2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster | Chrysler - Auto twenty-first century
Chrysler - Auto twenty-first century: 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster

2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster







The Chrysler Crossfire is a rear-wheel drive sports car sold by DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler marque, and replaced the Plymouth/Chrysler Prowler. The car is built for DaimlerChrysler by Karmann in Germany and shares over half of its components, including most of its interior, drivetrain, and chassis, with the previous-generation (R170) Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class. It is available as a coupé and as a roadster.

The name "Crossfire" comes as a reference to the distinctive character lines that run from front to rear through the body sides. They create a surface that is upward facing as it passes over the rear fender, but they cross mid-way through the door to form a downward facing surface as they reach the front fender. Also, since this is the first car to be built after Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz and it shares elements from both houses, the name is a reference to their collaboration.

Features

The standard transmission is a 6-speed manual, and a 5-speed automatic is optional. Base Crossfires, originally sold beginning in the 2004 model year, are equipped with a 3.2 L, 18-valve, SOHC V6 engine which produces 215 hp and 229 ft·lbf of torque.

Ironically, 2004 was the last year for the SLK from which the Crossfire is built. Since the 2005 model year, the SLK has been built on a platform with Vision SLR-style looks. The Crossfire remains the only car based on the older chassis.

For the 2005 model year, Chrysler has unveiled both a Crossfire convertible as well as the SRT-6, a supercharged high-performance model.

Sales

The sales of the Crossfire have been slow, with an average 230 day supply of the vehicles as of November 2005. The Crossfire has been outselling its predecessor, the Plymouth/Chrysler Prowler ever since. In December, the cars were listed on Overstock.com to clear out inventory. Very few Crossfires were imported to the United States and Mexico for 2006 (and almost all of these were roadsters), though there is a 2006 model for Europe and Canada. Chrysler currently plans to bring the Crossfire back in full to the United States and Mexican markets for 2007.

2003: 35,700
2004: 28,000
2005: 12,500

SRT-6

The SRT-6 is available as both a coupe and a convertible with 330 hp (246 kW) and 310 ft·lbf (420 N·m) of torque. Upgrades found in the SRT-6 include suspension, brakes, and cosmetics.