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With rumors of an impending Imperial finally confirmed, DCX President Dieter Juergen Schrempp (see photo) had only one comment for the press at the 2005 Detroit Car Show,
"Wird die Jahreszeit von ihrem Bedauern sein. Mein Vater hat den
Tiger & Leopardentanks entworfen, die das Schlachtfeld beherrscht
haben. Das Kaiserliche wird nein verschieden sein."
(Roughly translated:"Twill be the season of their much regret")
With Lincoln and even Cadillac executives cowering in Cobo Hall's mens rooms with be-sotted trousers, even the Toyota salesman had a good laugh until, they too realized, Lexus was now fully targetted by Chrysler's 'big guns" - namely a detuned version of the Viper V-10 motor complete with MDS and dual-supercharging systems. "Surely, our bland styling cues coupled with buttery-soft leather & wood interiors will convince the average American consumer to buy Japanese, no?"
Judging by the initial internet buzz and industrial reaction however,
it looks to be another gang-buster hit for Team Chrysler. Mounted on last years S600 chassis complete with Magnetride suspension engineering licensed from GM (selling anything to keep boat afloat), and styled by Bill Herlitz of Chronos fame, the new Imperial will also benefit from ostrich-skinned interiors coupled with an Italianate granite flooring system (honeycombed for weight reduction). 8-caliper Brembo brakes upfront will keep things under control even as the Bang & Olufsen sound system and 6 built in 10 inch screens entertain the lucky few on board.
With a reported wheelbase of over 130", no production car is likely to come close in ride quality, and moreover, provide that ultimate "bling" factor to which consumers cannot resist. "More over Bentley, the King of the Hill is back." reportedly said Levi Goldberg, owner of DCX largest chain of car dealers, "We expect lines around the block, even before we have a single car to sell."
With an anticipated base price of $75,000 such sales predictions remain questionable, but stand to reason given the continuing success of the 300C.
Notably, the former head of Chrysler North America, Dieter Zeitsche, sent his regards and some tips for its new head Tom Lasorda on how to celebrate his impending sales conquests.
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