SkunkWerks team gives Chrysler some dream cars

-The JeepGrand Cherokee Mojave is meant to reinforce the brand's rock-crawling bonafides, and includes a modified 5.7-liter HEMIV-8, 22-inch wheelsand tires, a matte-black hood and corresponding accents, and a functional ''off-roadenthusiast bumper'' that includes a winch and tow hooks for un-stuckingyourself or your friends.

-The Dodge Dakota Warrior H.O. (for HighOutput) is said to be ''inspired'' by the highly specialized ''pre-runner''desert racing trucks, and delivers what the SkunkWerks team calls the ''logicalevolution of the versatile Dodge Dakota Quad Cab.''

Using the Dakota's260-horsepower 4.7-liter High Output engine, the Dakota Warrior H.O. ''representsthe ultimate off-road mid-size pickup truck.'' It comes with awater-fording intake system, a wider track, front-bumper winch with tow hooks,decoupling sway bars, and off-road tires, while the two-tone orange and black racingbucket seats from Katzkin keep the driver steady if not comfortable. No offenceintended -- it's just impossible to make any part of desert racing comfortable.

Adding to theMan-With-No-Name cachet of this vehicle are a hood scoop, wheel flares, customspare holder, a special tubular tail gate, light bar, and a sport bar.

-The DodgeDurango Dude is an effort to build a hot rod street truck using the 5.7-litreHEMI V-8 in a reconfigured SUV platform.

The ChryslerGroup SkunkWerks team has developed the Dodge Durango "Dude" - powered by the5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine with a unique pickup configuration of the DodgeDurango platform. 

Modificationsinclude a cat-back dual exhaust, lowered suspension, custom front and rearfascias, sill extensions, a composite hood inspired by the Viper-powered DodgeRam SRT10, 20-inch billet wheels from Budnik, custom seating from Lear, and PPGTangerine Pearl paint.

-Dodge's''Hot Rod'' Magnum is an effort to take a station wagon with considerablestreet cred as it is and turn it up a notch.

That apparentlyrequired stepping back into time to recall the Chrysler muscle car heyday ofthe 1970s, courtesy of HEMI Orange paint and graphics from Kustom Haus. Thisincludes a '70s blackout hood treatment, 1970 Dodge Challenger exhaust tips,and 1970 Dodge Charger HEMI medallions.

Inside therecustom-leather quad seating and a full-length center console with a silverupper surface to match the shifter and center-stack bezels.

SkunkWerksmembers added 22-inch wheels from TIS (Twenty Inches Strong), a Kicker audiosystem, Bilstein shocks, and other suspension and braking enhancements fromChrysler's in-house SRT performance division.
photo:Chrysler SkunkWerks