jeep – DesignApplause

Best of show. Chicago auto show 2012.

Feb 23, 2012

ford shelby gt500 | click > enlarge

For the seventh straight year, thousands of consumer voters pick their faves in five categories:
• Best All-New Production Vehicle: Ford Shelby GT500 (23 percent of vote) 
• Best Concept Vehicle: Lexus LF-LC (30 percent of vote) 
• Best Green Vehicle: Chevrolet Volt (24 percent of vote) 
• Best Exhibit: Jeep (29 percent of vote) 
• Vehicle I’d most like to have in my driveway: Ford Shelby GT500

chevrolet volt

DesignApplause picks their faves in five categories:
• Best All-New Production Vehicle: Lexus LAF – their first super car – only 500 of them
• Best Concept Vehicle: volvo concept you – does not even look like a concept, at first glance
• Best Green Vehicle: BMW i3 “concept” – predict first in this class to hit the streets
• Best Exhibit: Honda – they create a lot of cool objects
• Vehicle I’d most like to have in my driveway: Audi R8 Spyder

lexus laf

volvo concept you

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Icon motors. CJ3B.

Oct 22, 2010

not your grandfather’s jeep.

Back in the days of records, the pre-Jeep Willys CJ3B was king of the trails. Unfortunately, its function didn’t hold up as nicely as its image. Icon Motors produced a more pleasant update.

Icon laser-scanned the surfaces of a few of their old CJ’s, generating a 3-D model of the nearly ancient vehicle. Next, they pressed new panels out of newer steel and coated it with a Teflon-polyurethane powdercoat that we couldn’t scratch even with our greatest efforts.

While it looks like it’s predecessor, a mechanic from the 40s would not recognize the undercarriage. The new, mandrel-bent frame is designed to accommodate independent suspension, instead of the outdated leaf springs. The Chevy,4 cylinder engine hits 205 horsepower and does 23 mpg.

This jeeps 4WD system was adapted from a 2010 model: It’s more advanced and the finding replacement parts is easy.

While the 1950s 3B got up to 50 mph on the highway, this one does 80. It also has 24 inches of wheel travel, to scurry over boulders with 4WD.

Every light in the CJ3B is LED—the dashboard to the headlamps. At 64 inches wide, it is narrow and capable enough to tackle trails that Jeeps aren’t allowed to venture down. Price: $83,000 USD.

producer: icon
material: steel
period: 2010s

[via wired]