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29. März 2024
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look at Chrysler's 2007 auto show stars.
The parking lot of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena played host to a Chrysler event recently where we got the chance to get behind the wheel of Chrysler's three concepts from this year's auto-show season: the Dodge Demon, Chrysler Nassau, and Jeep Trailhawk.

Like a nearly extinct species, concept cars are normally confined to their auto-show zoo cages. Seeing them out on the pavement brings about a much different perspective, particularly on a sunny Southern California day.

Driveable, however, isn't the same as fully functional, and every car had a number of quirks that wouldn't exist in a production vehicle, such as nonfunctioning gauges or the ignition hidden inside a fusebox-type compartment below the steering column on the Nassau and Trailhawk. The emphasis is generally more on design than functionality with concept vehicles, however, and being far from finished prototypes made a real-world test a fantasy. We kept them at 35 mph and under.
From what we could tell during low-speed cruising, the Demon was closest to a fully functional car. The 172-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder global engine, developed in conjunction with Hyundai and Mitsubishi, seemed capable and responsive. The six-speed gearbox had short and precise shifts, but was misaligned, and it took time to find the proper gears at first. Another gearbox oddity was the positioning of reverse to the left of second gear without a restrictor mechanism to prevent a mis-shift, which is often the case in Saab and Volkswagen gearboxes. Steering was fairly responsive; impressive considering the car's one-off nature. Overall, with some refinement for production, the Demon would likely prove a worthy competitor to the Mazda MX-5 and GM's Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. It certainly has the looks to do so.
Driving the Wrangler Unlimited-based Trailhawk proved more of a challenge. The pedal positioning was unorthodox, with the gas pedal recessed a few inches further than the brake pedal, causing the driver to reposition the entire leg rather than just the foot to go from the one to the other. The normally potent 3.0-liter Bluetec diesel six was somehow crippled and refused to accelerate any faster than a snail's pace. Imagine a 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood powered by a Honda engine of the same vintage, and you'll have a good idea of what the Trailhawk's engine felt like.
Fortunately, the Nassau's SRT-8-sourced, 425-horsepower, 6.1-liter Hemi didn't suffer the same fate as the Trailhawk's Bluetec. The big V-8 didn't hesitate to flex its muscle, so it's fortunate the SRT-8's massive brakes made it to the LX-platform-based car as well as the engine. The Nassau wasn't without its own oddities, however. Shifting into drive required holding the "drive" button while the gearbox rowed through reverse and neutral, and there was the distinct odor of gasoline fumes, the source of which we weren't able to determine.

It's hard to say which, if any, of these three vehicles will make it to production. The Demon would be the most challenging since the concept was built from the ground up and Chrysler doesn't have a proper platform for the roadster. According to Chrysler Group design communications manager Sam Locricchio, Chrysler would likely have to find a partner to bring the car to production.

The Nassau and Trailhawk would be easier to convert to production models. Both are based on existing production platforms, so bringing either to market wouldn't require nearly as extensive engineering.
There's definitely space at the top of each brand's lineup to grow. The Trailhawk would be a good replacement for the poorly selling Jeep Commander as Jeep's halo car, while the Nassau could fit above the 300 in Chrysler's portfolio. The Demon would be a nice addition to Dodge's increasingly performance-oriented lineup, particularly if an SRT-4 version is offered.

Now that Chrysler is out from under the Daimler boys, it remains to be seen what new products it'll develop. This trio would likely be niche models - probably not be the best route for an automaker in dire need of mainstream hits and smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. But any of the three would likely make an impression in the market - that is if they ever get there.
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