Will there be any other colors? How about test drives?

[marlinspike]

Hello,
My dad is looking to get an SRT-8, but there are two things: 1 - is there word on the street that more colors may be made available in the future? Silver is...well we have a silver car and it's always clean, but it's also always kinda like a black and white movie. Black looks mean, but it would always be dirty. My car is a deep blue (1985 MB 380SE, which I can say here without a bashing what with it being DaimlerChrysler now) and it gets dirty more than our silver car, but it's not so bad to be a PITA, and it loooks really good, so I think Chrysler should bring out the SRT-8 in the blue too.

Also, will dealers have them for test driving in the near future? My dad doesn't buy a car he can't test drive.
Thanks,
Richard

[TheSRTSaint]

Originally Posted by marlinspike

Hello,
My dad is looking to get an SRT-8, but there are two things: 1 - is there word on the street that more colors may be made available in the future? Silver is...well we have a silver car and it's always clean, but it's also always kinda like a black and white movie. Black looks mean, but it would always be dirty. My car is a deep blue (1985 MB 380SE, which I can say here without a bashing what with it being DaimlerChrysler now) and it gets dirty more than our silver car, but it's not so bad to be a PITA, and it loooks really good, so I think Chrysler should bring out the SRT-8 in the blue too.

Also, will dealers have them for test driving in the near future? My dad doesn't buy a car he can't test drive.
Thanks,
Richard

No and No

[Dr Speed]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!
At this point in time, there are only three colors available for order on the SRT-8: Black, Silver, and Silver Steel (a new color which I have not seen-check with your local dealer for a color sample). From what we have been told here on the forum, these are probably it for the 2006 model year.
As far as test drives go, it is very unlikely that you would find a dealer willing to let you drive one. The great majority of these cars are already sold or on order for a customer and most of us with an order in have told our dealers NOT to allow anyone to drive our cars (in order to avoid improper break-in). So, unless you put in an order and put a deposit down, the only way to test drive one would be to find a dealer with a car in the showroom (very rare!) and show up prepared to buy!

[marlinspike]

I really don't understand the limited colors thing. It was a mistake for the old impala and it's a mistake for this and the charger (especially the charger where the daytona r/t gets all the cool colors and the srt-8 version gets none). My dad still likes silver on black though, so maybe he'll go for that. Do you think there will be any test drives for '07 models? I don't understand why Chrysler is treating a $42,000 car like it's a lambo. I mean our last car cost $55k and we test drove it without the dealer guy even coming with us. Chrysler should do what BMW did: give every dealer 1 SRT-8 (BMW did this with the new M3) and make them sign a contract that they are not allowed to sell it and it is just for test driving purposes.

[marlinspike]

Oh, and does anybody know what happened to the build your own srt-8 thing that used to be on the chrysler website? I can't find it any more. Oh, and thanks Doc for the welcome.

[E55 KEV]

A limited production car like a SRT-8 is going to be hard to find and even harder to test drive. If you find a dealer with one that is not already sold it will remain in the showroom until it is sold and probably not be allow to be test driven.

The very first year for the E55 AMG (1999) it was only available in Black, Obsidian Black, Silver and White.

[marlinspike]

I hear you, but at the same time I can go down to Ferrari of Washington and test drive a modena as long as I'm fairly serious about buying, without having to order it or actually buy it? I guess I'm just bitter about the whole thing cause I really want one, but I'm just a college kid so I can't afford one; however, my dad wants one, can afford one, but doesn't like the way Chrysler is handling this (i.e. limited colors, limited availability, charging MSRP - and trying higher "we've been getting $10,000 over sticker on these" "ok, that's my queue to leave" "But for YOU, if you ordered one we'd just charge MSRP"), so he might not get one.

[300CUL8R]

You need to spend some time on the site to get your bearings. I highly doubt that your local Ferrari dealer will let you sit in a new Modena, no less drive one without some proof that you are a potential buyer. The reason you can't drive an '8' is because nobody has them on the lot long enough and if they're are any then they are spoken for. As for Chrysler's handling of the situtation...quite simply they can do whatever they want on this model. It keeps getting rave reviews from EVERY automobile publication and it is quite a value even with a markup.

Rest assured your Dad will not be disappointed with the car. Believe me.

[rt4]

There are a few more realistic buyers for the SRT8 than a Ferrari.....so demand outstrips supply. I think the SRT8 is closer to an F50 than a dime-a-dozen Modena. Even if he orders a car, and it comes in and he drives it and doesn't want it, he can still back out (not like he would, but still).
If he really wants to see/feel/touch the car before making a decision, may I suggest a 300C?
RT

[marlinspike]

Originally Posted by 300CUL8R

I highly doubt that your local Ferrari dealer will let you sit in a new Modena, no less drive one without some proof that you are a potential buyer. The reason you can't drive an '8' is because nobody has them on the lot long enough and if they're are any then they are spoken for. As for Chrysler's handling of the situtation...quite simply they can do whatever they want on this model. It keeps getting rave reviews from EVERY automobile publication and it is quite a value even with a markup.

I can go down by myself and sit in and look at any Ferrari at Ferrari of Washington, be it a Modena, F40, F50 (they haven't had any Enzo's, though Enzo's were way tooo limited production so that's why), whatever, and when my dad was seriously considering buying one, they let him test drive without putting any money down or signing anything. I realize Chrysler can get away with anything on the SRT-8, but this recent boom in "I'm sorry sir, that car can't be test driven" that we see with so many cars today (BMW M5, early Benz E55's, CTS-V - though Caddy lets you do a short drive without putting down money - BMW Z8, SRT-8) is a turn off to my dad, and I'm guessing everybody like him (i.e. people who have been buying nice cars for a long time, and are used to doing it without paying a markup and with a lengthy test drive).