Hi guys, this is a great website and Im very much into the GC thanks to all of you guys for making this a great place.

I live in the middle east and went by the dealership yesterday to finally see the beast in person and I gotta say that I was hugely dissapointed with the looks. Here i why:

The pics that I have seen on the internet were those of North American GCs with the huge wide tires and chrome rims. I loved the car because of these rims and the tires, they made the GC look very handsome.

Now, what we have here are not American specifications. The ones we get are shipped from Austria and I beleive the agency is trying to rip us off because first of all the price is $56,438 full option(the MSRP is around $40,000 though) BUT we get NO CHROME RIMS(they are just painted silver for some odd reason-saving costs? increasing their profit margin?? thats what I think) and the tires are a dissapointing pirelli 245s for the front AND the rear instead of the American Good year eagle performance tires of 255 for the front and 285 for the back.

With those tires on and those rims the car looked cheap and ugly in the dealership and they told me that they cannot change anything about it because the agency brings them and u buy the final product no questions asked. Its bull****.:mad: Why should I compromise with an already overpriced GC?

It already sucks that we get the option of only silver or black exterior colour and now I find that they screwed around with the specs also to increase their profits. I am vey dissapointed guys and I cant do anything about it unless I shell out another $10000 to make the GC look like yours.:mad: :mad:

Can anyone help me out here? Anyone from the middle east who can explain why this is??

I'm guessing that your "agency" set restrictions, so unless you can convince them to change the policies...your screwed man. I don't blame you for being angry, I would be too.

Thanks Mango for the reply and understanding.:)

I also found out now that the european specs also got the same size wheels for the front and the back. No wonder they look so different. The American GCs have wider wheels on the back too.

Even if I were to change the tires they wouldnt fit on those danm stock rims.:rolleyes:

I would like to hear from people who have bought these Austrian GCs. What was your reaction when you first saw them?? How did you deal with them?? and most importantly why buy the GC when you dont get ANY options whatesoever.:confused: :mad:

I know there are some from Saudi and the UAE here. Why do the agencies do this? Also, why is Chrysler doing this in their factories in Austria? They dont care about this side of the world that they give us the thinner tires and smaller rims?

Im not buying a watered down, overpriced, jeep srt.

Pretty much all non-US spec GCs got the different wheels with the smaller tires. There is nothing you can do about that except switch them out yourself.

Pretty much all non-US spec GCs got the different wheels with the smaller tires. There is nothing you can do about that except switch them out yourself.

I know Houston. That's what I was told. Cant do a damn thing.

So I did some research. What they are asking is 205,000 dirhams which equals to $56,000.

Now how much do you think the agency is paying to have them shipped here from Austria? I'd give them about $5 k and I HIGHLY doubt it would be that much.

So if you calculate....a $40,000 MRSP American GC being shipped over here they need to make some profit right?

So that's $45,000 with the shipping and Im being very generous here. Then they get rid of those Goodyear Eagle performance tires which costs here around $1700 for all fours.

Then they make some cheap rims which are not chromed. I heard in the states that it costs $150 per rim for chroming...so that would be about $600
they save there...

Now the final product....if they are selling that **** to me for $56,000, that would mean that with above calculations their cost would be $43,000 with shipping and without the good rims and the wider tires. They are making around $13,000 profit!!

WTF!!!:mad: :mad:

That sounds like dealer mark-up. I'd tell 'em to get screwed.

This is unacceptable!!

The 300C is going for $2k less and it has all the proper specs. I didnt think it will resort to this but I might have to actually consider getting the 300 C SRT over the GC.

But I love the GC, it was my only choice for a new car. Im so jealous of you guys:(

Anyone who got export models??? Please share.

That sounds like dealer mark-up. I'd tell 'em to get screwed.

BIG TIME HOUSTON. I wish I had a pic of the one I saw at the dealership, it looked like a fake prototype. I will post pics soon actually Imma go see them again..

