Chrysler Was Accountable For The Most Underrated Sportscar Of The 2000s

Almost 20 years in the past, Chrysler was comfortably nestled throughout the confines of plushy luxurious, such because the Chrysler 300C sedan, combined with some injected practicality courtesy of their City & Nation minivan. Nonetheless, in contrast to different American luxurious manufacturers like Cadillac or Lincoln, Chrysler had a wild, quirky facet to it too. For one factor, they used to supply the PT Cruiser, some of the divisive, love-it-or-hate-it automobiles to ever be produced.

The American kings of quirk had been additionally chargeable for one of many strangest-looking American sports activities automobiles of the fashionable period; the Chrysler Crossfire SRT6. Whereas its seems to be had been a bit on the market and obtained some scrutiny, the Crossfire SRT6 was a true-blooded sports activities automotive beneath, and even had a good quantity of German blood combined into its recipe, too. Some even say the Crossfire SRT6 was underrated. Let’s simply preface this text by stating that it isn’t about the usual Crossfire, which was a large miss. It was powered by an already outdated 3.2-liter NA V6 producing solely 215 hp, and the one factor worse than the five-speed automated was the six-speed handbook transmission. Rivals from the identical period, just like the Nissan 350Z, Honda S2000, and even the Audi TT made Chrysler’s efforts look half-baked. However lots can change if you add a supercharger to the combination.

So, let’s take an in depth have a look at the Crossfire SRT6, and what it was all about.

The Crossfire SRT6: Chrysler’s Ace In The Gap… Type Of

Crossfire SRT6 Quick Information

Featured a supercharged engine Solely provided for the 2005 and 2006 mannequin years Shares a lot of its DNA with the Mercedes-Benz SLK

The SRT6, and the Crossfire generally, was constructed on the Mercedes-Benz R170 automobile platform. Again then, Chrysler and its subsidiaries had been owned by Daimler, who additionally owned Mercedes on the time. So, with a view to inject some European-style luxurious into Chrysler’s American methods, Daimler instructed Chrysler to manufacture some kind of sporty coupe. That approach, the model might set itself aside within the early 2000s coupe growth.

On paper, it made loads of sense. The Crossfire would have American styling and European underpinnings. The Crossfire was the proper strategy to propel Chrysler into the fashionable age as an upscale luxurious model. As a result of the Crossfire was to be primarily based on the Mercedes SLK, Chrysler might develop a go-faster mannequin for a less expensive value. Earlier than AMG began utilizing V8s in its smaller merchandise, it went by means of a supercharged V6 part. Each the SLK 32 AMG and the C32 AMG (which used a barely longer platform) had been powered by a 330 horsepower supercharged V6. Because the Crossfire and the SLK had been mainly the identical automotive (roughly 80% shared components), the engine merely slotted in.

So, one 12 months after the Crossfire was launched, the Crossfire SRT6 hit showroom flooring with an MSRP of $45,695 for the coupe model, and $49,995 for the convertible. That is roughly $73,600 and $80,500, respectively, accounting for inflation. If it was round right this moment, it might have been $20k dearer than a base Toyota GR Supra 3.0 with a handbook gearbox…

This was a steep value, particularly contemplating the usual base Crossfire solely value $29,920. At that value, it was dearer in its SRT6 iteration than most of its international rivals, such because the BMW Z4 3.0i Roadster, Honda S2000, and the Nissan 350Z.

After a two-year run, Daimler-Chrysler solely managed to shift 4,071 SRT6 Crossfires, with the majority of gross sales occurring in 2005, as 2006 model-year SRT6’s had been special-order solely. The Crossfire in its entirety lasted for 4 years, and offered 76,014 models in whole, of which roughly 7,000 had been SRT6s. For comparability, Nissan offered 122,751 350Zs in that very same timeframe.

