Like most of the abovementioned rivals, the Crossfire comes with a folding fabric roof, rather than a clever retracting metal hard top. Developed by convertible specialists Karmann, this roof is part of the strategy to differentiate between Chrysler and Mercedes products in the DaimlerChrysler family - as the SLK gets the coupe-convertible, the cheaper Crossfire has to stick with a rather old-tech, single-layered canvas cover, which takes 22 seconds to fold away. This roof has a glass rear screen, but no inner headlining, with exposed metal bars above the occupants' heads and visible 'spines' on the outside. It's not the most impressive of set-ups, and allows for intrusive wind and engine noise.
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| 'The real deal' of open-top motoring |
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Not that this is a huge failing as such: the sporty exhausts sound great, and with the roof down, the Crossfire provides a proper wind-in-the-hair ride, not overly cosseting like some of its rivals, which can feel as if they have little more than a lengthened sunroof. Full wind deflectors and neck-level heating? Forget it - this is nearer to the real deal, as open-top motoring goes.
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To get the full sports roadster experience, opt for the manual. Traditionally, Mercedes' auto 'boxes have been the preferred choice, with good reason, but the six-speed manual has been much improved lately and whilst it's still not the slickest-shifting transmission around, it works to good advantage with the V6. The auto, by contrast, is slow to respond, giving a much more laid-back drive in relaxed circumstances and proving frustrating if you want to push on, even when self-selecting the five sequential-shift ratios. The character of the car is entirely different with the manual - it does feel like a credible (European) sports car, thanks to the taut suspension, rigid bodyshell and accurate steering. This all bodes well for the upcoming high-performance SRT-6 (coupe) version, which promises to be most entertaining.
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| Over 62mph, wing flips up |
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Thing is, if buyers want a roadster that drives like a German car, there's plenty of choice out there that
is German: the hugely popular TT, the more controversial Z4 or the all-new SLK, not to mention the ever-superb Boxster, and all of these will be little more expensive. Crossfire Roadster buyers are more likely to be attracted by its image - which conversely, could mean that it gets dismissed by others as a case of style over substance. This is a shame, because it does have more to offer, and it makes a more convincing case for itself than the coupe version. Roll on the SRT-6, too, which should support that case and put a bit more traditional American muscle car back into this mid-Atlantic hybrid.
