What is it?
Jeep Willys
What's special about it?
Trevor Creed, senior vice president of product design, DaimlerChrysler, says that the Jeep Willys concept vehicle was built to pay homage to Jeep vehicles of the past, while showcasing 21st century design and technology. It puts traditional off-road ability in a package designed to exist in ecological harmony with nature. Freeman Thomas, who we can thank for the Audi TT, was one of the designers of this concept, which is touted as an illustration of simplicity and minimalism.
Willys' 1.6-liter, supercharged inline-four makes 160 horsepower and 155 foot-pounds of torque and comes mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. It goes from zero to 60 in 10.2 seconds and top speed is just shy of 90 mph. A shift-on-the-fly transfer case with full-time four-wheel drive (4 Hi and 4 Lo can be shifted on the fly) assures this Jeep's versatility on road and off.
Willys is a bare-bones, back-to-basics, backwoods Jeep, which at the same time aspires to be kind to Mother Nature. Light gray tires avoid leaving black marks on the "American landscape," while the recyclable molded composite body not only saves weight and manufacturing costs, but is also eco-friendly. Willys' lightweight aluminum frame-web lets Chrysler mold the vehicle's body to the frame, resulting in class-leading rigidity, and the molded plastic material allows designers to create shapes not possible with painted, stamped metal.
The inside of the Willys concept is almost too pretty for such a rough and tumble vehicle, with gray and aqua leather, brushed aluminum and Starlight Silver accents. Mesh composite plastic seats are attached to the center console in an effort to conserve floor space. A Sirius Satellite Radio provides digital quality audio with crystal clear reception coast-to-coast from more than 100 news, sports and entertainment channels (50 of which are music free).
Why should you care?
Blame Nissan's Xterra marketing campaign for creating a back-to-basics movement among utility vehicle makers. Willys is interesting, but looks like Military Barbie's Jeep with those light-colored tires and aqua interior accents. The most interesting part of the Willys is its recyclable molded composite body, a material Chrysler has been diddling with for years, and the frame-web technology that ties it to the underpinnings. Also, the Sirius Satellite Radio is a look at things to come within years from several manufacturers. But of the Chrysler concepts debuting in Detroit, the Willys isn't the one we'd vote to build.
Jeep Willys
What's special about it?
Trevor Creed, senior vice president of product design, DaimlerChrysler, says that the Jeep Willys concept vehicle was built to pay homage to Jeep vehicles of the past, while showcasing 21st century design and technology. It puts traditional off-road ability in a package designed to exist in ecological harmony with nature. Freeman Thomas, who we can thank for the Audi TT, was one of the designers of this concept, which is touted as an illustration of simplicity and minimalism.
Willys' 1.6-liter, supercharged inline-four makes 160 horsepower and 155 foot-pounds of torque and comes mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. It goes from zero to 60 in 10.2 seconds and top speed is just shy of 90 mph. A shift-on-the-fly transfer case with full-time four-wheel drive (4 Hi and 4 Lo can be shifted on the fly) assures this Jeep's versatility on road and off.
Willys is a bare-bones, back-to-basics, backwoods Jeep, which at the same time aspires to be kind to Mother Nature. Light gray tires avoid leaving black marks on the "American landscape," while the recyclable molded composite body not only saves weight and manufacturing costs, but is also eco-friendly. Willys' lightweight aluminum frame-web lets Chrysler mold the vehicle's body to the frame, resulting in class-leading rigidity, and the molded plastic material allows designers to create shapes not possible with painted, stamped metal.
The inside of the Willys concept is almost too pretty for such a rough and tumble vehicle, with gray and aqua leather, brushed aluminum and Starlight Silver accents. Mesh composite plastic seats are attached to the center console in an effort to conserve floor space. A Sirius Satellite Radio provides digital quality audio with crystal clear reception coast-to-coast from more than 100 news, sports and entertainment channels (50 of which are music free).
Why should you care?
Blame Nissan's Xterra marketing campaign for creating a back-to-basics movement among utility vehicle makers. Willys is interesting, but looks like Military Barbie's Jeep with those light-colored tires and aqua interior accents. The most interesting part of the Willys is its recyclable molded composite body, a material Chrysler has been diddling with for years, and the frame-web technology that ties it to the underpinnings. Also, the Sirius Satellite Radio is a look at things to come within years from several manufacturers. But of the Chrysler concepts debuting in Detroit, the Willys isn't the one we'd vote to build.
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