Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Supercars, Chrysler, LLC., Daimler
Chrysler Firepower shot down by management
The Chrysler Group's less than stellar performance in 2006 has led to the official decision by management not to produce the Firepower Concept that debuted at the 2005 North American International Auto Show. The Firepower was designed from the ground up, sharing only its 6.1L Hemi V8 with other vehicles in Chrysler's lineup. In order to make a production version that could even hope to return a profit, the automaker would have to build it alongside the Dodge Viper at its Conner Ave. assembly plant in Detroit and charge a price similar to the Viper's $80k+ MSRP. Apparently the business case for such a vehicle just isn't there.
We love Chrysler concepts for the simple fact that each one is produced with just enough production intent to take it seriously should public reaction be favorable. Hell, even the ME412 supercar was on the table for a bit. The Firepower did wow the crowds, but in Chrysler's current state, a high-horsepower halo vehicle isn't going to keep the lights on in the years to come. In addition to the Firepower, Chrysler has also officially decided not to produce the Jeep Gladiator pickup concept that debuted in 2005 at the Detroit show, and is still considering the possibility of production for the Imperial Concept that debuted last year. Our advice? Pass on the Imperial and wait to see how the public reacts to the '07 concepts.
[Source: Wards Auto]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
christopheredward 6:22PM (12/19/2006)
Brilliant strategy. Don't push the beautiful concept cars into production. Just keep producing the same ugly-assed cars that are clogging the lots in dealerships, like the Sebring or the Jeep Compass.
Is DaimlerChrysler trying to put themselves under?
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Matt Angry 6:35PM (12/19/2006)
Sad day. As a Chrysler employee, I was really hoping this one made it!
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fizzandpop 6:43PM (12/19/2006)
Obviously the right thing to do. Having two halo cars is completely batshit. Now go away and make your bread and butter vehicles work better. You're a bit patchy right now.
Sebring—Crazily confused and ultimately blah.
Charger—Excellent, except I saw one the other day and it had cutouts for twin exhausts, but only one pipe. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
300C—Gets better and better, you'll be making them for twenty years.
Magnum—Brilliant, but seems to have lost a bit of its appeal, can't think why.
Caliber—I defy anyone to stand up and say that it's not exactly what people want right now
Jeep—All the Jeep models are pretty stupid really. Can't imagine why you killed the Cherokee.
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ron 7:11PM (12/19/2006)
they killed this, no wonder they are not profitable
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felonious monk 7:35PM (12/19/2006)
The problem here isn't DC's failure to push beautiful concepts to production. The problem is their failure to push beautiful, desirable and affordable concepts to production.
In my eyes the Firepower (dumb name) is only so-so overall, but nice for a DC. Even if it does get produced, it'd be just another niche vehicle that most of us will not consider buying due to price. Making the production run a pointless exercise.
DC could've put effort towards producing a affordable and desirable vehicle. But, they chose to put money towards boring and unattractive vehicles (Caliber) or ones that dillute their brands (Compass). A halo vehicle doesn't have to cost a lot. It just has to be desirable and accessible (Sky, Solstice, and finally what their own Razor could have been).
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fizzandpop 7:42PM (12/19/2006)
Did everyone go to the bizarro school of economics? This is an $80K Chrysler! It is so pointless on so many levels. Let me see, DCX already make the Viper. DCX already make by far the widest range of sub $100K two seaters, coupes, and ragtops. I think they've already got the CEO and local-boy-made-good market well and truly covered.
Hey boys, let's add yet another V8 two-seater to the market and canibalize our own sales! Let's do it with a brand that isn't credible in this market so we'll have to spend way more on marketing just to make people realize the car actually exists. Let's send our new $100K customers to Chrysler dealers where they can rub shoulders with the minivan crowd.
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Jason 7:57PM (12/19/2006)
Fizzandpop, I just want to add a little/debate your opinions on the list:
Sebring: looks alright, probably drives like every other car from DaimlerChrysler (like sh*t)
Charger: Good looking, WAYYYY too heavy, needs a manual
300C: drives HORRIBLY. I drove it a couple times and if you need to push the car anywhere close to the limits (and i really wasn't) it completely washes out. needs to lose 500 pounds, have a better suspension, better tires, pedal feeling would be great, etc.
Magnum: I also agree, great concept and utility, but again, needs to go on a diet, better suspension (throw the SRT-8 suspension on the normal version), pedal feeling doesnt exist, manual transmission needed.
Caliber: replacing a horrible cheap car with an even worse cheap car. Good job Dodge (obviously lots of sarcasm here). I could write at least a page about how much is wrong with that car.
Jeep: Good job killing an entire brand and replacing them with cr*p. Way to go...
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fizzandpop 8:23PM (12/19/2006)
#8 Yeah, I was trying to be overly nice about what they put out. If I had to, and if I'd driven more of their cars recently, I could poke a few more incisive holes in their products. However from the outside looking in, they do seem to have the most desirable line-up of the domestics. Car-for-car, they're generally on top in terms of magazine reviews and bar chat opinion. Anyone take an Impala over a Charger? A Five Hundred over a 300C? An Exlporer over an Aspen? Sorry scratch that last one.
