Chrysler Crossfire

"The reason American cars don't sell anymore is that they have forgotten how to design the American Dream..

"The reason American cars don't sell anymore is that they have forgotten how to design the American Dream . . . that's why the American auto industry is in trouble: no design, no desire." So said fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Look at any US car magazine from the past five years and you'd have to aagree: the best selling car in the US is the Toyota Camry.

Then along comes the Crossfire, brimming with style and enough desire to set pulses racing in the haute couture set. The similarities with high fashion don't end there - this car epitomises much of the strength and weakness of our image-conscious world: eye-catching looks and a stunning exterior belies a under-developed interior.

Americans are to reap the rewards of European styling in the heart of Motown, thanks to the German influences on one of its bedrock brands, Chrysler.

With the Crossfire, there's no call for prevarication. It's simply stunning. Like a catwalk model, it's got the wow-factor that's at the heart of every coupé purchase. You don't buy a two-seater for anything other than a metal fix to your image addiction.

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In the week we spent with the Crossfire, we attracted everything from catcalls to taps on the window, all complimenting the look and jealously eyeing "our new car". One admirer roared across the road after the obligatory whistle: "Those aren't two-a-penny in Kilbeggan."

Part of the Crossfire's attraction is its utterly unique design, which Chrysler has been honing since its Bonnie and Clyde effort with the PT Cruiser some years back.

However, this car represents much more than just cutting-edge design set to impress the denizens of Westmeath: it's being hailed as the litmus test of the merger of Chrysler and DaimlerBenz, proof that the coming together is about cars as well as cash.

For the US market, the focus is on the long nose, the six "speed" lines the length of the bonnet, and the centre spine line which moves over the length of not only the exterior, but the interior as well.

It's got enough butch bodywork to survive in the muscle-clad American market, but for European eyes the focus is the unique boat-tail rear. Its curvaceous expanded arches hint at futuristic designs such as the Lexus concept which featured in the film, Minority Report. There's also the SL-style fins on the side air vents.

By combining both, you have some "seriously seductive sheetmetal", as one member of the Crossfire team put it to us.

But there's more to Europe's influence than the eye-catching rump. Just like the merger, which has been hailed by some as a takeover, the Crossfire may carry the All-American badge, but its underpinnings are mainly German. In all, about 39 per cent of components come from Mercedes models, largely the SLK, including suspension, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and powertrain. And it's built in Germany.

With its wide haunches and set on 18-inch wheels at the front and 19-inch at the rear, the car looks set to pounce. With Mercedes' 3.2-litre V6 offering 215bhp and 0-62mph in just over 6.5 seconds beneath the ribbed bonnet beats, it's capable of leaping into the lead in any traffic light stand-off.

Unfortunately the six-speed manual gearbox is rather jolting and chassis and suspension are quite skittish on Irish roads.

The car feels more comfortable at higher speeds and settles into a rhythm when its in third gear and above that's less apparent crawling through the city. The shortened tail and rear-wheel-drive means the rear sometimes seems eager to give a little flick under all those horses on the go, but traction control keeps that in check. Turn it off and you notice some of the car's more natural characteristics, though there's also a rear spoiler which deploys when you top 57mph, designed to keep your stylish rear on the road.

The short-throw gearbox should allow for snappy changes, but is too springy. The long-travel clutch and short first gear can make city travel tedious. In fact first gear seems a complete waste of time - no sooner do you tickle the accelerator than it's at 4,000 rpm and running out of steam. There's also quite a bit of road and tyre noise in the cabin. But, for all that, its heart remains that of a racer and there's a nice deep-throated growl when you turn the key.

Sadly the German influence hasn't stretched to the inside. Here, cheap plastics, common in many US cars, are at odds with the quality look of the car. For a start, the steering wheel is too big for such a seemingly sporty coupé.

There are some kit shortcomings, however, such as the lack of steering wheel audio controls, and the air-conditioning is a rather arbitrary two-dial design - nothing wrong with it, but it looks dated. The Crossfire does come with heated seats as standard, of which there are two, with not even the pretense of a back seat.

The usual compromises and caveats with coupés apply when it comes to visibility and space - though the small windows restrict light and there's no overcoming the fact that three-quarter rear vision is poor, even by coupé standards. It's partly compensated for by wide-setting the exterior mirrors.

Under the cool exterior lies a fashion crime - shiny silver plastic on the central console which cheapens the overall effect and leaves you feeling short-changed. Like wearing an Armani suit over St Bernard Y-fronts.

Luggage space is adequate for a weekend but you'll struggle to get a suitcase in. It's smaller than the likes of the TT. Another gripe, there's no clear divide between cabin and boot, reinforcing the feeling that the interior isn't of the requisite sports coupé finish.

Yet the Crossfire is gorgeous. It answers the issues raised by Lagerfeld about American design. It also packs an impressive punch - and at just under €55,000 it's significantly cheaper than equally powered competitors.

But there's a huge difference between haute couture and cars. The Crossfire may have all the retro chic to work now, but experience at Chrysler suggests the image market is all too fleeting. The PT Cruiser rated high on the wow-factor, but dated quickly. Will the same happen to the Crossfire? Any catwalk model will tell you, when your looks start to age, it's personality that counts. In a market brimming with big personality motors and great driver's cars, the jury is still out on the Crossfire.