As a person that studies platform commonability for a living, HDDP is correct and mouserider also got it right regarding the spin put on by Chrysler for the AIE article.
AMG you can't believe everything you read in the press...

 

Well it's clearly not a "clone."

They're certainly very similar cars with some shared parts...I'm not sure why anyone cares so much how many are from SLK vs. other Mercedes.

 

For some unknown reason this looks mysteriously familiar to me?

Geez... I wish I knew where I last seen this? Hmmm.

XFH

 

Hello, I am new on here and this is my first post. After going to a dealer today and looking at Crossfire's for the first time this thread caught my eye. I read the attached article which read like propaganda. I also want to confess that I am an owner of a Mercedes ML320 and post regularly on Benzworld Forum. I also think that most MB owners would not like to think of the Crossfire as anything but a Chrysler. After looking closely at the Crossfire, I couldn't find any evidence that is was a Chrysler (except the badges). Are there any parts on a Crossfire that I might find on other Chryslers? I was very impressed with the Crossfire I looked at today. Everywhere I looked I saw familiar Benz parts and build quality. I saw nothing in common with a Detroit built Chrysler. If a Crossfire is only 30% Benz, what is the rest of it? I fell in love with the Crossfire today and intend to trade my Mercedes for one. It has to be the best value you can buy (used). An SLK that looks twice as nice for half the price!

 

Exactly. It was a bargain compared to the more pedestrian SLK even at original MSRP.

You will find many resemblances to your MB. The vehicle was actually built by Karmann in Germany (the production run is nearly kaput) and shares virtually no parts with any other "Chryslers" (okay; maybe the grille)...

I also have an E420, and many of the interior controls in the Crossfire are identical to those in the MB. This car is truly unique - the only real platform sharing of the now divorced Daimler and Chrysler "merger." The only significant problem is service, which usually comes at MB prices but with Chrysler ignorance, so try to find a good independent MB shop to take care of your service needs if possible.

 

I can't recommend anything to you Lantana... All I can say is that I have had a Limited Edition Crossfire 6 spd since March 2004 ... I drove it as a daily driver for about 18 months and then decided it would be a fun "unique" car to race with SCCA and NASA... So, slowly but surely it was disassembled and modified... I found that EVERY part of the engine, drivetrain, suspension, brake system was swappable... And every "engineering" component on the Crossfire has a MB product number, and most have the MB logo or bar code...

I don't have the time to generate a list for you, but if you look at my posts you will see this is true and correct...

Now... The body parts are definitely not MB... They were not built by Chrysler either... It was all sub-contracted to the Karmann Co and others. But then again... Some of the engine components were not manufactured by MB either, (Bosch, etc) but they still have the MB logo attached and MB part numbers...

So, if you ever doubt that this car is a Mercedes Benz "product" order a replacement part... something simple and cheap, like a "brake sensor" or perhaps "fuel injector" or perhaps something as inane as the cap that covers your front wheel bearings...

Now then, if you still don't believe me... order a piston... order a clutch, order a rear differential, order an airbag, order a spring... If they do not get delivered to you with a MB product number attached to them, I will eat my hat...

 

Thank you HDDP,

You confirmed what I saw for myself today. Even my wife is familiar enough with our Mercedes to see that the Crossfire is a Mercedes designed to look like a Chrysler. I am also a car nut that has built a few sports cars and street rods from the bare frames. I do all my own mechanical work including all work on my ML320. So the Crossfire was very familiar looking under the hood. We went shopping for a Saturn Sky but like the Crossfire better. We will buy a Crossfire as soon as we find the right one! Now that the two companies are splitting I think the Crossfire will eventually be a classic that represents the Daimler Chrysler days.

 

Message Deleted

 

Message Deleted

 

Its more SLK than anything else (including chrysler). It is close enough to call an SLK.

 

I had hoped that everyone was getting what HDDP was trying to say! So I take it you didn't get it, or you are making an attempt at a joke???

I know that sometimes my humor goes array, but I thought I provided enough smileys, to cover this one; guess not!

XFH

 

I felt this was a worthy post to revive for the newbs.

 

lmao, a worthy post to revive? Most of the content was deleted. It looks like a worthless post to revive to me.

 

Incorrect ^^, look at Midlife's post to see the original contents.

 

The less "Mercedes" my Crossfire is the more i'll like it !

Do you guys actually think that Daimler could make a stylish car like the crossfire....? Realistically?

I don't think any car company but Chrysler could have designed a more stylish better looking car....! Period!

 

You are going to be very dissapointed then....

I just re-read the article again after now being much more educated than I was when this thread started and I can now officially call this article complete BS and either written by an idiot or propagandist. The article mentions CLK front suspension, BS the CLK is McPherson strut. Mentions other C class and S class which was all BS. If it has anything to do with mechanical, drive train, suspension, brakes, electronics and ECU, etc... it is SLK. Here is the link to the most misleading article I have ever seen on the Crossfire.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...9&d=1181769165

Wow it was fun re-reading this thread. It contained my very first post when I was considering trading my Mercedes for a Crossfire. After working on and upgrading my car myself for almost two years I am still looking for a real Chrysler part. The front and rear badges and the VIN number don't count! Anyone who know these cars will admit that it is a rebodied first generation SLK320/SLK32

 

Gonna have to agree with you there. I've purchased more parts for this car from the MB dealership because they were cheaper than from anywhere else. Pretty much a game of find the part in Chrysler's catalog and see what it's name is, then find that name on the MB side and reference it to see it's the same thing which 99% of the time it is. Heck, the inner door trim swaps between the two no problem.

 

Oh man....Message deleted! I missed out on this one!

 

The styling is still 1000 % Chrysler not Daimler, no matter what's under the skin.


Chrysler is the only car company that actually makes stylish Vehicles. Thank god for Chrysler or we'd NEVER have had our Crossfires!!!!

 

The complete article still online as if this writing here
http://www.sae.org/automag/globalveh.../1-111-7-8.pdf

It's funny too because the search engine on the site provided to links - one to purchase the article as a PDF file ($12) and the link to the PDF file.

I wonder why AMGLover deleted posts?