Y'know, I was looking at the car parked in my work garage this afternoon, and all of this may have been brought up in the "why did you choose the Crossfire" thread, but I have to say that the design fron the rear of the doors forward, especially the front end, and maybe more so because of my billet grille (donoutwest) is pretty much one of absolute classic and beautiful designs. The way it sits wide and low, and the headlamp design and all of that is just absolutely gorgeous to me, and one that stands easily with any sports car out there today, or in the past, and by extrapolation probably will continue to do so, well into the future.

Having said this, I feel that if I had the money to do so, and wanted to chop a car, I do think I'd cut the roof just in front of the rear window (coupe) and lengthen the back keeping the overall look of the current rear, but making a closer proportion of the back to the front. the front has this long low look, and the back in my opinion is just a bit too fast dropped, hence the hunched dog referrals previously noted.

I think that by lengthening the back, basically flattening out the drop angle, the car might have been more proportionately laid out. This is NOT intended to be a criticism of the original design team, as they obviously intended it to be this way, and rightfully so. I'm just saying that for my taste, if I had the wherewithal and the means to do it, I think I would customize it by doing a chop and elongating the rear, yet still keeping the hatch and the stance when looking at the car from the rear. It's from the side that it seems a bit out of whack. Funky and cool of course in its' own way, and therefore having real value in and of itself. What do you guys think? And waht would you do differently?

 

its an interesting thought. I'd have to see it, maybe it can be photoshopped. What I would change? Those horrible side strakes. They just look cheap to me on an otherwise beautiful car. I'd leave the scallop there, maybe open it. There are a few running around that have removed the strakes and it really is clean and nice looking. I think the car should have come a bit lower with a tad wider stance. I've seen enough of them that way, Laloggia's comes to mind as one, Andrew's old white one as well. That may be my mod (eibachs and spacers) for next year, the dual CAI was this year's. On Eric's original drawings for the car which I have hanging on my wall the car is actually lower and the strakes are there but undefined.
While most of the folks on this forum favor the idea of dropping a bigger V-8 Mercedes in place of the 6 I'd go another route, I'm an old hot rodder. I drop in a blown hemi and tub out the rear. I'd just love to see a nice polished blower sticking up through the hood and a really fat set of tires on the rear.

 

i find it rediculously hard to find anything to do to the exterior. chrome rims only look good on black convertibles, i think lowering makes em look strange, and yes those strakes. i think the only thing i would do is maybe paint it...like a ferrari red, not like the blaze red thats offered.

 

sorry, but wouldn't have bought it if I didn't like it...I just looked at a Camaro sitting in our parking lot this evening...older model. I always love the Camaro design low swept back look....but it now looks old to me...the XF hasn't lost my interest yet...it may someday, but it is rare enough, I don't have to see them everyday...not in parking lots, not much on the road....so I just like it's unique look...but, I don't like the front grille all that much....the side strakes I can live with...and the idea of a full blown race car has my interest, as well as DJ's interest...I too would love to see a tubbed rear end...big slick, wheelie bars, blown hemi hanging out of the hood.....brings back the old pro stock cars....

 

The entire front end has Mercedes written all over it. If I were to do something to the back half, I would probably change the rear lid to something similar to the older Vettes, with a small flat rear window. I like the overall length of the car. It's very proportionate to the width. I do think that some aftermarket wheels, with a little bit of lip, and of course body color, would accent the sports car style a bit. No chrome though. I'm going to color match the windsheild trim. Mine is the gunmetal color, and yet the trim is silver. Doesn't make sense to me.

 

yeah, when I go with new wheels they're going to be hypersilver with maybe a polished lip to set it off.