Chrysler concepts star at Detroit show
By Alexander Corne
THE CHRYSLER Corp unveiled five dramatic concept cars at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Of the five vehicles, the most production-ready, is a five- door Jeep Wrangler called the Dakar.
The steel five-door body sits on a 381mm-longer Wrangler chassis and uses stock Wrangler 4000cc straight six power.
The longer chassis offers greater luggage space and the rear seats are moved forward of the back axle to improve the ride, but at the cost of legroom.
The plush cabin is lined with leather and wood and has a full- length sliding fabric sunroof.
Although the well-integrated body looks longer, the designers have been able to maintain the integrity of the Wrangler's style.
The Dakar has not been signed off for production, but the level of finish and the confidence about the product exuding from Jeep executives strongly indicate it could soon be in production.
If you ignore the motor-show inspired full-length tubular roof rack with top-mounted spare tire, folding sand shovels latched into the front mudguards and twin stylized jerricans hooked on to the back door, the Dakar is almost showroom ready.
It is aimed at Toyota's RAV4, Daihatsu's Rocky and the growing number of pretenders to Jeep's off-road crown.
Joining the Dakar was the Icon, a futuristic look at how the next-generation Wrangler might look.
With larger 19-inch alloy wheels, big RAV4-style bumpers and a host of reworked classic Jeep styling cues, Icon looked Jeep-ish.
Under the skin is the biggest shocker to Jeep fans, since the separate chassis and live axles are axed in favor of a unitary body and double wishbones all round.
This follows Land Rover's new C40 in abandoning 50 years of traditional off-road chassis engineering.
The Icon is also revolutionary having the 12 speed gearbox mounted in the sump.
Chrysler's rejuvenated passenger car brand, Plymouth, home to the hot-rod Prowler and cab-forward Neon, showed a small five- door hatch based on a modified Neon floor plan.
The Pronto is unusual for a show car with its matte paint finish to its composite plastic panels.
The no-gloss look is said to allow extra expense on styling and pricey headlamp and front-end treatments. The Civic-sized Pronto looks similar to the hot-rod Prowler from the front, and borrows that car's front and rear bumpers.
Its angular styling suggests efficient use of interior space, while a central instrument cluster points to easy conversion from right to left hand drive.
Chrysler says it will study composite self-colored exterior panel technology for Pronto, but under the hood, there is a conventional 2000cc Neon motor.
From Dodge, which brought us the Viper five years ago, comes the Copperhead, the latest fast snake.
The Copperhead out-boxes the Porsche Boxster for sexy lines, outrageous burnt copper pearlescent paint scheme and the latest 2700cc V6 engine under the hood.
Copperhead is supposed to recall fond memories of hairy- chested British sports cars such as the Austin-Healey 3000, and is festooned with snake-like styling touches in the same manner as the Viper.
The central instrument binnacle's outline resembles a snake about to strike, while hand-cut tires wear mock snakeskin tread patterns.
The Chrysler Phaeton harks back to the luxury cars of the 1940s, with a one-off V12 5400cc engine and its dual-cowl interior design that is a direct copy of 1930s and 1940s dream machines.
The Phaeton seats four in individual luxury seats. Rear passengers have their own windscreen, speedometer and clock, set in brushed aluminum cases.
When the retractable steel hardtop drops, the Phaeton's Rolls- Royce-like looks become even stronger.
This car aims to stretch "edge" design styling further than ever, with a sharp crease running down the top of both flanks. The one-off Phaeton is expected to be seen at the Geneva motor show in March.