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The Chronos is instantly recognizable, with the smooth, aerodynamic styling that somehow brings up some of the turbine cars yet is completely modern. Even without seeing it, you can hear that V-10 rumble blocks away, sounding much like the Tomahawk and Viper.

The interior is as elegant as the exterior, with an unusual leather color and very nice instrument panel and gauges. The expanses of patterned chrome are excessive but like the red interior of the Plymouth Pronto Spyder, are probably designed to "acid test" the material. The photos simply do not do it justice.

The Chronos is clearly a concept rather than a prototype. There are no outside door handles; when you press a key fob button, the doors open. The drivetrain has a limiter so that the V-10 sounds terrific but feels more like a Ford Escort towing a freight locomotive. Finally, the interior is quite small, not surprising given the likely influence of classic British sports cars. They, too, had very long bonnets and boots, with relatively small, wood-adorned cabins.

Like so many concepts, the Chronos looks much better in person, where the light chrome-bluish paint can be seen properly, and the curves and proportions can be admired without the flatness of a two-dimensional photograph. Design inspirations seem to include not just British sports cars, but three 1950s Chrysler concepts: the 1955 Falcon concept, 1953 Special, and 1953 Chrysler D'Elegance (Chrysler design studio chief Jack Crain credited the D'Elegance).

Some of the clever ideas include wheel emblems that are balanced to always stay upright, dual centered tailpipes, and a between-the-seats electronically-controlled humidor which is amusing coming from the first company to abolish ashtrays.

The Chronos tires are large, 20 and 21 inches. The 350-hp 6-liter single overhead cam V10 engine is not related in any way to the Viper V10; it's built from components of three 4.7 liter V8s. The suspension was largely borrowed from the Viper, though it was modified for the Chronos.

The interior is certainly more elegant than that of the Chrysler 300, not to mention many luxury cars. It simply looks like the flagship Chrysler. Perhaps some of the cues will be used on the upcoming stretch-LX.

Tom Gale wrote: "If you're going for the flagship of the Chrysler brand, and the Chrysler Chronos clearly is, then everything must add up. The look must fit. The quality must be appropriate. And the ride must be exhilarating. It has to totally quench the thirst for perfection."

When Daimler-Benz and Chrysler Corporation formed DaimlerChrysler, key executives within Chrysler (according to published sources) believed that the luxury cars should stay within Mercedes, and that Chrysler should concentrate on the Buick/Mercury level of the market - between Dodge and Mercedes, in essence. At the time, brand separation was very low, with suspension tuning and minor sheet metal differences separating Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler; the Chronos was part of a continuing search for the Chrysler icon that would raise Chrysler back to its traditional place as a cheaper and better alternative to Cadillacs and Lincolns (or, in these times, Lexus and Acura). Even if the takeover had not taken place, the Chronos, as it was, would most likely never have been made because the interior was relatively cramped, beautiful though the overall effect was.

The Chronos is instantly recognizable, with the smooth, aerodynamic styling that somehow brings up some of the turbine cars yet is completely modern. Even without seeing it, you can hear that V-10 rumble blocks away, sounding much like the Tomahawk and Viper.

The interior is as elegant as the exterior, with an unusual leather color and very nice instrument panel and gauges. The expanses of patterned chrome are excessive but like the red interior of the Plymouth Pronto Spyder, are probably designed to "acid test" the material. The photos simply do not do it justice.

The Chronos is clearly a concept rather than a prototype. There are no outside door handles; when you press a key fob button, the doors open. The drivetrain has a limiter so that the V-10 sounds terrific but feels more like a Ford Escort towing a freight locomotive. Finally, the interior is quite small, not surprising given the likely influence of classic British sports cars. They, too, had very long bonnets and boots, with relatively small, wood-adorned cabins.

Like so many concepts, the Chronos looks much better in person, where the light chrome-bluish paint can be seen properly, and the curves and proportions can be admired without the flatness of a two-dimensional photograph. Design inspirations seem to include not just British sports cars, but three 1950s Chrysler concepts: the 1955 Falcon concept, 1953 Special, and 1953 Chrysler D'Elegance (Chrysler design studio chief Jack Crain credited the D'Elegance).

Some of the clever ideas include wheel emblems that are balanced to always stay upright, dual centered tailpipes, and a between-the-seats electronically-controlled humidor which is amusing coming from the first company to abolish ashtrays.

The Chronos tires are large, 20 and 21 inches. The 350-hp 6-liter single overhead cam V10 engine is not related in any way to the Viper V10; it's built from components of three 4.7 liter V8s. The suspension was largely borrowed from the Viper, though it was modified for the Chronos.

The interior is certainly more elegant than that of the Chrysler 300, not to mention many luxury cars. It simply looks like the flagship Chrysler. Perhaps some of the cues will be used on the upcoming stretch-LX.

Tom Gale wrote: "If you're going for the flagship of the Chrysler brand, and the Chrysler Chronos clearly is, then everything must add up. The look must fit. The quality must be appropriate. And the ride must be exhilarating. It has to totally quench the thirst for perfection."

When Daimler-Benz and Chrysler Corporation formed DaimlerChrysler, key executives within Chrysler (according to published sources) believed that the luxury cars should stay within Mercedes, and that Chrysler should concentrate on the Buick/Mercury level of the market - between Dodge and Mercedes, in essence. At the time, brand separation was very low, with suspension tuning and minor sheet metal differences separating Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler; the Chronos was part of a continuing search for the Chrysler icon that would raise Chrysler back to its traditional place as a cheaper and better alternative to Cadillacs and Lincolns (or, in these times, Lexus and Acura). Even if the takeover had not taken place, the Chronos, as it was, would most likely never have been made because the interior was relatively cramped, beautiful though the overall effect was.