First Drive Review
Jeep continues to tease us with pickup concepts, raising the expectations of media and enthusiasts alike, only to dash our dreams like a day on the Rubicon Trail without a skid plate.
The latest temptress is the very, very production-feasible, Wrangler-based Jeep JT, a concept dreamed up by Mark Allen of Mopar's skunkworks design team, a wily in-house group that builds one-off playthings using as many off-the-shelf (or off other people's shelves) parts as possible. Ergo, almost everything that comprises the JT would not only be easy to produce but is already produced. Hmm.
The JT concept, developed for the SEMA show, shares its frame and 116.0-inch wheelbase, as well as its grille, hood, and everything beneath it, with the new JK Wrangler Unlimited. The JT sits higher, thanks to a three-inch lift kit and 35-inch tires, the latter mounted on ivory-painted Frisbee-style wheels that could have been yanked off a milk truck. The rear end features an electronically locking Dana 44. As for the shallow five-foot bed and side-hinged tailgate: Jeep produces those for the "J8" Wrangler, a vehicle it makes for the Egyptian military. Who knew?
The only parts not shared with anything else in the DaimlerChrysler family or available from the aftermarket are the custom-made rear bulkhead and removable roof. Oh, and the JT's unique "Hearing Aid Beige" paint (we're not making that up) that's not shared with anything other than, um, hearing aids.
