The Firepower would deliver what most traditional Chrysler buyers, and most North Americans believe a Chrysler should be. It would be substantial
in size, luxuriously appointed and powered by that all-important HEMI V8. Don't expect a rival to Chevy's Corvette, as Creed inferred, but those looking to purchase a Cadillac XLR might think twice if Chrysler were to price it in the $60,000 range, about $40,000 less than the Cadillac. A convertible model, which would almost be certain, could be a difficult car for empty-nesters looking for a luxury touring car to pass up, and there are plenty of these. No doubt the car would attract younger affluent buyers too.
But more importantly, a production Firepower would be more visible on North America's roads than the Crossfire, which is difficult to find. And after all, if there aren't enough people driving it then the halo has little effect other than through advertising.
In Detroit, Zetsche joined Creed by announcing that DaimlerChrysler is seriously considering building the Jeep Gladiator and Chrysler Firepower concepts, with no mention of which would get the nod if only one were chosen. The Gladiator makes the most sense from a monetary standpoint, as the Jeep brand has a long history of building pickup trucks, none is in its
current lineup and it could pull components from a variety of current production architectures to make it happen at relatively low cost. Also, pickups are a critical market, and the Gladiator in particular looks as if it could pull buyers away from import brands and from its arch rival, Hummer, which is expected to bring out a pickup variant of the H3 in coming years.
The Firepower, featuring the same powertrain as Chrysler's 300C SRT8, Magnum SRT8, plus recently introduced Charger SRT8 and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, could also be built using existing components, but the Viper's chassis architecture is extremely expensive to build and therefore probably wouldn't do. The LX architecture, which underpins the two sedans and wagon just mentioned, is probably a bit on the heavy side for such a car, although with 420+ lb-ft of torque at hand weight is less of a problem.
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| A convertible model, which would almost be certain, could be a difficult car for empty-nesters looking for a luxury touring car to pass up. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
But more importantly, a production Firepower would be more visible on North America's roads than the Crossfire, which is difficult to find. And after all, if there aren't enough people driving it then the halo has little effect other than through advertising.
In Detroit, Zetsche joined Creed by announcing that DaimlerChrysler is seriously considering building the Jeep Gladiator and Chrysler Firepower concepts, with no mention of which would get the nod if only one were chosen. The Gladiator makes the most sense from a monetary standpoint, as the Jeep brand has a long history of building pickup trucks, none is in its
 |
| In Detroit, Zetsche joined Creed by announcing that DaimlerChrysler is seriously considering building the Jeep Gladiator and Chrysler Firepower concepts. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
The Firepower, featuring the same powertrain as Chrysler's 300C SRT8, Magnum SRT8, plus recently introduced Charger SRT8 and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, could also be built using existing components, but the Viper's chassis architecture is extremely expensive to build and therefore probably wouldn't do. The LX architecture, which underpins the two sedans and wagon just mentioned, is probably a bit on the heavy side for such a car, although with 420+ lb-ft of torque at hand weight is less of a problem.