While Chrysler has already confirmed that it will have a Dodge Challenger concept for Detroit , the company's been considerably more tight-lipped about another concept that could be on display at Cobo Hall. An anonymous tip to TCC says a Chrysler Imperial concept will be shown off in Detroit , reviving the nameplate for the most luxurious Chrysler vehicles that died away in the 1990s. Drawn off the 300C body, the stretched-wheelbase Imperial concept is said to evolve the 300C in a Rolls Phantom direction-much as the current 300C has been dubbed the "baby Bentley."

Chrysler Imperial Concept

Envisioned as a “noble” yet attainable flagship positioned a cut above the 300C (“It’s a six-figure image but at a much lower price,” says Tremont), the concept designed in Chrysler’s Auburn Hills studio doesn’t mimic Imperials of the past, but it does draw on some of the styling cues from those older cars. It also carries expressive attributes from Chrysler’s long line of concept cars, from the 1953 d’Elegance to the Fire-power that premiered at last year’s Detroit show. The wide-open, B-pillar-less doors allow a panoramic view of the show car’s opulent four-seat, two-tone interior, where no expense is spared when it comes to use of leather, suede, California burl wood accents and satin-finished aluminum. Designers also paid considerable attention to handcrafted components like the sculptured instrument panel with large dual gauges, coved ceiling, and the floating oval armrests in the doors, all bathed in warm light.

At the opposite extreme lies the luxurious Imperial riding on a 123-inch wheelbase, a three-inch stretch over the 300C. To achieve the proper proportions for the concept, the overall length grows 17 inches to 214 inches, and the overall height is six inches taller than a 300C. The car rides on massive 22-inch turbine-finned wheels and tires, with passengers sitting nearly seven inches higher than in the 300C.

Envisioned as a “noble” yet attainable flagship positioned a cut above the 300C (“It’s a six-figure image but at a much lower price,” says Tremont), the concept designed in Chrysler’s Auburn Hills studio doesn’t mimic Imperials of the past, but it does draw on some of the styling cues from those older cars. It also carries expressive attributes from Chrysler’s long line of concept cars, from the 1953 d’Elegance to the Fire-power that premiered at last year’s Detroit show.

Among the design details incorporated into the concept: the long flowing hood and front end dominated by an upright radiator and strong horizontal grille; brushed and polished aluminum pods that evoke free-standing headlamps of Imperials from the 1930s and 1960s; circular LED taillights with floating outer rings that bring back the “gun sight” taillight look of early 1960s Imperials; and a roofline pulled rearward to enlarge the cabin and create a strong profile.

The wide-open, B-pillar-less doors allow a panoramic view of the show car’s opulent four-seat, two-tone interior, where no expense is spared when it comes to use of leather, suede, California burl wood accents and satin-finished aluminum. Designers also paid considerable attention to handcrafted components like the sculptured instrument panel with large dual gauges, coved ceiling, and the floating oval armrests in the doors, all bathed in warm light.

Dynamically, Imperial also is diametrically opposed to Challenger, with the latter adopting a full-throated roar while the former is loaded with sound-deadening insulation and is tuned for smooth and silent running. But even in its subtlety, the stately Imperial is more driver’s car than chauffeur-driven limousine, says Chrysler design chief Trevor Creed. Power for the concept comes from the standard 5.7-liter, 340-hp, 390-lb-ft Hemi V8, linked to a five-speed transmission lifted from the Mercedes E-Class.

“This is the car for somebody who has made it, who takes great pleasure in driving from place to place,” says Creed.

Though Chrysler execs won’t commit to production plans for either car, there are obvious advantages to building the concepts on the so-called LX platform that underpins the wildly successful 300C, Dodge Magnum and Charger production cars. Not only does using existing hardware help contain the astronomical cost of building show cars, but in the event one or both concepts gets the green light, Chrysler has a much easier path to building production versions, and gets even more return on its engineering and tooling investment in the rear-drive LX platform.

“These are strictly concepts, but we like to see people get excited because it might help make the case to take one or the other to production,” says Tremont. “There will be a completely different draw to these cars—the Mopar followers will have their Challenger, and the Imperial will appeal to a completely different audience. But they will both stimulate people’s thought processes about what could be a Chrysler.”

We can only hope that, given a few inches, Chrysler designers and product planners will take the whole foot—and mash it on the accelerator all the way to the showroom.