If you're
into off-roading -- and we mean really into
it -- then Daimler-Chrysler recently unveiled
the vehicle of your dreams. It's a Jeep
with more horsepower, more climbing ability
and more steering options than any car ever
made. With two HEMI engines and the ability
to turn itself completely around in place,
the Jeep Hurricane concept car is truly
one of a kind.
This vehicle is the ultimate
proof of Jeep's absolute dominance off-road
.. Watching Hurricane in action, it's hard
not to imagine all the potential applications
-- for the military, for extreme off-roading
and more. The fact is, we will do whatever
it takes to ensure that there's only one
SUV at the top of the mountain.
With more than 14 inches
(36 cm) of ground clearance and 20 inches
(51 cm) of suspension travel, the Hurricane
is in a class of its own when it comes to
off-road capability. As Zetsche said at
the 2005 Detroit Auto Show, "To put
that into perspective, the clearance is
5 inches higher and the articulation is
almost triple that of our most off-road-capable
Jeep production vehicle."
The four-wheel independent
short/long-arm suspension system is dampened
by coilover shocks with remote reservoirs
(this allows for longer travel in the shock).
The 20-inch wheels hold specially designed
off-roading tires that are 37 inches tall.
Chrysler reports an approach angle of 64
degrees and a departure angle of 86.7 degrees.
The Hurricane is more than
just a Super Jeep. It also represents an
attempt by Chrysler's engineers to combine
excess (it does have two HEMI engines) with
responsibility (new technology allows the
Hurricane to operate on as few as four cylinders).
The Hurricane's steering system
is a marvel of engineering all by itself.
There are multiple steering modes using
four-wheel independent steering. That means
that each wheel can turn separately from
the others.
In standard steering mode, the rear wheels
turn in the opposite direction to the front
wheels, which tightens the turning radius
and makes for more accurate steering. In
a second mode, the rear wheels turn in the
same direction as the front wheels, meaning
the Hurricane can "crab-steer"
-- move to the side without changing the
direction that it faces.
A third mode, utilizing the "T-Box
Zero Steer" mechanism, allows all four
wheels to "toe-in" and changes
the drive direction to each wheel so that
they alternate. The result? The Jeep Hurricane
has a turning radius of zero.
The Hurricane can actually rotate in place
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