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Chrysler Imperial Concept First Drive
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TO THE POINT
What’s New? Take one Chrysler 300C, stretch the wheelbase, add a body nearly the size of a Rolls-Royce Phantom, and decorate with the more tasteful design details of an era gone by. Voila! The Chrysler Imperial Concept.
Selling Points: Knock-off Rolls-Royce styling, huge interior, impressive powertrain, beautiful wheels
Deal Breakers: Imperials have traditionally been ugly and the tradition continues, scalp-searing bronze-tinted glass roof, likely to guzzle fuel like Sinatra did martinis, awkward reverse-hinged rear doors
Our Advice: Chrysler needs to be careful here. Luxury car buyers want brand prestige, and this winged logo is far from another winged logo out of Crewe, England. The Imperial’s strongest asset is that it looks like a Rolls-Royce Phantom, but it needs to drive well, too.
MEET THE COMPETITION
Cadillac DTS
Jaguar XJ
RELATED LINKS
Chrysler 300 SRT-8 Quick Spin
Chrysler Imperial Car Brief
Dodge Challenger First Drive
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Test Vehicle: Chrysler Imperial Concept
Price of Test Vehicle: Like an experience charged to your MasterCard, priceless
Engine Size and Type: 5.7-liter V8
Engine Horsepower: 340 horsepower
Engine Torque: 390 lb.-ft. of torque
Transmission: Five-speed automatic with AutoStick manual shift feature
Observed Fuel Economy: Better than a Freightliner, worse than a Prius
Length: 214.1 inches
Width: 76.1 inches
Wheelbase: 122.9 inches
Height: 63.6 inches
Max. Seating Capacity: Four
Competitors: Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Cadillac DTS, Infiniti Q45, Jaguar XJ, Kia Amanti (ha!), Lexus LS, Lincoln Town Car, Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Photos by Ron Perry
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About Christian Wardlaw
Christian Wardlaw joined Autobytel's Automotive Information Center (AIC) in January 2003, and current serves as Manager of Content Development for Autobytel. Previously, Christian spent eight years as Editor-in-Chief and Director of Automotive Data for Edmunds.com. A writer, editor, and automobile aficionado, Christian is a different sort of car enthusiast. His passion lies in the vehicles that people most often buy, rather than with high-performance sports cars or ultra-luxury sedans. “Given the choice to spend an hour with a Dodge Viper or a Honda Accord, I’ll choose the Accord,” he claims. Unless, of course, the driving venue is a racetrack. Christian has been a car enthusiast all of his life, uttering “car” as his first word while growing up in Detroit. A graduate of Western Michigan University, he holds a bachelor’s degree in English. His daily drivers include a 1994 Mazda Miata, a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata, and a 2005 Nissan Murano.
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