Radical 4x4 Hits Tokyo Show
Jeep, the world-famous American sport utility and off-road vehicle manufacturer, has stunned auto show circuit crowds with sensational concepts in recent years. Running on a schedule that's clocked like a fine Swiss watch, the DaimlerChrysler division has debuted some of the radical renditions for futuristic off and soft-roading. Everything from the retro-gone-wild Willys to the rapid Jeepster concept has come out of Jeep's skunkworks design team, but nothing quite like the latest addition to the family.
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| Wild and crazy aren't even close to suitable words to describe the Jeep's new Treo concept. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
The Jeep Treo is set to make a big splash amongst the dozens of new world releases at this year's Tokyo motor show. Wild and crazy aren't even close to suitable words to describe the new concept. The Treo is just plain and simply... out there.
Sure enough, the authentically unmistakable Jeep grille is front and center, complete with chromed round xenon HID headlamps. But other than these elements, the entire concept is foreign. Dominated by a gunmetal colored front bumper, the utilitarian-looking Treo appears purpose built for heavy-duty rock climbing (a favorite pastime for CJ/YJ owners), with dual winch hooks and deep grooved tires for channeling mud and dirt looking positively menacing.
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| Like something out of a sci-fi movie, you'd almost expect the Treo to be able to fly. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
If the front is an exercise in the extremes of emotion, what the heck is the rest of the car trying to communicate? Moss-green half fenders are bolted to the body above the four wheels, sticking out just wider than the chunky wing mirrors that jut out from the front of the car's three segment, elongated window - which also spans the length of the Treo's door.
Moving back, the actual cockpit tapers rearward into a narrower point. High-mounted, and seemingly borrowed from a Learjet, are two laminar shaped airfoils. Can it fly? No, but these thin 'ears' work as the Treo's brake and turn signals just the same.