Call this sleek dark-silver winged coupe a melding of Mercedes muscle and Chrysler cool.

American designers created the first version of the Art Deco-inspired Chrysler Crossfire a year ago, giving it a slick long-nose, boat-tail shape to compete with Germany's Audi TT, Nissan 350Z and Infiniti G35 coupes, as well as the Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4 roadster and Lexus SC430 convertibles. Its slick shape uses the platform and 215-hp, 3.2-liter V-6 Mercedes-Benz donated from its pre-2005 model SLK hardtop convertible, itself a competitor.

The result was a slick shape with German engineering and handling underneath connected to rear-wheel-drive. But some looked longingly at another Mercedes-Benz -- the 2004 SLK32 AMG with supercharged 349-hp V-6 -- and wondered if that could be put under the sexy Crossfire. DaimlerChrysler has answered that question with the 2005 Crossfire SRT-6.

Along with a supercharged 330-hp (a bit less than the SLK32, alas), the über-Crossfire becomes the first Chrysler to get modified by its Street and Racing Technology Division, which developed the 230-hp Neon SRT-4, 500-hp Viper SRT-10 and 500-hp Ram SRT-10.

Chrysler spokesman Scott Brown said they allowed the SRT gang to cross division lines "because we could."

"It brings the brands together, and it is the performance brand for the Chrysler group," Brown said. "We were a small company with some enthusiasts working on the Viper -- it all started with the Viper. And we had to give them something else to do. We are a small, nimble group of enthusiasts, so we said, 'Let's take this up a notch and appeal to enthusiast.'"

Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz merged to form DaimlerChrysler in 1998, and many hoped there would be a marriage of Mercedes engineering and U.S. style. We saw some Mercedes engineering and suspension bits in the Chrysler Pacifica and 300C sedan. But the first real marriage was the 2004 Chrysler Crossfire, with almost 40 percent of its bits directly from Benz's last-generation SLK320 compact convertible including engine, transmissions, seat frames, steering column and electronics. Now comes the SRT-6 and a convertible version of both, all built at the Karmann coach-builder factory in Osnabruck.

The Crossfire was born as a 2001 North American International Auto Show concept, penned by 25-year-old Erik Stoddard in homage to New York City's Art Deco masterpiece, the Chrysler Building. The SRT-6 just spices the base production version up a bit. The chrome-striped egg-crate grille is there, flanked by big quad headlights. The SRT-6 adds an aggressive front air dam under the lower inlet. The hood's six strakes parallel a raised center spine. The flared front fenders get a line streaking off the top that slides aft, the character line under it inverting as it becomes the edge of the rear fender's rounded hips, while the chiseled fender flanks get non-functional side vents with alloy accents. The alloy-look windshield frame meshes nicely with the car's Sapphire Silver metallic paint, while the roof quickly drops into a fastback boat-tail that still reminds me of a 1960s' Rambler Marlin fastback, its rear window/hatch narrowing as two huge taillights flow down rear fenders. Instead of a power pop-up spoiler on the base Crossfire, the SRT-6 gets a wide fixed wing with design strakes like the hood. The whole thing sits on high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport tires -- P225/40 ZR-18-inchers in front, and P255/35 ZR-19-inchers in back, on SRT-6-only, 15-spoke aluminum alloy wheels.

The Crossfire gets looks. The SRT-6, with its rear wing, front air dam and sexier wheels, was followed by some drivers, who thumbs-upped it and whistled. Our son said it "looks like a concept car," while a safety patrol member at his school exclaimed, "Oh, that is so cool." A friend called it "pretty. That will be my next car," although some said it didn't need the wing. Not a car for the shy.

Just past the long doors lies a snug interior for two, with visible last-generation SLK bits in here.

The seating position is low, my shoulders level with the door top, the rear window a narrow tunnel that restricts rearward view with the big wing. The high-back leather and suede sports seats are an SRT-6 exclusive, with eight-way power adjustment for the driver, and six-way for the passenger. They are very firm with good side bolstering, but almost too firm and with no adjustable lumbar. The four-spoke leather and alloy steering wheel has a fat, leather-trimmed rim, but only telescopes.

The SLK-derived gauge package gets buff silver trim rings and red needles in the 200-mph speedometer (40 higher than the base Crossfire), 7,000-rpm tach and gas and temperature gauges. The dark gray interior is dominated by the alloy-look plastic center console, which looks a wee bit tacky amid the leather-grained padded vinyl dash top and hard plastic dash facing. A good six-speaker, 240-watt Infinity AM-FM-CD sound system with satellite navigation system displayed off a small LCD display sits under squared-off center vents. We couldn't tell if that LCD screen size would be easy to read, since there was no navigation CD. And the stereo has tiny buttons, just like the Benz that birthed it. Under that, more Benz-like controls for seat heaters, door locks and traction control, as well as the power-mirror switch that matches that in the SLK. Overhead, map lights and a HomeLink garage door transmitter. A flip-up can holder sits behind the buff alloy-colored plastic gearshift.

Storage room is limited in the cockpit, where my hair almost brushed the headliner. A hard plastic door aft of the cup holder covers a deep center storage area, while the glove box behind the hard plastic door is deep and useful. Behind the tall bulkhead behind the seats is a small but deep cargo area under a narrow rear hatch. Along with front and side air bags, there is an air bag shut-off when kids occupy the passenger seat. The car's structure was stiff and rattle-free, since the platform is from the already stiffened Benz SLK320 convertible.

On the road, the Crossfire SRT-6 feels a lot more muscular and sporty than the base model, 1.1 seconds faster than the base car's 0-60-mph time of 6.5 seconds, thanks to 115 more supercharged ponies. The SRT-6 launches with no wheelspin off the line in the dry, the dual exhausts offering a hearty whuffling rumble that was just macho enough. And passing is just a matter of tapping the pedal, and you are gone. No manual is offered like on the base version, but the SRT-6's five-speed automatic will hold a gear if it senses you want to play, at 14-mpg on average.

The rear-wheel drive car has an independent double wishbone front suspension with coil springs and gas-charged shocks, while an independent five-link suspension with coil springs and gas-charged shocks works the rear. Chrysler modified the suspension to work great on smooth roads, with ride motions firm and tightly controlled and almost no body lean as it carves into turns like a Corvette. The standard Electronic Stability Program keeps the rear end planted in vigorous turns, and the slightly overboosted-yet-direct steering helps point it wherever you want. But unless the road is very smooth, the Crossfire SRT-6's rear end hit its rebound point harshly when the tires dipped into a hole. The standard Benz anti-lock brakes with brake assist had a solid, progressive feel and did the job superbly time and time again without any fade.

Our Crossfire SRT-6 came with almost everything we mentioned above standard for ,828. Add the optional (,200) stereo navigation system and a destination fee, and the manufacturer's suggested retail price was ,895.

Bottom line -- if the base Chrysler Crossfire is a practical toy for two people who want a lot of classic style and some substance, then the Crossfire SRT-6 is just as practical and just a bit more stylish, unless wings aren't your thing. And the supercharged V-6 offers huge gobs of V-8-like power with a great whuffling engine roar, while it all feels like an import sports coupe, which it sort of is.