I'm thinking about buying a crossfire for the summer. I know I'm going to buy a convertible, and I know it has to be manual.

I'd like something at least as fun as the s2000 I drove last summer. My concern is that the car is going to feel slow (haven't driven one yet) unless I get the SRT-6, but the SRT-6 doesn't come in a manual.

I'm sure some of you here thought the same thing and went with the lesser model, what did you do to get your car faster? How much did it cost?

Thanks,
e39m5

 

Well, it is obvious you haven't driven one yet. Unless there is a real lag in the throttle, your driving experience with the xfire verses the S2000 should not dissapoint.

That said, the S2000 has a smoother tranny. Ours is kinda clunky, notchy as they say. Also, the clutch has a delay valve that makes it a little less snappy. Then there is the throttle lag from the throttle by wire system.

The throttle lag can be fixed. One method is easy and costs nothing. Search the forum for "throttle reset." The better method is an after market sprint booster. About $350.00.

With a good Dyno tune, minor exhaust mod and a CAI, you can take the average mild mannered NA Crossfire up a good 20% to 25% in usuable HP.

Mine went from 154 Wheel HP to 192.5 wheel HP. A very noticable difference. Price depends on how much you can do yourself but $1,500 to $2,500 ought to be enough.

Our Cars are not dragsters. They are nimble road cars. A properly set up manual NA with a competent driver can compete close to even with the SRT in the twisties. But, they will leave you absolutely cold in the straights.

I know as I own one of each. I run against my wife's SRT almost daily on our way to work. She cleans my clock every time.

Except in the twisties.


roadster with a stick

 

Hey Franc,

What are all the mods that got you up that much? And another question, is there anything you can improve on with out having it custom built, in other words, an add-on that's already been made for our cars.

-Gdrag

 

Cold Air intake, Plugs, injectors, Back Cat Deletes and time on the Dyno. For some reason, I did need a new MAF sensor.
All work was done by Eurocharged.

Add ons that are custom made for our cars, include CAI from Needswings, TVT or Eurocharged. Drop in chips are fine but leave room for more performance as they are programed conservatively.

With injectors, a huge CAI and my requested changes in the operating parameters, the dynotune was a must. Tony, at Eurocharged, does an excellent job of squeezing out every possible bit of torque and HP from your set up. I highly recommend it.

Best thing about a Dyno tune, you know what you had when you started and what you ended up with. And, you can prove it. So you know how much you paid for each HP you gained. I paid about $40.00 for every one I gained and get my money's worth every time I leave for work.

Every Time.

roadster with a stick

 

I have the coupe not the convertible, but I can tell you they do NOT feel slow. No, they are not the fastest cars on the road, but they are very quick, and have a good bit of torque which helps. The manual transmission is the same in the coupe and the convertible, it is not the smoothest, but you get used to it, and to make it smoother just keep the revs up, shift above 2,500 rpm and you will be fine. And the s2000 is fun but dosent have the torque the Crossfire has.

Hope this helps!

 

It is not going to feel like a 396HP M5, but it is not going to feel as 'heavy' either. It is a quick car, not fast. A pleasure to drive, especially around town and in the corners. If you have the 6 speed M5, you are well aware of the CDV (clutch delay valve) because you have one in your car too.

Do yourself a favor, go out and drive one. For a car with under 250HP, it feels a lot more fun (the torque helps quite a bit). Have fun, let us know what you think.

Welcome.

 

Just for the sake of discussion - WHY is the SRT not available in a 6 speed?

Who ever heard of a hot little sports car being available ONLY in an automatic?

And to add to the previous post, these cars are TREMENDOUS fun around town. I have more fun just running errands
than I do taking off on a GTG weekend. (Of course, the GTG is fun when I GET there, but the drive around town
is nothing but fun.)

Now, I will say that cruising down the interstate with the sound system on loud and the cruise set DOES make for a relaxing,
easy drive. This little car eats up the interstate as well as my old full-size pickup did.

 

It's because Chrysler took the entire drivetrain from Mercedes. Mercedes does not make a single AMG car with a manual transmission.

 

Get the Sprint Booster! These cars have lots 'o Zip already, but the Sprint Booste r mod is an easy plug-in and make you quicker in every gear!

 

Buy one of each -- best of both worlds.

 

Not quicker (faster), better response thats all. Money would be better spent on a CAI.

 

Best advice ever. That way if you have one tied up at the dealer for 7 frackin' weeks , you can still drive the other one.


roadster with a stick

 

Hi One-Eighty,
Can cold air induction make noticable/measurable throttle response improvement?

Also, can the mods be installed as cheaply as a Sprint Booster ($320)?

 

The sprint booster makes the throttle perform better. It does not make the car perform any better, especialy the stick shift as you can compensate for the throttle lag quite esily.

That said, it is a mod I bought. But,

it is the last one after, CAI, ECU tune, injectors and exhaust mods were up and running. It is going in soon. I'll let you know if I think it noticebly improves the performace of the car.

Or just the driving pleasure.



roadster with a stick

 

Thanks guys,

The M5 is a total beast (it's my father's car), and we probably shouldn't compare to it here. I've actually considered getting one, but I'm really looking for a convertible. Unfortunately the roadster equivalent Z8 is a bit out of my price range.

A lot is going to depend on how much money I have. With the exception of a few jobs I don't really get paystubs, so it's not too easy for me to get a loan. Most likely I'm paying with cash. Currently, the crossfire is right at my price point. How much I spend/earn before march will ultimately decide which car I go for. The crossfire has definitely grown on me though.

So besides CAI, sprint booster, and dyno there really isn't much to do? What about exhaust?

e39m5

 

The stock injectors are way too small.

 

Are there any manufacturers that focus on performance/style for the crossfire? Where would I buy injectors?

Thanks,
e39m5

 

You should check out the Technical and Modifications section of the forum.
There are some great threads in there about all the different mods you could make.

If you looked at a couple of the threads, you would get a pretty good feel for what's available on the Crossfire.

This thread is about going with a larger throttle body for improved throttle response, and a dribble more power. This one works best with larger injectors, and a higher flowing air intake system:

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...y-upgrade.html

This thread here is all about what the different mods offer, and what the part numbers and costs would be:

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ing-depth.html

Have fun researching!

BC.