Gnarly
Jeep Chief Concept
Jeep
went and unveiled the Chief concept, a modern take on the classic Cherokee
Chief that plunged many of us back into a deep internal dialogue regarding the
existential relationship between the heart, the mind, the wallet, and vintage 4×4
ownership.
Created
for the forty-ninth-annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, the Chief’s
unmistakable razor grille and chrome bumper are sure to trigger a déjà vu
moment even in casual observers. A rich coat of sublime Ocean Blue paint perfectly
conjures up a ’70s California beach vibe. The 17-inch classic slotted-mag
wheels wearing 37-inch tires fall right in line with the design ethos.
Motivation is provided by the corporate 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 mated to a
six-speed manual. Mopar’s Jeep Performance Parts provides a cold-air intake for
the V-6.
Based
on the Wrangler Unlimited, the Chief concept’s doors and windshield were
chopped two inches, and a restyled roof channels the vintage Chief two-door’s
look as does the elimination of the exterior handles for the rear doors. The
lack of C-pillars creates a long rear side window that continues the theme or
it would if the window had any glass, but it doesn’t and neither does the
tailgate. A Mopar two-inch lift kit with Fox shocks gives the Chief a slightly
enhanced vertical perspective, and Dana 44 axles with locking diffs provide a
sturdy base for the Chief.
The
interior takes the beach theme to Hawaii, with floral-pattern seats in pink,
blue, and white reportedly inspired by Tom Selleck’s iconic Hawaiian shirts as
worn on Magnum P.I. Rosewood slats lend an air of vintage class to the cargo
area, and any doubts about the influence Magnum P.I. had on the team will be
squashed when you open the tailgate and find Selleck’s mug incorporated into
the side panels. Vintage surfer logos are found on the console and the door
handles, and a tiki-style shifter handle drives home the point.