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fizzandpop 8:32PM (12/19/2006)
Sorry this car is driving me nuts. I just read the other story about turning your Dodge Sprinter into a Mercedes for $300. Answer me this, if I pay you fifteen grand, will you put Chrysler badges on your new SL550? No I didn't think so.
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Chromacolor2 9:11PM (12/19/2006)
I'll do this without the adolescent comments on the rest of the line-up, from the 16-y/olds who get their knowledge from the magazines...
Number #6 is spot-on. I'll add that the business case for this car would be a lot better if the Viper was being built in relevant numbers... But its not, and that just makes the Chrysler version more expensive.
The end.
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ramsport47 9:36PM (12/19/2006)
"Sebring: looks alright, probably drives like every other car from DaimlerChrysler (like sh*t)"
Obviously you haven't read any of the reviews of the Sebring stating that it "drives and handles much better than expected"...I don't know you a**holes conclude that just because it's American (or Chrysler in particular) that it can't drive or handle well. I have a 2004 NeonSXT that will out handle MANY cars that are "performance" cars...and they all ask me at the next light what I've done to it. It's great to see thier face when I say..."Oh, It's bone stock...right off the showroom floor", and then leave them at the light when it turns green
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Frank 9:37PM (12/19/2006)
I think Chyrsler was right not to build this. It's beutiful but it has to make a profit and I don't think they would sell enough of them. Shame about the ME412 too... it would kick the Mercedes SLR's ass from here to Stutgart and back.
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Seto 10:18PM (12/19/2006)
what they do is right. they have the one-off success of the 300 but the rest that comes out lately seems rather mediocre. they should focus on making higher quality and affordable products first. sebring is better than the last but certainly not better than the rest. having a $80k halo car surely brings awareness of the brand but i am pretty sure a lot of people know about chrysler already. besides, if it ends up like the crossfire, then they might as well take it back.
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big jimmy 10:52PM (12/19/2006)
My biggest fear with the new DCX concept cars is they dont end up like the crossfire, a sales failure.
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Richard Warren 11:03PM (12/19/2006)
Mistake, BIG mistake.
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Bill Maher is an Idiot 12:48AM (12/20/2006)
Yeah, keep building the overpriced and bleak Viper. Does anyone actually buy the damn thing anymore? The Firepower should have been the Viper's successor. The SRT-10 is just dead in the water.
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JETSOLVER 1:10AM (12/20/2006)
The Firepower was good, not great. But the one that kills me over and over again, especially in light of the sales success of the Solstice and the coming of a Saturn(?) version, is if D-C had had the guts to push on with the Copperhead.
I wonder if they ever just sigh and wonder how close they came to greatness...or legend.
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PJ 3:17AM (12/20/2006)
I can understand lamenting the loss of a beautiful concept, but I personally doubt the Firepower! would have done anything to advance the Chrysler brand. It was essentially a chromed-up, Mercurized Viper. That's not going to do anything to help solidify the brand's image, especially since enthusiasts don't drop by Chrysler dealers to check out $80K track toys.
I suspected this at the time the Firepower! (don't forget the exclamation point in the official name) was announced, and now that I've driven some new-for-'07 DCX products, I'm sure of it: the money that went towards this project should have been allocated for the Sebring and Caliber. The former was redesigned to stay where it was: a superficially glitzy, "high-value" alternative to the class leaders. The latter betrays its strong basic platform with a rough, cheap interior, worst-in-class steering feel, and lukewarm performance that's conspicuously at odds with its marketing campaign. Neither was an earnest attempt at best-in-class; both are clearly intended to sell on image and gadgets (lighted cupholders, anyone?).
No offense, Ramsport47, but the reason the Sebring gets compliments like "better-than-expected handling" isn't because it handles particularly well... it's because Chrysler's recent mediocre performance in this market segment has created low expectations. The Saab 9-7X handled better than I expected, too, but that's not saying much. As for the Neon, I'll assume you're a much better-than-average driver, because the '04 SXT's performance and handling stats were very average even for the econocar class of '04: C&D published an 8.4 second 0-60 time (with manual), 0.77g on the skidpad, and 197 ft from 70-0.
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6 4:45AM (12/20/2006)
Some REAL advice for Chrysler? Stop being pussies and take a risk. You're not even considered a real American company (Big 2.5) and with this conservative crackpot shit, youll be making mediocre profits, if at all.
Whatever, I'd like to see Chrysler be the first to belly up.
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Jeff the Baptist 7:05AM (12/20/2006)
PJ has it right, "much better than expected" is writer slang for "we expected it to be total crap but it was actually pretty average." It's up there on the list of non-compliments with "very well spoken" and "you'll be lucky to get him to work for you."
"Caliber—I defy anyone to stand up and say that it's not exactly what people want right now" - Fizzandpop
*Stand up* It's not exactly what people want right now. *Sit down* Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week.
My wife and I had a Caliber rental for almost two weeks. The car is too heavy for a compact. The power band sucks, too high for the gearing and too narrow. It doesn't turn well. You can't see out of it. And while I didn't mind the styling, the rest of my family thought it was pug ugly.
If DCX wants a new concept I could get excited about, try a wrangler-based compact pickup. With higher gas prices, the compact truck segment should be a growth segment. The only compact competition is the Ford Ranger which is older than the hills, everything else has gone "midsize." Throw in some optional common-rail diesels on the Jeep line too.
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