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2004 North American International Auto Show
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| Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:35:08 |
| Rating |
 46 ( -7 -15.21% ) | | Author | Sue Mead |
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Description:
Chrysler's not done. Not by a long shot, not even though
they unveiled a number of interesting concepts today at the 2004 North American International Auto Show. Chrysler, who is expected to debut the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum production models during day two, came out on day one with a Dodge Slingshot concept and a ME super car, designed to be a Chrysler halo car. Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler unveils during the first day of business at the show:
Features
Debuts
Vehicles introduced
Day One
Initial debuts
Day Two
Show overview
2004 North American Car
and Truck
Ford F-150
Toyota Prius
The Lucky Three
Our Best Bets for Success
Vehicle Debuts
Aston Martin
DB9 Coupe and DB9 Volante
BMW
645ci convertible
Chrysler
Slingshot and ME
300C
PT Cruiser & Crossfire convertibles
Dodge
Magnum
Ford
Here come the cars
General Motors
Vette, Solstice and Kappa
Pontiac G6
Honda
Cool dads and the SUT
Infiniti
QX56 and a special G35
Jaguar
S-Type
Jeep
Wrangler Unlimited
Land Rover
Range Stormer
Lexus
A new GS and the RX400h
Mercedes
SLR McLaren, Grand Sports Tourer II
Nissan
A new Pathfinder, Frontier and a concept crossover
Scion
A new tC
Toyota
Hybrid Highlander and the FTX Super Truck
Suzuki
Reno
Volkswagen
Concept T and a pocket rocket Golf R32
Volvo
S40
Dodge Slingshot--DaimlerChrysler's design guru Trevor Creed, touted the new Dodge Sling Shot, as a "new sports car vision" with genuine Dodge character. The small, edgy 2-seater concept has a 3-cylinder engine with 95-hp. and achieves 45-mpg. As a compact getting excellent mileage, the Sling Shot could lean towards the Mercedes Smart division, as Dodge describes the vehicle as being fun and adventurous while maintaining practicality and affordability. With a 6-speed sequential transmission and styling that suggests Toyota's MR2 Spyder (at least in front), the Sling Shot's sporty appearance is consistent with other new Dodges (think Ram SRT-10 and Dodge Magnum). However, the Sling Shot's lack of cubic inches veers away from other family members. Another significant styling element is the back end, which includes a wrap-around convex rear window juxtaposed with a concave trunk lid. As a result, the rear is vertically flat, but seems to undulate on the way up. The Sling Shot is expected to ride on the same platform as Mercedes' Smart Roadster.
Jeep Rescue-Jeep made its worldwide introduction of the Rescue concept during the first day of the Detroit show. Calling it a Jeep "designed for the near future, with a style befitting Jeep, but with new superior off-road capability", designer Trevor Creed described the mission of the new concept. Rescue seeks to compete with Hummer's H1 and H2 and provide capability for the most extreme situations and unforgiving terrain. Potential Rescue customers could be civilians that would otherwise look to Hummer (it has a tire inflattion system similar to HUMMER's), or Jeep may be leaning towards the military market that it has not occupied since the mid-20th century.
Outfitted with the new Cummins Turbo diesel that has a whopping 600 lb. ft of torque, the concept sits on 37-in. tires, with styling features that are borrowed from the Wrangler, including the round headlamps and signature Jeep grille, and removable doors and a fold-down windshield, like the original military models. Angled fenders and a winch suggest utility, while the interior shows a large LCD navigation screen and state-of-the-art search and rescue technology, keeping the vehicle somewhat high-tech and connected to the outside world.
Jeep Treo-Making its North American debut, after taking the stage at the Tokyo Motor Show last fall, was the Jeep Treo. Described by DCX design head Trevor Creed as " a Jeep that appeals to the other side of adventure- the fun side", the three-passenger Treo exemplifies the idea of "fluid imagination" and runs off of fuel-cell technology that powers electric motors at each wheel. Since the powertrain fits underneath the car, there is no need for a front overhang. In fact, the front tires end in parallel with the front fascia. Other exterior features include protruding quarter-circle fenders, rear fins, and an overall "teardrop" shape. The seven-rung grille, however, gives away its Jeep heritage. Considering the drivetrain and exterior design, the Treo is obviously targeted towards young, city drivers rather than suburban or rural commuters and is in consideration "for the distant future" as an "urban-active Jeep.".
ME Four-Twelve-Joining the hot and sexy world of supercars, DailmerChrysler's Wolfgang Bernhardt took the wraps off of the ME Four-Twelve concept. Designed to "meet or beat" the world's top supercars, the new concept has a projected top speed of 248 mph., with a zero to 60 time of 2.9 seconds, a zero to 100 mph. of 6.2 seconds and a quarter mile time of 10.6 seconds. The new mid-engined coupe has Crossfire-inspired details on the hood, with light-weight carbon fiber materials used in the upscale and racing-inspired cockpit. The ME Four-Twelve has a 6.0-liter V12 mated to a 7-speed transmission, 19-inch radials in front and 20-inch tires at the rear and will compete with Ford's newly introduced GT, Porsche's new supercar and will most likely be priced in the $150,000 range and upwards. This car in no way competes with the Chrysler Group's performance vehicle the Viper that sells in the $70,000 range.
2004 Auto Show Gallery
More Show Photos...
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