The Chrysler Firepower Concept, a Luxury Viper and a Corvette Rival

So the Corvette has always been popular - you guys know that. Even before the mid-engined madness, it offered a very affordable sports car blend, and Chrysler always wanted a slice of that pie. They had the Viper, of course, but needed something that could make more profits.

The Firepower concept came out in 2005 at the New York Auto Show, and we think it looks fantastic even today. In terms of design, it was an evolution of the styling from the Crossfire, which probably wasn't a bad idea.

It was supposed to cost an estimated $60,000 and sell about 40,000 per year, which seems excessively ambitious. However, between 2005 and 2007, the young (then) C6 Corvette averaged about 35,000 sales per year, so it was all feasible.

The outer skin of the car looks just like a cross between a Corvette and Chrysler's 300 sedan. You have the bright chrome and silver paint, which Chrysler was known for at the time.

Its interior was just as nice, combining two-tone leather with chrome. The Firepower was supposed to blend performance and elegance. But the flaws begin to appear once you look beneath the skin.

Chrysler was one of the biggest brands in the world, but its engineering was quite lazy at the time. They liked to re-use existing parts and engines over and over against in order to increase profits. The concept was based on a stock Viper chassis, keeping the existing suspension, axle, and fuel system. However, under the hood, you only found the 6.1-liter Hemi engine from the 300 SRT8, making 425 horsepower for a 0 to 60 in about 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 175 mph.

For the record, the stock Corvette's 6-liter LS2 made 400 hp. But it was light and agile with a 4.2-seconds 0-60 mph time and 186 mph top speed.