The people at the dealership are like puppets. They cant do anyhting...the agencies, the people at the top, those scumbags are making the money and ripping us off. But I still dont know why Chrysler would accept these conditions and build these ugly models in Austria?:confused: :confused:

One question is are the rims painted aluminum rims? If this is the case, they can be stripped and polished. Ours are polished, and not chromed. This can be a time consuming do-it-yourself project or can be something you send out to have done. As for the rear rim width, you will have to compromise there, although all the euro specs that I know of had to do the same. Your eyes will be taken away from the thinner width if the rims were polished like they should be. It is too bad though and I understand your frustration as well.

Well.. I live In Egypt and got the US version ... here is a tip : get the canadian version for the Metric displays (Kph, Celsius ... ) ... I dunno about the warranty in your country but my importer is very renowned over here and was able to valid the warranty for my car (he also did it with several RAM SRTs) ... I can't promise you that this is the same scenario you'll have with your dealer ... But if you can live with no warranty you have the better and cheaper choice imao ... btw we asked about a euro spec GCSRT in Dubai it cost around 67k $ ... Stick with the US/Canadian spec version ...:)

Hi guys, this is a great website and Im very much into the GC thanks to all of you guys for making this a great place.

I live in the middle east and went by the dealership yesterday to finally see the beast in person and I gotta say that I was hugely dissapointed with the looks. Here i why:

The pics that I have seen on the internet were those of North American GCs with the huge wide tires and chrome rims. I loved the car because of these rims and the tires, they made the GC look very handsome.

Now, what we have here are not American specifications. The ones we get are shipped from Austria and I beleive the agency is trying to rip us off because first of all the price is $56,438 full option(the MSRP is around $40,000 though) BUT we get NO CHROME RIMS(they are just painted silver for some odd reason-saving costs? increasing their profit margin?? thats what I think) and the tires are a dissapointing pirelli 245s for the front AND the rear instead of the American Good year eagle performance tires of 255 for the front and 285 for the back.

With those tires on and those rims the car looked cheap and ugly in the dealership and they told me that they cannot change anything about it because the agency brings them and u buy the final product no questions asked. Its bull****.:mad: Why should I compromise with an already overpriced GC?

It already sucks that we get the option of only silver or black exterior colour and now I find that they screwed around with the specs also to increase their profits. I am vey dissapointed guys and I cant do anything about it unless I shell out another $10000 to make the GC look like yours.:mad: :mad:

Can anyone help me out here? Anyone from the middle east who can explain why this is??


Well, I am not from the middle east but an American in south America......Brazil is getting the same export GCSRT8 that you guys from the middle east are and I guess it applies to all the rest of the world except the US.

I bought mine silver GCSRT* 3 months ago and the only real big difference from the US model is that we get it with Pirelli Scorpion Zero Assimetric tires 245/45 run flat front and rear. The rims are aluminum painted silver.... we also get auto folding mirrors and some other goodies that the US model doesnīt. I believe the modifications are an adaptation for the different conditions found in different places of the world. Thatīs my best guess.....:confused: I am very happy with the GCSRT8...:) it is a blast :D .......Donīt hesitate a second, buy it........ it is a lot of fun to drive. Sheīs a beast....specially over there with cheap gas:) .......pedal to the metal......all the wayyyyyyyyyy:) :D

Well, I am not from the middle east but an American in south America......Brazil is getting the same export GCSRT8 that you guys from the middle east are and I guess it applies to all the rest of the world except the US.

I bought mine silver GCSRT* 3 months ago and the only real big difference from the US model is that we get it with Pirelli Scorpion Zero Assimetric tires 245/45 run flat front and rear. The rims are aluminum painted silver.... we also get auto folding mirrors and some other goodies that the US model doesnīt. I believe the modifications are an adaptation for the different conditions found in different places of the world. Thatīs my best guess.....:confused: I am very happy with the GCSRT8...:) it is a blast :D .......Donīt hesitate a second, buy it........ it is a lot of fun to drive. Sheīs a beast....specially over there with cheap gas:) .......pedal to the metal......all the wayyyyyyyyyy:) :D
am with that + you get the better door trim :)

Hey man since u wanted some1 from the midd east to reply here it is:

When i saw it 1st time i wasent shocked cuz i knew that i would get smaller tiers and none crome ones.

