Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 | Spotted
Can 335hp and comparative rarity tempt you into a Crossfire?
To say the Chrysler Crossfire launched to mixed reviews would be an almighty understatement. Most journalists criticised its lifeless steering, harsh ride and dodgy interior quality. Accordingly, it built up a reputation for being rubbish and, partly as a result, didn’t sell all that well. It also didn’t help that Clarkson said its arched back looked a bit like a dog parking its breakfast.
A shame, really, because on paper it has some interesting ingredients. As Chrysler had been acquired by Daimler in the late 1990s, it was decided that the Karmann-built Mercedes-Benz SLK would serve as the underpinnings of the Crossfire. Chrysler, meanwhile, was free to sprinkle on some American flair by designing the interior and exterior of the car. The result was a two-seat sports car with a V6 sourced from its sibling that, from certain angles at least, looked pretty stylish.
In isolation, the Crossfire was likely not as bad as Top Gear made it out to be and some contemporary reviews are a little kinder on the sports coupe. But, ultimately, BMW was doing a better job with the Z4 and Nissan nailed the affordable performance coupe formula with the 350Z. Of course, Chrysler didn’t take the Crossfire’s lukewarm reception lying down, striking back with the faster, more focused and much more aggressive SRT-6.
Firstly, power took a monumental leap from 218hp to 335hp thanks to Mercedes’ M112 supercharged 3.2-litre V6, lowering the Crossfire’s 0-62mph from 6.9 seconds to a flat five. The suspension was also reworked, comprising retuned dampers and firmer springs to sharpen things up. The brakes were beefed up too, while the ESP was adjusted to allow for a little more slip at the rear wheels. Granted, the default five-speed auto goes to show that the Crossfire was still more tourer than tearaway, even in SRT-6 guise. That, and the American market wasn’t nearly as keen on manuals as it is today.
It looked the part, at least. New bumpers and skirts gave the SRT-6 a bit of an edge, as did the small tail spoiler which, arguably, does a good job of sorting out the divisive rear end. The interior was given a makeover as well, with the seats trimmed in leather and suede to emphasise its sports cruiser nature. SRT-6 models also gained a flat-bottom steering wheel (for better or worse, depending where you sit on that one) with perforated leather grips in case you really wanted to put it through its paces.
The result? The SRT-6 was considered a more playful car than the standard model and, though not transformative, the stiffer setup did a good job of ironing out some of the Crossfire’s lazier traits. But with the base Crossfire being far from popular in the UK, the SRT-6 sold here in extremely limited numbers. HowManyLeft puts the number at a peak of 111 in 2008, with only 49 registered on the road today. That makes them pretty rare, making this example worthy of the spotlight.
You get the sense this 2006 car has been well looked after; not just because it was owned by the former president of the British Chrysler Crossfire owners’ club, but also because the interior looks immaculate, the wheels have recently undergone a full refurb and there doesn’t appear to be any signs of surface rust, which can be an issue for some Crossfire owners. All for £13,950, which seems fairly reasonable for what is likely one of the cleanest examples out there. It may have its quirks, but that’s a quite a lot of power for not a lot of money.
SPECIFICATION | CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE SRT-6
Engine: 3,199cc V6, supercharged
Transmission: five-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 335@6,100rpm
Torque (lb ft): 310@3,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 2006
Recorded mileage: 39,000
Price new: £35,000
Yours for: £13,950
It's a shame in a way because if they'd built a coupe based on the mk2 SLK AMG instead of the mk1, it could have been quite special.
Wonder if it's the same with people. 
In the Crossfires day and years before. All of the performance cars where manual pretty much, often without an auto option.
All Corvettes could be had as a manual (C4, C5, C6). Same with Firebirds, Camaro's and Mustangs.
The Mustang Cobra was manual only, as was the Z06 Corvette (and the C4 ZR-1) and of course the manual only Dodge Viper.
Wonder if it's the same with people. It sort of reminds me of an Alfa SZ that someone attempted to 'modernise' but did all wrong.
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