This morning in Connecticut it was 12 Degrees F when I left home and by the time I had arrived at work it warmed up to 13 F. That is pretty cold with wind chills down to about -3 F.

Typically, in that kind of really cold weather, cars develop cold weather squeaks, rattles and squeals... not so my Crossfire. Everything was "normal". Kudos to Chrysler and DB for a job well done.

BTW, the engine power feels much greater in the cold weather...

The only nit I have, and I said this before, is that the fan will blow cold air thru the vents BEFORE the engine has time to heat up the radiator water. So you just have to turn the fan to zero until the engine temp has risen. I am spoiled by my Lexus SC400 and Chrysler 300M which automated this "feature".

BTW, the car performed great in the recent snow storm. The Blizzacks all around on 18" rims are the ticket. No need to add weight in the trunk so far. Just be judicious with first gear and the go pedal.

 

It was 9 degrees in Bloomfield this morning. One thing that really impresses me is how FAST the car warms up. Most cars I'd have to travel about 4-5 miles before the car warmed up enough to even feel the heat. In the Crossfire it seems to happen within a mile or two...

still haven't gotten snow tires - looking onto a winter beater instead...

 

You can pick up a winter beater for about the same price as good snow tires w/ cheap alloys on them or "steelies".

 

The reason the Crossfire warms up so fast is due to the radiator temperature sensor which controls external air cooling fans, and a thermostat valve to control coolant flow. These cooling system parts function primarily independent of the engine but control the engine either through heating or by sending control signals to your Crossfire' electronic systems. Temperature control is critical to both performance and emission control. That is why HP could be gained by installing a radiator temperature sensor and a thermostat valve that allows the fans to cut on quicker, and the coolant to flow through the radiator...

Yeah yeah I know I'm not on subject here so I'll stop. If I lived in the kinds of temps you guys are speaking of I would opt for a sensor and thermostat that would never allow the coolant to flow. The reason I got off subject is I read the part where REDSEC400 writes "BTW, the engine power feels much greater in the cold weather..." and could not help myself. This takes you back to how can I get more HP from my non forced air inducted V6? Cheap way to gain HP with the Crossfire is fool the ECU and keep the engine cooler.

 

That's because it is. Cold air is denser than warm air and will contain more oxygen per given unit of volume. More oxygen means the ecu can squirt more fuel, and of course that means a greater release of energy when the spark plugs fire. That's why you will see the import tuner turbo guys pack their intercoolers with dry ice when they do performance testing in warm weather.