A WOW car at a wow price - that's Chrysler's slice of pure-bred American beef, the Crossfire.

The coupe's lines are as fluid as the bad guy in Terminator 2, yet it ripples with the same awesome muscle as that film's star, Arnie Schwarzenegger.

You can buy more powerful cars. You can buy quicker cars. But you cannot buy a car with top-shelf looks at a bottom-shelf bargain price like the Chrysler.

Please do not mistake value for cheap, because this slick, sophisticated roadster is built to a high standard, and has one of the most meticulous interiors ever seen in the two-seater market.

If you want a price and power comparison with a quality two-seater rival, the obvious benchmark is German favourite, the Porsche.

Put the Chrysler up against a Porsche of similar size - the 3.2-litre Boxster, for instance - and the German will incur a £10,000 price penalty, higher insurance and fuel costs, yet it performs only marginally better, and does not look as good.

On paper, the Crossfire has the perfect sporting blueprint. Six cylinders, the minimum number needed to deliver a good coupe punch, are in there, and the rear-wheel drive configuration lets you corner according to personal nerve strength.

If your nerve fails you on the limit, there is electronic stability, traction control, and some awesome all-wheel, anti-lock stopping power to calm things down.

Maximum power of 215bhp is delivered at only 5,700rpm, and electronically limited to 6,000rpm, so no need to lean heavily on the throttle pedal to stoke up the under-bonnet juices.

Engine response is so quick that it makes the five-speed automatic the more worthwhile option, allowing the driver to savour the ride and the bends, rather than constantly working through the closely-gated gears on the six-speed manual transmission.

An automatic gearbox adds £1,240 to the Crossfire's price - but that £28,520 total is still very, very cheap in the muscle motor class.

The 3199cc engine strikes a reasonably refined note at high speeds, but it certainly has a rougher edge to it lower down the rev counter - if the looks don't draw attention, the menacing growl from under the bonnet certainly will.

Taking it from growl to roar, or 0 to 62mph, takes 6.5 seconds, and if you ever happen upon an autobahn, then 155mph is the top limit. To keep those four big tyres on the ground at foreign motorway limits, an automatic rear spoiler raises up from the boot lid as speed increases, or you can switch that over to manual operation.

Chrysler have done their on-road homework: the coupe does not lose a millimetre of grip when driven hard, the power steering is beautifully weighted, and at all times it feels immensely stable.

Driving around town, the mpg is only 18.3, but that more than doubles on the country cycle, to 37.2mpg.

That is a typical economy trait of many serious sports cars of six and eight cylinders; they really soak up the juice on stop-start trips, while returning twice the mpg on longer drives.

While the Crossfire is designed to live dangerously, it has one of the best sporting safety packages on the market. Six airbags, state of the art four-wheel anti-lock brakes, and deformable roof lining all work to protect cabin occupants.

For a small, twin cockpit-style cabin, there's lots of equipment. Cruise control, air conditioning, air filtering, a six-speaker sound system, electric windows and heated and power-adjustable leather seating are the main standard items, alongside tinted glass, courtesy-delay headlamps, fog lamps, remote central locking, and heated, electric wing mirrors.

The small boot is of a useful size - 215 litres - and even the tyre kit has an air compressor and puncture sealant to keep you on the move.

Finally, if you prefer to turn heads with the top down, then go for the £27,995 Crossfire Roadster. It's a stunner, and, on looks alone, is destined to become a classic.

Details at a glance:

Chrysler Crossfire £27,280. Automatic, £28,520; Roadster convertible £27,995.

Bodyshell/drivetrain: 4.06m by 1.76m (including mirrors), two-door roadster; 3199cc, 215bhp six-cylinder engine, driving rear wheels through six-speed manual gearbox.

Company car tax liability: 256g/km C02 emissions (35 per cent of cost of car when new, taxed).

Performance/economy: 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds.

Official fuel figures: city 18.3mpg, country 37.2mpg, combined 27.2mpg.

Fuel tank: 60 litres.

Insurance group: 15.

Warranty: three years/unlimited mileage.

Updated: 12:17 Friday, December 03, 2004