2008 Chrysler Firepower

This concept drapes a curvaceous new body over a Viper chassis. In place of the Viper's V-10, the Firepower slots in the new 6.1-liter Hemi (from the 300C SRT8) under its grooved hood and mates it to an automatic transmission. The design is the work of Brian Nielander, who penned last year's ME Four-Twelve, and similarities can be seen in the front end and in the use of tiny, torpedo-shaped LEDs. From the side, the look recalls current Aston Martins, and the fastback features a rear hatch. A glass roof lets light into the gorgeous, chrome-drenched interior, which provides cozy accommodations for two. Brembo brakes peek through nineteen-inch wheels at the front (wrapped in 275/35-series tires) and twenties at the rear (with even more extreme 335/30-series rubber). The anemic sales of Chrysler's Crossfire would seem to doom production prospects for another high-performance, two-seat coupe, but the company's need to fill its underutilized Conner Avenue Viper assembly plant might give the Firepower a chance. If so, the car will likely get a new moniker, as the Firepower name belongs to Exide batteries.

Recently spotted Dodge Viper prototypes with huge hood vents could be test mules for the Chrysler Firepower. The 2005 Firepower concept was built on the Viper chassis. If the car bows in 2007, it could be renamed, as Exide.