2005 Chrysler Crossfire in Seattle

The Crossfire coupe's debut in the American marketplace a year ago could hardly be called a "launch," in the sense that the word connotes a speedy and direct projection from one place (the factory) to another (consumers' garages). No, for the little German-American hybrid, it was not so much a launch as a gentle, six-month slide off the recliner. This year, though, the boattail hatchback has sprung to its feet with freshened zeal, as it enjoyed its best-ever sales in February, an incentive-fueled 1052 units. The new roadster model ought to help continue that momentum, because it looks terrific.

Sports cars sometimes stumble stylistically when they go from a steel roof to a canvas one. The Nissan 350Z coupe and roadster are perfect examples of this unfortunate automotive truth. The Crossfire, on the other hand, is far more convincing as a roadster than as a coupe, and its handsome profile is equally appealing, to our eyes, with its roof up or down. Chrysler retained the coupe's styling theme, including the boattail rear end, while tidily incorporating a retracting top, tonneau cover, and trunk.

There are virtually no mechanical differences between the Crossfire coupe and the roadster, since both utilize the same powertrain, chassis, and safety components from the outgoing first-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK. The new Chrysler roadster's body is solid and free of cowl flex, thanks to a bulkhead behind the seats and underbody reinforcements. Body control is not what we'd call terrific, but the double-control-arm front and multilink rear suspension eventually interprets the driver's intentions.... Read full article