I'm writing this from my hotel room in Elkhart Lake, WI. I just finished my second day of the SRT Track Experience at Road America. I went on Friday and had such a blast I ponied up $500 to do it again today. WOW!!! It was great!!!

On both days, I did the Autocross, Advanced Car Control (aka "Viper Performance"), Performance Driving, and Full Throttle Challenge modules. Friday was cold and rainy here. The track was slippery and, having never done anything like this before, I was concerned that my lack of experience and the bad conditions would result in me putting a car into a wall. Fortunately, nothing like that happened. I was a total n00b and VERY slow (there were old ladies there with better times than mine and I lost EVERY drag race), but I had such a great time I decided I had to come back and do it again. I needed the practice, too. The guys there said it was no problem for me to pony up the five bills and come back for another round so I did.

Today, I did much better. Having done it all before, I knew what to expect. Taking the rides with the instructors was the biggest confidence builder because it let me know just how big the performance envelope on these cars really is. Plus, it was sunny and dry. The Advanced Car Control module was all Vipers but I was able to drive a Crossfire in every other module.

A few random thoughts about the Crossfire vs. other cars at the SRT Track Experience:

1. Autocross: This was the best event for the Crossfire. You have to work your way around a tight, twisty course as fast as you can. The light, nimble Crossfire coupe felt good here. For comparison, we ran the Jeep SRT-8 and it's a brick. It's very powerful but has massive understeer. I was only able to drive the Crossfire on the Autocross on Friday because it had broken down by the time I got back there today. Today it was all Jeep SRT-8.

The vehicles really take a beating on this course. It's just "jab on the gas, jab on the brake" over and over again all day long. It really pained me to abuse a Crossfire like that. I didn't care about the Jeep but Crossfires deserve better.

2. Full Throttle Challenge: If I felt bad about abusing a Crossfire on the Autocross, I REALLY felt bad about this. They had two Chargers, two Magnums, two 300s, two Jeeps, and two Crossfire roadsters. First, they line up cars of the same type and drag race them over and over again. Like the Autocross, it's "jab on the throttle, stomp on the brake" all day long. Then, they mix and match the vehicles so you can compare performance. In my groups on both days, the Crossfire never won and the Jeep never lost. The Crossfire just didn't seem like it was in the same league.

In the group that followed mine, the instructor won several drag races in the Crossfire. I talked to him about it at lunch and he said you just need the right technique. I know some of you guys drag race your Crossfires and get good performance out of them but it just didn't seem like the Crossfire was in the same league as the SRT-8s on this one. The Jeep completely owned this event. Its AWD over the 1/16th mile course made it unbeatable even when the Crossfire was given a car-length head start. It ate the Charger, 300, and Magnum, too.

The instructor who won with the Crossfire said he lurks these forums from time to time, so Hammer, if you're reading this, thanks again for making the Crossfire look good!

Sadly, one of the roadsters developed a transmission problem this morning and was pulled off the line. I felt so sad seeing a beautiful gray SRT-6 roadster lying broken on the side of the road. Plus, it was in desperate need of a good detailing.

3. Performance Driving: As a Crossfire owner, this was a disappointment. On Friday, it was too wet and I was too inexperienced to feel comfortable taking the Crossfire coupe to serious speeds. I know I was slowing down the other guy following the instructor with me but I was worried about stuffing it into a wall. Today, the weather was better and I felt more confident but the other driver was much slower than I was. I didn't get to really wring out the Crossfire on either day. However, it felt like I took the corners at higher speeds in the Crossfire than I did in the Charger, Magnum, or 300. Whether I did or not will have to wait for the in-car video DVD to arrive. The only car I really got to drive fast (120 mph--maybe slow for you guys but fast for a track n00b like me) was the Charger. It was a hoot.

4. Hot Laps: They didn't run the Crossfire in Hot Laps. I really wanted to ride around Road America in a Crossfire roadster with a pro but that was not an option. On Friday, I rode in a 300. It left me a little car sick. Two laps of that was enough. They didn't run the Crossfire today, either, so I skipped Hot Laps altogether.

5. Impressions of other vehicles: After the Crossfire, the Charger was my favorite. It looks awesome, is wicked fast, sounds great, and handles well on the track. The 300 is basically the same thing but I like the looks of the Charger better.

The Viper is just pure, raw power. It gurgles and rumbles at idle and the exhaust is so thick and gritty you can chew on it. The power, noise, and harsh ride are just brutal. It was a blast to drive but I actually like my SRT-6 roadster better. The Crossfire is SO much more refined, comfortable, and classy.

The Magnum was good at the drag strip. It was OK around the track but felt heavier than the 300 and Charger.

The Jeep was a big surprise. I expected it to be slow but it's most definitely not. I was amazed that it was such a consistent winner on the drag strip. It was not so good on the Autocross but it does well in a straight line. When three of them would go roaring by during Hot Laps, it made me wonder why the Secret Service bothers with Suburbans.

I didn't meet any other Crossfire owners on either day. There were Neon SRT-4, 300C SRT-8, Charger SRT-8, and Magnum SRT-8 owners there and even one couple with a RAM SRT-10 pickup, but no Crossfires. There were no Crossfires in the parking lot. Some people there had never heard of the Crossfire before this event. This made me realize just how rare our cars really are.

