Chrysler M80

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    It may be hard to believe but the most-widely sold 4-wheeled vehicle on the planet is not a passenger car. It’s a pick-up and even more amazingly, the huge numbers that have enabled it to be No. 1 for many years have been achieved in a single market – the USA. They really love their pick-ups there…

    So when it comes to future designs for this type of vehicle, who best to make proposals but the Americans. Chrysler (now part of DaimlerChrysler) has long been known for exciting designs and the M80 pick-up which its studio created has certainly stirred up emotions.

    In working on the concept vehicles for 2002, Chrysler designers realised that what the market lacks for the “millennials” right now is what they call ‘a real hot pickup truck, just for me, a friend and our gear’.

    Thus, the M80 is a small, affordable truck with a design loaded with character and intrinsic value. Minimalist, new, neat design details are abundant as stand-out design elements include the satin-stainless steel-look grille and headlamp surrounds, classic round lamps and the metallic slate-gray, molded-in-colour PET-plastic fenders and bumpers with integrated tow-hooks. PET, by the way, is the
    plastic used for making the bottles for drinks and can be recycled for many purposes.

    The M80 has simple, chiselled lines enhanced by the fender vent vanes, pushbutton door handles, integrated PET-plastic side-storage lockers, dual spin-off fuel-filler caps in satin-stainless steel-look and stamped-steel 20-inch wheels shod with 265/50R20 Goodyear tyres.

    “When I was young, we were always looking for stylish, low-cost 4×4 vehicles to accommodate our ever-changing activities,” says Chrysler’s Design Chief, John Opfer. “That is exactly what I had in mind while sketching the Dodge M80, geared toward the new generation we call ‘millennials’.”

    The spacious 1.52-metre long cargo bed is protected by a durable PET-plastic liner and bulkhead and has many tie-down points for bicycles, skis and surfboard racks.

    The tailgate features ‘stamped-through’ lettering for the Dodge and 4×4 emblems. Oversized, performance-tuned dual exhaust pipes and jewel-like round tail lamps complete the exterior highlights.

    The back of the cab features a full-width glass window that flips open for ventilation. “It not only has a clean, modern design, but it is truly functional. You can easily get to your gear in the back, and if the bed is not long enough, you can open the flipper-glass and add the cabin to your load-length,” explains Opfer.

    The M80’s interior design shows practical solutions for difficult design dilemmas. The concept has a ‘no-frills’, rugged and durable interior with ‘unexpected and youthful features’. There is an abundance of bright yellow body-colour sheet-metal panels on the inside of M80, enhanced by satin-silver hard-plastic covers and water-repelling Neoprene-look seat-trim.

    The centre console doubles as a portable cooler while the lightweight seats can be removed and used outdoors. Behind the fold-flat seats is a vehicle-wide bin for wet-goods such as shoes, umbrella or a snowboard. The instrument panel features a large storage drawer.

    The driver is kept informed by simple, easily understood, backlit satellite gauges, offering just basic information. The speedometer and tachometer are co-axial, using a single set of numbers for speed and rpm. Large rotary knobs operate the audio and heating systems, while classic ‘ball-and-socket’-style vents direct the airflow around the interior. The M80’s performance image is accentuated by aluminium foot pedals.

    Based on a current Dodge Dakota frame with independent short-and-long-arm front suspension and a solid axle with leafsprings in the rear, the M80 incorporates a high percentage of existing components from other Chrysler products, making it affordable to build.

    Power comes from a 3.7-litre V6 engine coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission and 4×4 transfer case. With an estimated vehicle weight of 1,136 kgs and a power rating of a 157 kW/210 bhp plus 319 Nm of torque, this concept truck’s calculated performance figures include a top speed of 160 km/h and it should be able to sprint to 96 km/h in 8 seconds flat.

    What started out as a concept has become a serious proposition for DaimlerChrysler and the latest news is that the company is thinking of building the M80 and selling it in Europe. It’s classified as a ‘compact truck’ so we may one day see it in Malaysia. It might even sneak in under some other brand and name since Chrysler hasn’t been here for almost 20 years.

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