2001 Chrysler Sebring Coupe Photos, engines & full specs

The Sebring Coupe came in an era when Chrysler and Mitsubishi shared platforms and engines, and surprisingly, this model was more related to the Eclipse than to the four-door Sebring in terms of engineering.

While the sedan and convertible versions of the Sebring were based on the Chrysler JR platform, the coupe version shared its underpinnings with the Mitsubishi Eclipse. It was an unusual decision that paid back for the American automaker who learned from the Japanese automaker’s mistakes when it created this version of the Sebring.

The 2001 Sebring Coupe came as an affordable real four-seater coupe that young families or teenagers could use daily. Probably, it didn’t have the same dramatic sporty look as the Eclipse, but it was similar in performance and better in interior assessment. Furthermore, the longer wheelbase favored comfort.

In the 2000s, Chrysler’s design department was led by Thomas C. Gale, who was also responsible for the Sebring Coupe project. He and his team created a front fascia similar to the one installed on the sedan version, with organic-shaped headlights that combined the high and low beams and the turn signals under the same piece of rounded-shaped glass.

There was no upper grille above the bumper, only a lower one placed in the apron that also contained the optional fog lights and a pair of decorative side scoops. From its profile, the greenhouse was penned in a cab-forward styling, sporting rounded lines and generous window areas. Furthermore, there were no window frames for the doors, making the car look even sportier.

Finally, at the back, the short deck had a design that resembled the Chrysler 300M sedan, with its corner-mounted taillights and the recessed trunk lid on the rear fascia. The bumper was neatly integrated into the car’s shape and sported the fog and the reversing lamps.

Inside, at the front, Chrysler installed comfortable bucket seats, which, depending on the trim level, were covered in fabric or leather, while in the back, the automaker added a 60/40 split-folding bench seat. Fronting the driver was an instrument cluster that revealed recessed dials for the fuel level and the coolant temperature and large ones in the middle for the speedometer and the rev counter.

On the center stack, Chrysler added its CD stereo with an option for an in-dash 4 CD magazine and a three-way equalizer that enchanted its customers with a seven-speaker sound system. Underneath it, but still higher than in an Eclipse, the Sebring Coupe sported the HVAC controls.

Under the hood, Chrysler installed the same powerplants that moved the Eclipse. Customers could get the car with either a 2.4-liter or a 3.0-liter 24-valve, both featuring single-overhead camshafts (SOHC) paired with a standard five-speed manual or an optional four-speed automatic. The latter was also available with a manual function. Power went to the front wheels. For stopping, the Sebring Coupe had the same four-disc anti-lock braking system, which was not available on any cars back in 2001.