Firepower Concept Wins Award!

[Hisserman]

The Detroit News announced today that the Chrysler Firepower won the Detroit News Readers' Choice Award for Best Concept Car at the 2005 North American International Auto Show.

Built on the Viper platform, the car has a 6.1 liter Hemi V8 with 475 hp.

If it goes into production it will help the Viper by underwriting some of the production costs.

The tv press (Autoline Detroit and NBC Channel 4) gushed about the Firepower concept car. (They were less charitable about the Charger and Viper Coupe.)

DCX won three of the six Detroit News Readers' Choice Awards: the other two were Jeep Hurricane for Technological Award and Chrysler 300c for Car of the Year.

 

[SnakeBitten]

Was the Ford GR-1 there?

If so, they have to be steaming lol.

 

[Hisserman]

Yep, the GR-1 was there. See link: http://vca2.viperclub.org/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB14&Number=491490&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

Even the DCX folks were surprised!

 

[JWVIPER]

That is one smokin car.......

 

[sn8kbyt]

This is what the new Viper coupe should look like! I hope the build it, I will buy it in a minute.

 

[V 10 MAFIA]

If Chrysler can make a hemi V8 with 475HP, then theoretically can't they make a Hemi V10 with 600 plus HP?
A Hemi V10 probably would have the potential to be one of the best american engines of all time that went into a production car.

 

[Warfang]

If Chrysler can make a hemi V8 with 475HP, then theoretically can't they make a Hemi V10 with 600 plus HP?
A Hemi V10 probably would have the potential to be one of the best american engines of all time that went into a production car.

The key word is best "American" engine. The damn Germans don't want an "American" car to kick the butts of their *****-mobiles. They're kinda stuck up that way. Like the Crossfire SRT-6... same AMG engine, same chasis, but mysteriously some 20HP less than the SLK32 AMG. We need to take Chrysler back!

 

[Hirohawa]

Chrysler is putting out the best looking American cars right now.

The 300C is by far the best looking American Sedan that has come out in the last 50 years.

In my life I can't ever remeber looking at a rear drive 425HP american 4 door car that looked better than a Bentley. There where probably 20 300C's at the LA AutoShow. It was like a mini Sema - 300C only show in the midst of alll the other cars.

Also the Firepower! (the exclamation point is part of it's title) looks incredible.

I really like the direction DC has gone with Chrysler. Just need to put some time into their Viper program to kill weight and add HP.

 

[Tom Shapiro]

The Firepower could definitely be a home run for Chrysler. If they can keep the price mid 40's and don't stray to far from the concept then it's a winner. The Charger on the other hand is so far removed from the concept car you wouldn't even think it was built by the same company. Here's the link to the original Charger concept. What a beautiful car. http://www.acarshow.com/chgcpt.html I think the biggest reason it changed so much is because the the new Charger design fits better into Dodge's NASCAR program.

 

[MoparMan]

Chrysler is putting out the best looking American cars right now./quote]

Obviously, you haven't seen the Charger - it's a pig.

 

[CTViper]

Tom----They are saying Firepower is going to be in $60000-$65000 Range. No way $40000

 

[Hisserman]

They'd better keep it in the $45-50,000 range, or it won't be a "Corvette fighter".

 

[Dv8tor]

If the production version looks like these photos, no way will it be $40,000. Good lookin' car. The interior looks great.

 

[Hisserman]

That's the problem with bringing it out under the Chrysler badge vs. the Dodge badge. It might have to be too fancy.

On the other hand, maybe buyers will pay for the goodies. I agree with you that it's a great interior!

 

[GTSnake]

It's not a Corvette fighter as much as it is a Cadillac XLR fighter. It's more in the luxury sport class.

I totally agree with the Charger being a big dissapointment. I would also think the Firepower would end up being in the $50-60k range. I just have a hard time with the name though.

 

[Vic]

The Firepower is way better looking than the Viper coupe, in my opinion. Its a more cohesive design, unified in its lines. Very dramatic, agressive, classy. But if they could remove some of the "stodgyness" from the front end, it would look more performance oriented.

All told, its a great looking car.

 

[Craig 201 MPH]

it's an improvement but still way too much "gotham city" look for me. I agree the interior is nice. Would be great to put something like that in teh SRT-8

 

[ericj96]

I like the car. Better looking than the viper in my opinion. They do need to find a better name for it though.


Eric Jordan

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

If it has good performance I will fine room for one. I like the styling.

 

[Janni]

It's gonna have a new name - someone else owns the rights to that name - so the Firepower! was for the show car only.

I really like this car.

 

[Cop Magnet]

The strakes in the hood remind me of the Mercedes coupe a little, the chrome fender vents seem off a BMW Z8, but the flanks and rear quarter windows say Pantera (which is a good thing). Although the interior is interesting, from what I can see, the white has got to go. Two other contrasting colors would work (think M5). The vertical pillars between the dash and the console are very Audi TT or Mini.

Despite the lack of originality, which you can feel free to disagree with, the car is WAY nicer than the new Viper coupe. Take this design, stretch the nose, bulge the corners, clean up the lines, give it a racecar's mouth, and drop in a 600HP V10. Then you'll be talking the Viper we all were waiting for.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

I'll take one, especially if it on the Viper platform. I hate all of these mini car their making. i.e. crossfire, great looking, to small. IMO

And I like the fact take there could be a V10 option in the works.

 

[Hirohawa]

I said Chrysler - not Dodge. Also in person the Charger looks cool.

Chrysler is putting out the best looking American cars right now./quote]

Obviously, you haven't seen the Charger - it's a pig.

 

[Tom Shapiro]

CTViper I hope it isn't in the 60-65k range. I agree with Hisserman it wouldn't be a Corvette fighter at 65k. Chrysler surprised me with the very reasonable pricing on both the 300C and the Magnum RT, so I'm hoping maybe 45-50k could be realistic. In between Hisserman's Firepower photo's there is a very important sentence. It reads "If it goes into production it will help the Viper by underwriting some of the production costs." I heard the same thing this weekend when I was at the Detroit Show. The Viper program needs cash. They only sell 1500-2000 a year. The 30,000 or so Corvettes they sell each year helps keep the Z06 pricing so reasonable.

 

[Dreamert]

uhn.....sorry for linking a french thread but here are some pictures of what the Charger concept seems to be turning out to be for the production line..... ugly need I say more ?!

http://www.clubneonquebec.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=7894&hl=charger&s=5a8d3e6c744e982fe10e09e7c3259c7e

This is way beyond me as to know why they did such a thing

 

[BobK898]

I liked the back end of the concept but the front did nothing for me.

 

[BobK898]

I liked the back end of the concept but the front did nothing for me.

Referencing the Charger not the Firepower.

 

[fastfang]

If DC builds the firepower, then it looks like I will be keeping the GTS instead of trading it in on the SRT-10 coupe and adding the firepower to the arsenal. Hopefully, DC employees will be able to get their employee discount on one of these bad boys.