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The Chrysler Crossfire, a sports car available as either a two-door coupe
or convertible, first made headlines in 2001 when it was revealed as a concept
car. The concept model's design was overseen by Eric Stoddard, a prominent
figure in the industry. With bold Porsche-like styling, the Crossfire was a
luxury sports car without the exorbitant price. Poor sales and dealer requests
drove Chrysler to announce the end of production of this sports car model, along
with other models in the maker's lineup that have in recent years experienced a
drastic decline in sales.
First released to the public in 2004, the Chrysler Crossfire was fitted with
either a 215 horsepower 3.2L V6 or a 330 horsepower 3.2L Supercharged V6. Buyers
had their choice of either a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission.
In the beginning, buyers were happy with the different choices available, but as
other, more powerful models were released by other makers, the Crossfire started
to lose its initial appeal. Even when Chrysler released a souped up SRT-6 trim
level in 2005, buyers simply weren't biting.
As sales began to decrease, Chrysler resorted to selling the model on
Overstock.com, a website that specializes in offering slow-selling items for
drastically reduced prices. Unfortunately, even with the online stint, the
Crossfire simply did not sell. Chrysler chalks it up to simple overstimulation
with several other makers releasing comparable models. Also, executives have
blamed both the sluggish economy and high gasoline prices. Whatever the reason,
the announcement of the official discontinuation was made in late 2007.
Despite the Chrysler Crossfire's poor sales, many television shows and movies
have prominently featured the model. The Island, a popular film starring
Scarlett Johansen, proudly displayed the model on the streets of futuristic New
York. The sports car was also used in films like the thriller "Cry Wolf",
award-winning "Crash", and "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift." Television
shows have utilized the Chrysler Crossfire as well. The primetime hit, "Las
Vegas", featured the model on several episodes, using it as a fictional prize
car for the winner of a competition. The MTV hit "Laguna Beach": "The Real
Orange County" had one of its reality stars driving the model, while the
Crossfire was also driven by the star of the action drama "Prison Break" in one
of the show's episodes. Unfortunately, all the press from different media
outlets proved to do nothing for the car's sales. |
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