The Chrysler Group set the bar in terms of both design and performance at NAIAS 2004, revealing the stunning ME Four-Twelve super sports car prototype.


The ME Four-Twelve mid-engine prototype was the dramatic conclusion to the Chrysler Group reveal of four concept cars that also included the Dodge Sling Shot, Jeep Rescue and Jeep Treo. Wolfgang Bernhard, chief operating officer of the Chrysler Group, drove the ME Four-Twelve onstage and emphasized that the super sports car is not really concept car, but a working prototype.


Chrysler also showed design ideas for Dodge and Jeep in the forms of the Dodge Sling Shot, Jeep Rescue and Jeep Treo. The Sling Shot is a new design for an affordable yet fun-to-drive sporty car.


Designed for the most extreme off-road conditions, the Jeep Rescue gets outfitted as the ultimate search-and-rescue vehicle. The Jeep Treo, which debuted in Tokyo, shows where the Jeep brand may be in the distant future.


ME Four-Twelve
By far the most dramatic of the four vehicles was the beautiful, purposeful ME Four-Twelve. This supercar was made all the more impressive by the revelation from Trevor Creed, senior vice president of the Chrysler Group design, that the ME Four-Twelve was complete in less than one year.


The ME Four-Twelve name is derived from the mid-engine placement of a quad-turbo 6.0-liter V12 engine. Bernard explained the name is appropriate because the car was literally designed around the engine.


The AMG-developed all-aluminum 6.0-liter V12 engine produces 850 horsepower and 850 lb-ft of torque, and the car has a curb weight of only 2,880 pounds. Power get transferred to the wheels via a 7-speed Ricardo Double Clutch Transmission developed specifically for the vehicle; it uses the latest double wet-clutch technology and electronic controls. The transmission delivers uninterrupted torque to the rear wheels, shifting between gears in 200 milliseconds.


The ME Four-Twelve is intended to set new performance standards for a mid-engine rear-wheel-drive sports car. Although the performance has not been measured in driving tests, with the aid of computer modeling Chrysler expects the ME Four-Twelve to set new performance standards for a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine sports car: a top speed of 248 mph, or 400 kilometers per hour.


The ME Four-Twelve is expected to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and from zero to 100 mph in 6.2 seconds.


Dodge Sling Shot
The Sling Shot is designed as an affordable, practical and fun driver’s car. Creed described the Sling Shot as a design that breaks the rules and makes new ones.


Sling Shot is powered by a rear-mounted 3-cylinder engine that produces 100 horsepower for a zero-to-60 acceleration time of 10 seconds. With a 5-speed manual transmission, the fuel economy is 45 mpg.


The front panel of the roof and the side rails over the passenger area lift off for open-air driving, adding to ane overall design intended to deliver looks and drivability for auto enthusiasts.


Jeep Rescue and Treo
The Jeep Rescue is intended as an example of classic Jeep off-road capability, combined with the latest technology for search-and-rescue efforts.


To open the vehicle like other Jeeps from the past, the Rescue has a removable door, a folding windshield, a sliding glass sunroof, and a fold-forward canvas roof in the rear.


The Rescue is powered by a Cummins turbodiesel that produces 600 lb-ft of torque. For off-road use Rescue has onboard tire pressure control to adjust the tire pressure for different conditions.


Other equipment includes AC electrical power, 3-D topographical mapping, under-chassis cameras, infrared cameras for searches, Satellite telephone, retractable four-point harnesses, exterior perimeter lighting, white LEV lighting for long distance visual search, folding rear seats, and remote control winches front and rear.


The Jeep Treo is a concept of an urban-active vehicle. The name Treo means three in various languages and refers to the vehicles two-plus-one seating that can be reconfigured to accommodate two people plus their gear.


The Treo has classic Jeep design elements such as the seven-slot grille, large round headlights and a prominent windshield. The shape narrows from front-to-back and the most unique design feature is the twin high-mounted spar wings that serve as rear lights, cooling air intakes, and mounting points for Jeep Rubicon bikes.

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