I also knew that it comes without navigation(They claim that the Nav CD doesnt work here)

Solution:

Either u paint them crome which would cost u around 400$ or u spend 7500$ For new rims.

About the tiers the only thing u can do is to replace them with 255/45 fronts and 285/40 back which then u will get the looks of the US spec GC. Here it costs for buying 4 Michelin tiers around 1700$.

Enjoy your ride ;)

Thanks guys for the reply! I really appreciate your thoughts on this subject..:)

UAE SRT- is it possible to put those 245 and 285s on those stock rims?? One of the differences between the American specs and our gulf specs is that the back rims have a higher width by an inch while ours is the same width for both the front and the back. So is it possible to fit those ?? Did you try it yourself?

Also where can you go for chroming...that's a good deal for $400...is it for all 4s?? Thanks in advance for the info. I live in Dubai btw.:)

I do like some of the export options like the side marker lights and no antennae hole in the fender. Folding mirrors are a must have here in the middle east! Plus you get working front and rear fogs. I sure wouldn't pay $56K US.
Here in Saudi you cannot even get the tires yet :( I found some good year F1 supercar tires that were the stock size 245/45/20 in Bahrain. That was after looking and chasing the dealers for 4 months. Then as it turns out, the tires I bought are not the run flat version.
No refund no exchange .. grrrr.. these will be my track tires and wheels until I can buy some replacements in the States.

The guys I talk to in Dubai are importing US versions from the states for less than what the dealer is going to charge you. I bet the warranty will be up to you... doubt they will support it since the exports get different part #'s.

Regarding warranty i contact DC Middle East office here in Dubai and they told me my car is US spec's so there is no warranty. :(

I've just been through the same things over her in the UK.

Here's the story - I asked DC UK about this size issue and the fact that there are only limited stock of the pirelli available in the UK.

There 1st response

Thank you for your fax dated 30-04-07. You asked whether it is possible to fit larger tyres on your vehicle similar to those fitted in the U.S.
As you stated your vehicle is equipped with 245/45 R20 Pirellis. Goodyear also market a 255/45 R20 Eagle F1tyre that is ****logated for use in the U.K.

To fit larger tyres such as the 285/40 R20 as fitted in the U.S to the rear of the vehicle would have a bearing on you insurance group rating and these are not ****logated for use in the U.K

On some occasions it is necessary to change variant codes within the vehicle's control units to adapt their parameters for the increased rolling circumference. I don't think this will be an issue if increasing to 255mm tyres.

I hope this answers all your questions, please do not hesitate to contact me again if you have further questions.


Customer Support Technical Manager
Chrysler Group

Then I asked if there was an option to have non-run flats and a repair kit similar to the X5. The reply was:

I apologise for the delay in responding to your last e-mail. I have spoken to our marketing department regarding your questions.
I have been notified that the Goodyear tyre I quoted you is not a run flat type. You asked whether a repair kit was available similar to the X5 using non run flat tyres. This type of repair kit would include a liquid solution to seal the puncture and a compressor to reinflate. This is not necessary for a run flat tyre as it is not recommended that run flat tyres are repaired once they have been driven in the deflated state.

I hope this answer is to your satisfaction.

The last I heard there were only 3 tyres in stock in the UK. I'm going to ask them what would happen if I were in the mountains of Scotland, had a un-repairable puncture ! Would they pay for a hotel room for the night while they find one of these 3 tyres and ship it to the local garage - persuming the local garage had facilities to fit run flats !!

I've just been through the same things over her in the UK.

Here's the story - I asked DC UK about this size issue and the fact that there are only limited stock of the pirelli available in the UK.

There 1st response



Then I asked if there was an option to have non-run flats and a repair kit similar to the X5. The reply was:



The last I heard there were only 3 tyres in stock in the UK. I'm going to ask them what would happen if I were in the mountains of Scotland, had a un-repairable puncture ! Would they pay for a hotel room for the night while they find one of these 3 tyres and ship it to the local garage - persuming the local garage had facilities to fit run flats !!

Thanks very much for clearing that up.

I feel much better now after punching a hole in the wall.

