my child. But I'm just saying...ok please don't take that last run of "the Red Headed ..." Seriously. I was totally joking, so please don't take that the wrong way. It just the writer in me. I think the Crossfire line live on, and simply evolve into the 350 SLK-R's endoskeleton, and still stay in the same price range it is currently in. Maybe the crossfire can roll into the SLK-R 280's.

 

cause for less money i can get into a turbo'd or s/c mustang gt running high 12's low 13's. Much faster than the crossfire and still have some money in my pocket. plus you can't do much with a lease car. and i don't plan on buying it out at the end due to the value.

 

then why did you get it.

 

The Kid is right, but like X'ed said why did you get it? If I wanted to drive something that is parked in virtually every other drive way, in my neighborhood. I would have jumped into the pony car. And as far as accessories goes. Well they better have more to offer, they have been evolving for over 41 years. The Crossfire, heck the SLK...7 years. On come on, its Mercedes. Not to say the future won't be different, but in the past...