What Is It?
Chrysler Imperial Concept
What's Special About It?
We thought the Chrysler Imperial concept looked pretty interesting all by itself, but Chrysler trotted out Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria just to make sure everyone was paying attention. After throwing a few lame jokes back and forth with the Chrysler suits, she finished up by saying, "The only thing I'm desperate for now is an Imperial of my own." We desperately wanted the skit to end.
Inspired by various Imperials from Chrysler's past along with a few design concepts from the '50s and '60s, this concept was an experiment to see how far upscale Chrysler could push into the luxury sedan market.
Although it's built on the same platform as the current 300, the Hemi-powered Imperial is 17 inches longer and sits 6 inches higher. Design director Brandon Faurote said the taller stance not only gives the Imperial a more imposing look, it makes it easier to get into. "Today's luxury buyers are used to sitting up high in SUVs," he said. "This gives them the same commanding view of the road in a more traditional luxury vehicle."
It's hard to look at the Imperial and not be reminded of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Faurote says he doesn't mind comparisons with the $360,000 Rolls, "but the Imperial has softer exterior shapes compared to the Phantom's long straight lines. The suicide doors are the same but we did that to show off the interior more than anything else."
Look closely at the front end and you'll notice the Imperial's pedestal headlights, a trademark design cue found on the Imperials of the early '60s. "We wanted to add details that looked hand-built," explained Michael Nicholas, who drew the exterior of the car. "The lights are too intricate to be added on a normal assembly line, yet we tucked them in enough to keep the overall shape smooth up front."
Product designer Nick Malachowski was given the assignment to shape the Imperial's interior barely a year into his first job with Chrysler. We were surprised to see that the young designer didn't go for an over-the-top look like most modern concepts. Instead, Malachowski used a matte finish for the extensive wood trim and went easy on the brightwork. "When it comes to chrome, holding back can be a good thing," he said. The matte wood not only has less flash it better reflects the ambient lighting that's tucked behind many of the trim pieces.
What's Edmunds' Take?
We don't love the way the Imperial looks, but we'll give the designers credit for incorporating retro design into a car that's more than just a modern version of the original. — Ed Hellwig
Chrysler Imperial Concept
What's Special About It?
We thought the Chrysler Imperial concept looked pretty interesting all by itself, but Chrysler trotted out Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria just to make sure everyone was paying attention. After throwing a few lame jokes back and forth with the Chrysler suits, she finished up by saying, "The only thing I'm desperate for now is an Imperial of my own." We desperately wanted the skit to end.
Inspired by various Imperials from Chrysler's past along with a few design concepts from the '50s and '60s, this concept was an experiment to see how far upscale Chrysler could push into the luxury sedan market.
Although it's built on the same platform as the current 300, the Hemi-powered Imperial is 17 inches longer and sits 6 inches higher. Design director Brandon Faurote said the taller stance not only gives the Imperial a more imposing look, it makes it easier to get into. "Today's luxury buyers are used to sitting up high in SUVs," he said. "This gives them the same commanding view of the road in a more traditional luxury vehicle."
It's hard to look at the Imperial and not be reminded of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Faurote says he doesn't mind comparisons with the $360,000 Rolls, "but the Imperial has softer exterior shapes compared to the Phantom's long straight lines. The suicide doors are the same but we did that to show off the interior more than anything else."
Look closely at the front end and you'll notice the Imperial's pedestal headlights, a trademark design cue found on the Imperials of the early '60s. "We wanted to add details that looked hand-built," explained Michael Nicholas, who drew the exterior of the car. "The lights are too intricate to be added on a normal assembly line, yet we tucked them in enough to keep the overall shape smooth up front."
Product designer Nick Malachowski was given the assignment to shape the Imperial's interior barely a year into his first job with Chrysler. We were surprised to see that the young designer didn't go for an over-the-top look like most modern concepts. Instead, Malachowski used a matte finish for the extensive wood trim and went easy on the brightwork. "When it comes to chrome, holding back can be a good thing," he said. The matte wood not only has less flash it better reflects the ambient lighting that's tucked behind many of the trim pieces.
What's Edmunds' Take?
We don't love the way the Imperial looks, but we'll give the designers credit for incorporating retro design into a car that's more than just a modern version of the original. — Ed Hellwig
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