This is probably old news, but I came across this article. Very pleasing indeed! Enjoy if you haven't read it already.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=1985

 

Always nice to read, reread, reread, reread, etc. this article. Probably the best article ever written about the Crossfire. Good as it is, you can still see the author didn't really want it to turn out the way it did. Sort of a "when pigs fly" story showing that the best "street" car of the bunch also bested the top track cars when it came right down to it!

Interestingly, no mention of the "hideous" wing. Nothing about "too bad it doesn't come with a manual tranny". Not one single utterance of the old recirculating ball steering. No trash comments about the "dog squatting to take a dump" roofline. What kind of automobile magazine is this anyway?

Too bad DCX didn't take advantage of this tremendous story. But then the truth would have to be told. They would have to explain the "missing" 15HP on the SRT6 compared to the SLK AMG (is it REALLY missing). Isn't this also around the time that 0-60 times were being touted as being "under 5 seconds" and shortly thereafter claimed to be "around 5 seconds" implying slightly over 5 seconds. They might have to enlighten us on how a small group of dedicated Chrysler engineers managed to take an "old" platform and tweak it to a level that made it competitive with....uh, correct that, beat a Boxter S and the hot track ready Nismo 350Z where they are most at home, ON THE TRACK. All the while it was doing this, it still had the best street ride of the three.

I didn't read one mention of it being overpriced. In fact it neatly split the difference between the Nissan and the Porsche.

Maybe those hacks who berated this car because of its "ancient" engineering and horrid styling could better have described the other two as "dogs with their back end hunched down". Of course this would have been appropriate because they most certainly were sent running with their tails between their legs in the end!

The art deco design of the Crossfire got the attention of the DCX brass (those with the most German of accents) as a thing of beauty and a way to invigorate the Chrysler brand. In other words, create a positive sales tool as a "halo" car to boost the image and increase profitability. But approval of the spunky little Crossfire had the skunk works engineers of SRT create a gorgeous Frankenstein. No exposed bolts in its neck or stitches across its forehead but a monster nonetheless.

A threat to its own stable of high performance cars, the dog catchers at Daimler had to make sure this much lower priced crossbred mutt would not contaminate their pedigrees and actually take "Best of Show".

 

Wow! Excellent summary. My thoughts exactly. You know, I always go for the underdog. As you can see by my choice of motorcycle, I am a true enthusiast. I choose my vehicles based on the facts, not what everyone else thinks. I've been on bikes since I was 5 and I've had all of the CBR, GIXXER, R6, R1, Nijas. The Buell is by far, the funniest, pure motorcycle I've ever owned. It too gets hammered in sales and popularity. I definitely don't like running with the crowd.

 

Thanks for your post with link that made us noob owners grin a little wider.