The Ins And Outs Of The Crossfire SRT6

As a result of the Crossfire SRT6 was meant to tackle the likes of international sports activities coupes, it wasn’t simply supplied with a strong engine and that was that, it had the aforementioned Mercedes-Benz undercarriage and different inspirations peppered all through its make-up.

On the forefront of its sporting prowess is that 3.2-liter M112 Mercedes-Benz supercharged V6. The Crossfire SRT6 wasn’t the one automotive to obtain it, with Mercedes plopping it into the SLK 32 AMG and the C 32 AMG. Its helical twin-screw supercharger was intercooled, and will produce as much as 14.5 psi of increase. It additionally featured teflon-coated rotors, making for a stronger supercharger than what was usually required.

The SRT6 obtained another performance-oriented upgrades over the usual Crossfire. It obtained a a lot stiffer suspension setup, which, to be truthful, was a bit unforgiving. It additionally had epic brakes and, as an alternative of an electronically-operated rear spoiler, the SRT6 had a hard and fast rear wing. Did it make the Crossfire extra enticing? Probably not. The SRT6 had some severe pace, however the S2000 dealt with so fantastically, and the 350Z shortly turned the darling of the tuning scene. Virtually no person was within the go-faster Crossfire.

This is How A lot You Can Purchase One For Immediately

When you’re studying this, and you’ve got determined that sure, you do desire a bone-jarring journey coupled with some good brakes and a supercharged V6, chances are you’ll be questioning how a lot you may truly choose up a Crossfire SRT6 for as of late. The excellent news is, there’s a lot on the market throughout the nation. Nonetheless, there’s some dangerous information which comes together with that.

In line with custom, we’ll begin with the excellent news first. When you discuss with a number of the fashionable automotive valuation websites, you will see the Crossfire SRT6 is valued round $4,000–$6,000 with common mileage and in good situation. These are values you will have anticipated, because the Crossfire SRT6 wasn’t precisely fashionable. Nonetheless, as a result of automotive valuation instruments do not sometimes consider collectability, their values are, typically, broadly skewed.

And that is the place the dangerous information units in, if you study of the Crossfire SRT6’s latest transition from a forgotten used automotive to a distinct segment collectible. Whereas traditional automotive valuation authorities like Hagerty haven’t got pricing breakdowns by automobile situation but for the SRT6, as of late, the real-world values seen on the SRT6 vary from $15,000 to upwards of $25,000 in the event you’re on the lookout for a near-perfect one. Even the traditional Chrysler Crossfire is climbing shortly when it comes to worth, with these fetching wherever from $8,000 to $15,000.

The Crossfire SRT6, whereas getting up there in value, is roughly across the similar cash as a used Nissan 350Z or a Wankel rotary-powered Mazda RX-8, and is less expensive than a few of its different rivals such because the Honda S2000. Not that it is priced the identical as its modern rivals, it isn’t such a foul deal, particularly contemplating that energy output, which may simply be boosted by one other 100 horses with a number of low-cost mods.

The Crossfire SRT6 Summed Up

All in all, the Crossfire and the Crossfire SRT6 did not precisely do what they had been speculated to do for Chrysler. It was a good suggestion, trying to make use of it to convey Chrysler right into a extra Euro-minded and glossy market, however they failed to stay the touchdown, even with Mercedes-Benz’s assist. As we talked about, the usual Crossfire is a horrible automotive with nearly no redeeming qualities. Today you may get away with proudly owning one as a result of it is kind of uncommon and quirky, however that is about it. The SRT6 not less than had the decency to be quick, not less than by 2000s requirements.

So, the Crossfire SRT6 was relegated to relative obscurity, till now, not less than, when collectors immediately began being attentive to it once more. Perhaps it is going to find yourself as a type of automobiles that weren’t nice, however garnered loads of consideration afterward because of the truth it was quirky, quick, and was styled like nothing else on the street on the time of its launch.

In these respects, the Crossfire SRT6 could be thought of a winner.