Chrysler ME Four-Twelve Supercar

Making a surprise world debut at the NAIAS today, the ME Four-Twelve is not only the fastest Chrysler ever, it’s the fastest supercar yet. Period. Planned exactly one year ago, its mission is to create as much excitement as last year’s Tomahawk concept. Reading between the lines, it’s Daimler-Chrysler’s way of topping that overweight Bugatti Veyron from VW.

According to Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President – Chrysler Group Design “ME Four-Twelve adds a new aura of performance to the Chrysler brand. It exudes strength, performance and prestige”. Designed in Auburn Hills, the hard-edged form with many body openings has been dictated by the need to provide sufficient downforce and engine cooling.

The concept features a mid-mounted 6.0L V12 Mercedes AMG engine, with quad turbos to give 850ps, driving through a Ricardo 7-speed gearbox to the rear wheels. Construction is a mixture of carbon fibre centre tub and body panels with aluminium subframes to keep weight to a minimum (1310kg). The lightweight chassis is rumoured to have been developed by supercar specialist Pagani in Italy.

And the vital figures? 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds and a new record top speed of 248mph (400kmh). NH

Dodge Slingshot concept

Cut to the chase: it’s a reskinned Smart Roadster, pure and simple. “In terms of Dodge brand it represents the opposite bookend to Viper yet shares the same values” says Exterior Designer Alan Barrington.

The Slingshot is meant to offer an alternative style to its European brother. “ We wanted a more serious form language than the Smart” explains Barrington “with a less cute treatment. We deliberately chose not to expose the Tridion frame to give it a simple yet elegant look that reflects Dodge identity”.

The overall look is certainly less busy than the Smart and includes some neat touches such as the curved crease from the rear fender into rear of the door, which defines the engine air intake. NH

Chevrolet Nomad concept

Have we seen this before? Well, historically, there is one that appeared in 1954, based on a Corvette (presumably, the C1). Then there was a '99 Nomad concept that really would have been ahead of the game in crossover vehicles. But now in '04, Simon Cox has penned another Chevy Nomad, a 2+2 with behind-the-seat space for gear.

Based on GM's new Kappa architecture, the RWD vehicle has a 107 inch wheelbase and an overall length of 155 inches. With the wheels pushed fore and aft, there is a sense of a long hood yet wagon-like proportions to the cabin. The belt line is comparatively high, so the seating sense is being surrounded by the vehicle. Interior accents combine leather and aluminum in a way that evoke an earlier time (say 1954) as well as the future (if not the present). Anticipating use to haul cargo, not only is there a sliding panel that moves over the tailgate, but the rear roof panel can be removed. GV

  Read our full Design Review...

Jeep Rescue concept

Historically, the most American hard-assed go-anywhere vehicle has been a Jeep. Given the phemenonal popularity of the Hummer, the guys in the Jeep Design Studio in Detroit opted to create what they described as the "ultimate execution" of a Jeep. It's the Jeep Rescue, which is meant to be the sort of thing that can be used in the mountains or woods or Rubicon Trail to find and retrieve people. It has a four-door architecture. The wheelbase is 122.3 inches and the chassis is 80 inches wide. It's body on hydroformed frame rails riding on 37 inch runflats.

Not only are the door hinges exposed, but the doors can be removed. The windshield folds flat. There is a sunroof over the front seats and a canvas roof over the back, so they can open things up. The backlight can be retracted. Inside, there is an array of high tech gadgetry, ranging from a display for the under-chassis camera (for use with the remote controlled winch) to thermal cameras for finding lost people. Think high-tech meets hard-assed. GV

Honda SUT concept

Although Honda has been suspiciously absent from the massive and growing North American pickup truck market, that is going to be essentially rectified in calendar year 2005. The SUT concept unveiled today could be described as a 'pickup truck'. It does, after all, have a five-foot bed – according to exterior designer Don Herner, a size that can handle motorcycles, ATVs, and quads (all of which Honda builds). It is not a pickup in the classic sense of the North American market – which tends to mean body-on-frame architecture – the SUT uses unibody construction.

The four-door cab has very angular shapes, which designer Jarad Hall describes as "a modern lightweight, and very technical 21st century look". The front-end resembles a highly stylized Element. The C-pillar angles back along the top of the pickup box like an angular sail plane. In fact, the angularity, described as being a "billet-machined look" even outdoes the look that Nissan has been bringing to its vehicles of late. GV

  Read our full Design Review...

Toyota FTX concept

How big can trucks that are meant to be used for personal transportation – not for hauling coal to market – be? Well, while there may never be an answer, a new huge concept – as in 228 inches long, 77.2 inches night, and 82.5 inches wide – was rolled out by Toyota (just after showing a hybrid SUV).

The FTX concept is a four-door, with clamshell doors for access into the cab that Calty senior designer Craig Kember describes as "a work station, a sports locker, or just a sanctuary from the elements." The front end is described as being "like a fist." This whole thing is about power, not subtlety. To accommodate the massive body sides, there is sculptural styling along the panels so that it doesn't look like the side of a semi trailer. Inside, there is a "flying T" theme based on a high center console that moves forward and wraps the IP around the passenger and driver. GV

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