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Text by Dubspeed Media Staff, Carl Modesette
Photos by Zerin Dube
We always look forward to Chrysler’s conferences, and their first of the show was certainly no disappointment. Charismatic Dieter Zetsche, head of DaimlerChrysler, made a quick appearance only to be upstaged by Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria. Depending on who you talk to, however, the most beautiful thing on Chrysler’s stage today might not have been wearing high heels and a stunning smile. The first of two concepts – both based on the same fundamental chassis and powertrain design – was the Chrysler Imperial. Finished in rich shades of chocolate brown accented by lighter creams, the Imperial was a stunning look at contemporary American luxury design. Imagine the design direction of the 300C with a healthy Rolls-Royce influence and you end up with a good idea of the size, shape, and class of the Imperial. Next up was the heavily-anticipated Dodge Challenger concept. Although the Challenger clearly embodies ‘60’s Mopar design cues, the general body outline looks more to me like an homage to all the best of the original pony cars. The classic Hemi-orange paint hearkens back to the glory days of Detroit muscle while the carbon-fiber accents drive the design concept forward to cutting edge technology and performance – performance indeed, with Dodge’s roaring 6.1-liter Hemi powerplant underhood.
