Aaron;
I've now managed 16,000km on it (8 weeks of ownership?). It's heading into the shop this weekend coming up for the scheduled maintenance. So far, the only thing "wrong" is a slight clatter from the front-end. Since it was a Winnipeg car, I'm willing to bet that the constant cheese-grater roads have probably boned a balljoint. It's still on warranty, though, so I don't really care. The front bumper is now evenly coated with a 50/50 mixture of stone chips and squashed bugs, so it's not quite as pretty...
340hp on this thing pulls it to 60mph at 7.2s from a dig, according to a borrowed g-tech... Given the size and weight of the car, it's actually a little bit frightening. My TDC fiero is much, MUCH quicker, but there is something a little disquieting about this heavy mofo when it's pulling... Feels unstoppable--and not in the good way
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/smile.gif)
Fortunately Chrysler put in massive 4-wheel disks... It's actually quite manageable. The previous owner gutted the exhaust on it. It's got an as-yet unidentified 2.5" mandrel-bent exhaust, with a single pair of resonators just beside the transmission, and straight back. It's relatively civilized in the car except for a drone on acceleration in the city, but I barely notice the engine at highway cruise. Blipping the throttle makes it bark like a rottweiler, though. I'd love to throw on a set of MOPAR headers for the sound--ricey, I know--but I really can't be arsed right now.
The long and short of it, though, is that I need the space, I need the size, and the fact that I can make a 6hr haul without needing so much as a yawn-break makes this--IMHO--the perfect car for what I'm doing. It's not the biggest, baddest car on the block(the guy 5 blocks north of me owns a late-90s Diablo VT), and I didn't buy it to be. But the pure fact remains that despite it being a heavy chunk of detroit iron, it handles and rides like a Mercedes.
Overall, I'm very impressed with the car. It's not a race car or a muscle car (though it sounds like one.) What it does exceptionally well is ride like a luxury touring car, handle like a Mercedes E-class, and have just enough testosterone to make passing not only easy, but enjoyable, too...
"Oh, this is too good. She thinks you're a servant... Cause you're black! This is greatest moment in my miserable life... Sooo-ey! I LOVE RACISM!"