Chrysler Crossfire SRT6 2005 review

The Chrysler Crossfire SRT6 coupe offers sensational acceleration and handling and will keep more fancied runners in the high performance segment honest.

Here is a car with enough kick in the tail to sprint from 0-100kmh in five seconds but that's only part of the story. Being supercharged means no waiting for boost to kick in as with a turbo engine. The Crossy SRT6 delivers truckloads of torque right off idle and it's there through the entire engine rev range. Push the throttle and away she goes, push harder and it goes harder. Instant grunt – there's nothing quite like it.

The engine is based on the regular Crossfire with necessary reinforcements to cope with being force fed. It runs as smooth as silk and hardly makes any noise unless the taps are opened.

Fuel economy is better than a V8, significantly better if you drive steadily.

Power goes through a strengthened five speed automatic transmission with a number of electronic modulations to keep everything in control including Electronic Stability Program (ESP).

There's a sequential shift mode if you want to play manuals.

Suspension upgrades include stiffer springs and firmer damping to cope with the extra loads a 53 per cent jump in power bring.

The brakes are similarly upgraded.

Inside has a sporty flavour and extensive luxury features right down to heated seats. The exterior changes from the regular Crossy with a large fixed rear wing and different wheels among other detail changes.

The SRT6 is in against a slew of tidy sports coupes, all of which it will see off in terms of acceleration, mid-range response and quite possibly handling.

And at $85,990, it undercuts them on price by thousands of dollars, tens of thousands in some cases.