So what they are saying is that the UK didn't allow SRT to use those 255/285 tires for their european production because they are not safe, right?

What BS!! I dont understand why they would think that? The supercars in the UK that are for sale have bigger size wheels in the back than in the front. Right?

"The last I heard there were only 3 tyres in stock in the UK. I'm going to ask them what would happen if I were in the mountains of Scotland, had a un-repairable puncture ! Would they pay for a hotel room for the night while they find one of these 3 tyres and ship it to the local garage - persuming the local garage had facilities to fit run flats !"

Did you email them about that?:D:D

be much more worried about the 56000 dollar pricetag than the rims. If you are wililing to shell out the money for a euro-spec JGC, then buying a set of rims/tires on ebay isn't hard at all and shouldn't run you more than 2 G's.

If you want, send me a check for 44K dollars and I'll buy you a brand new JGC here in Florida to your very own specs, and have it shipped to you in the middle east. I'll take a 2K dollar fee for services, and shipping/import taxes you'll have to research on your own. I would expect that to be more than 1800 dollars, becuase thats what I paid to have my BMW shipped from Germany to the US (I didn't want a domestically-made 335i). 48K out the door is a lot less than 56K.

lol... if you want to deal with someone face-to-face, go to Bahrain and find a US military service member, preferably an officer, and offer him the same deal. He can walk straight into the base and order any chrysler vehicle he wants for retail price and have it shipped to Bahrain.

Did you email them about that?:D:D

I did - but not reply as yet !

ha!^^ go figure.:)

So did I get that right? They think that the bigger size tires are unsafe for this vehicle?? The American government must sure hate their fellow citizens.:D

Dude.... have you looked at European pricing for the SRT? In Spain they START at €69.000 X 1.37 current exchange to USD, that is about $95,000. Take a look at UK pricing as well. You are definitely getting worked over, but not as bad as you think. BTW- Navy guy's comment about making friends with a sailor "preferably an officer" (like that makes ANY difference) to buy a US spec truck is NOT authorized and could get someone in big trouble. You would be better off purchasing a US spec model and having it shipped by the dealer (2 grand to Europe) provided you can get it certified in your country.
Whichever way you go, good luck!

Its not illegal to sell a vehicle while over seas, command-approval a piece of cake. Don't play Sea-Lawyer.

You are right, you should circumvent the system, buy a vehicle using a discount given to you as a reward for your military service and then sell the vehicle to a foreign national. Sea-lawyer my a$$! I hope there isn't a flag flying off YOUR porch.

I'm in Germany and i bought a 2006 BMW 325, and i was told if i wanted to sell it to a German, i had to wait 6 months from the day i bought it. I'm not sure if its like that everywhere, but thats how it is here.

Thanks very much for clearing that up.

I feel much better now after punching a hole in the wall.

So what they are saying is that the UK didn't allow SRT to use those 255/285 tires for their european production because they are not safe, right?

What BS!! I dont understand why they would think that? The supercars in the UK that are for sale have bigger size wheels in the back than in the front. Right?

"The last I heard there were only 3 tyres in stock in the UK. I'm going to ask them what would happen if I were in the mountains of Scotland, had a un-repairable puncture ! Would they pay for a hotel room for the night while they find one of these 3 tyres and ship it to the local garage - persuming the local garage had facilities to fit run flats !"

Did you email them about that?:D:D

Finally a reply.

Sorry for the delay in replying to your last e-mail. In reply to your concerns regarding the availability of run flat tyres when in remote locations. If the same specification tyre cannot be sourced locally within a reasonable time frame. A temporary alternative can be fitted (same size and speed rating) and used until the correct make and model of tyre is sourced. This is in addition to the those suggestions listed below.

Your Chrysler Privilege handbook states that should a repair prove impossible the same day the following alternatives are offered

A taxi will be paid for up to a distance of 30 miles
first class rail travel or economy air travel if rail travel takes more than six hours.
When and where possible, a replacement vehicle of a similar category will be supplied for a period of up to five days
If your vehicle cannot be repaired the same day and you reside more than 30 miles away, you may prefer to stay in a local hotel (3 star or equivalent) for a maximum of 5 nights.