The SRT Track Experience was awesome. I learned a lot about what these cars can do, I got some track time on one of the greatest circuits in the country, and I did it for a bargain price. I had a fabulous time and highly recommend it.

 

Sounds like great fun, but if your buying a used SRT-(X) Make sure it's not a "used" SRT "track experience" car.

 

Definitely. Here's a pic of the SRT-6 roadster with the busted tranny - abused, dirty, and broken. It needs a mechanic, a detailing, and some serious TLC. There should be a law against abusing Crossfires that way. It's so, so wrong...

 

Great write up here, this is what makes this forum so great! Glad to see you got so much out of it too.

 

Thanks! I have a couple more random thoughts:

1. The Crossfire got almost no love. Nobody except me seemed eager to drive it. In fact, I heard lots of grousing at the Full Throttle Challenge about how comparatively slow it was. Some of the people in my group were rather large and complained about the difficulty getting in and out of it (funny, nobody complained about the Viper). Its absence from Hot Laps tells me the instructors didn't want to drive it, either. The only people who seemed enthusiastic about it were Hammer and the lady driving the other Crossfire with me during the Performance Driving module. She said it handled much better than the big, boxy sedans.

I expect that the Crossfire will be replaced in the SRT Track Experience soon. With the Caliber SRT-4 out, the dissolution of DaimlerChrysler, and (probably) an SRT version of the Challenger coming up, I don't think the awkward cousin from Germany will be missed. On the plus side, this means the unconscionable abuse of Crossfires will soon end (I know, I know...I sound like a PETA investigator at a chicken plant). On the minus side, it may mean these cars will soon be on the market. I should have written down the VINs as a warning to the world. If anybody else does the SRT Track Experience soon, bring a pen and paper. I hope those Crossfires eventually find someone to love and care for them. I just wouldn't want it to be me.

2. The instructors should offer more instruction in the Performance Driving module. The only time I had an instructor sitting next to me yelling "gas, gas, gas!!" and "brake!" was in the Vipers. It would have been nice to have the option of this kind of instruction around the track. The only advice I got was to "speed up" and "be smooth." "Be smooth" tells me nothing. What does that mean? Should I lower my voice, say "Heyyy, bay-beee," and stroke the wheel before starting the car? It gives me a goal but no instruction on how to get there. I think I'll submit a comment to Chrysler suggesting it.

 

Does anyone know how to determine if a car was a Track Experience" car? You hear a lot about this but are they required by law to disclose this information? I am sure a lot of owners are wondering the same thing.

Steve

 

Here are a few pictures of Crossfires being drag raced.

 

Here are some pics of a Crossfire on the Autocross course.

 

Here are some pics of the Crossfires used in Performance Driving.

 

Any idea how much heavier the roadster is than the coupe? You would think the coupe would be used in the drag strip scenario.

As far as the drag racing - you said it was 1/16 mile?

If so...the car is barely out of 1st gear. ANY think AWD should win that race with ease.

I was getting beaten off the line by some cars at the 1/4 mile track, but would catch them at the end. The supercharged application needs time to open up, and in 1st gear you're either spinning the tires or the traction control is working overtime, so you never get to utilize it (from what I've experienced).

Excellent write-up!

 

Thanks!

Yep, they said it was 1/16th of a mile. If you go to the SRT Track Experience web page, there's a video of the Full Throttle Challenge setup.

I don't know how much heavier the roadster is than the coupe. After one roadster's tranny gave out, they brought out a coupe. They seemed to be pretty evenly matched. I've attached some photos of the coupe and roadster drag racing.

 

1/16th really doesn't let the car open up much at all. If you get the chance, run it on a 1/4 mile, it really lets you appreciate it a bit more.

 

Again from here an excellent write up! I hear the excitement in your fingertips! If the SRT experience gets close next year it's a definite do...even if they drop the Crossfire (boohoo, shame on them)...but that's life isn't it. If it turns out there are to be no more ('08) Crossfires then that makes ours all the more special and I share your concern for them. Here's a good way to tell if the used X-fire you are looking at is overly used...check the mileage...if it's over 100K then it's probably a used SRT Experience car.

Peace & Speed Brother!
Terry

 

The SRT6 Roadster weighs 88 pounds more than the SRT6 Coupe.

 

Great write-up. I, too, had a blast at my SRTTE. It was one of the last ones with the Skip Barber driving school. Actually, the SRT-6 got a lot of props at our event. I chose the Crossfire in the hot lap with the instructor. I couldn't believe what he was doing with that little thing and made me fall in love with them.

One of the most fun events was the slalom course with the SRT-10 truck. What a blast throwing the rear end out on a 2 ton vehicle. Just laughing through the whole thing. Definitely correct about the Jeep. With AWD, it killed every other vehicle on the drag strip.

 

They didn't have the SRT-10 Ram. If that one's already gone, the Crossfire can't be far behind.

I did have a good time sliding the back end of the SRT-10 Viper. On the first day, I tried to stay within the cone lanes and not push it. After riding with the instructor, I had a whole new appreciation for what that car can do. On the second day, I decided to see what I could get away with. I punched the throttle on some of the turns and managed to slide the back end and grind up some cones. The instructor gave me some pointers as if I had not meant to do that. Silly instructor.

 

That might be the same SRT I drove here in Vegas with the Viper club early in the summer...I feel sorry for whoever buys it-abused By the way...that experience is what drove me to buy my '04 LTD.