Auto Car | Dodge Rampage Concept 2006 | Stratuscaster, owner of the Stratusphere, provided us with these candid photos of the new Dodge Rampage concept car. We have been told by non-company sources that this is a “pure” concept, that is, it is not based on an existing vehicle. Kudos to Stratuscaster for getting these ahead-of-time shots! He wrote: After taking many pictures, staring at the press kit, staring at the Rampage itself, and speaking with Ralph Gilles, head of truck design…It’s a concept. Sometimes a concept is not done to show a future production model, but as a rolling test bed to show off things that might make an appearance in future vehicles. And in other cases, the concept is intended to head to production, but not as the vehicle you see.As I’ve noted in other posts, we see a truck. And when I saw this truck, I watched the rear wheels as it headed up the ramp to the stage, waiting for them to slip. Which they never did. Because it wasn’t until we read the press kits - they never mentioned this in the actual presentation - it was FWD!
I don’t know anything about the future plans CG might have for the Rampage. I am merely speculating based upon what I’ve seen and read and heard. That said, we are seeing a truck. But what we ought to be seeing is…perhaps…the next evolution of the venerable minivan.Discussion in the forums indicate that this is, believe it or not, a front wheel drive Hemi. Can you say “torque steer”? Like the Honda Ridgeline, the Dodge Rampage concept vehicle is a fresh look at how many families actually use the popular pickup trucks.Scott Krugger, principal exterior designer, said “This is a truck for the person who wants the functional aspects of a truck yet doesn’t want a traditional vehicle. The Rampage has the capability of a pickup without sacrificing occupant space.” Combining the width of a Dodge Ram with the length of a Dodge Dakota, the Rampage features unitized body construction, front-wheel drive, and unique independent rear wheel suspension (as with the first Dodge Rampage, which was based on the Omni).
To achieve their objectives of a family-size passenger cabin and pickup utility, the largest portion of the Rampage is devoted to the passenger cabin, followed by the five-foot cargo box, and last, the engine compartment (which accommodates a 5.7-liter HEMI®). To visually reinforce the fact that the majority of the vehicle is dedicated to passengers and cargo, a slim appliqué of brushed aluminum runs along the cowl, up and over the roof rails and around the top of the cargo box, a shimmering silver ribbon that contrasts with the dark-gray exterior.The Dodge grille is set flush within a curving plane that encompasses rectangular wraparound headlamps. Featuring LED lighting, all exterior lamps rely on light-piping and both acrylic to achieve a cleaner look.The body side is dominated by flared fenders with the widest part of the body centered over the 22-inch aluminum wheels. The framed doors feature a continuous fore-aft glass plane while the reverse-angle “pillar” on the rear door and distinctive triangular window give a sporty coupe-like profile.
To draw attention to the occupant space, a U-shaped chamfered element runs above the sill and travels up the body along the leading and trailing edges of the door sets. Accented with brushed aluminum, this detail is subtly repeated on the exterior door handles. Access to the interior is exceptional. When either door is opened, the sill pivots down to expose a handy step assist. While the front door is hinged conventionally, the rear door slides open to reveal an imaginative and supremely practical interior, entry to which is enhanced by the absence of the customary B-pillar.“The interior of the Rampage is durable, functional and efficient,” said Irina Zavatski, principal interior designer. “Everything is there for a reason.”Structural elements are exposed. The contoured center stack, for example, “floats” above the surface of the instrument panel. Composed of satin silver finished “framing,” the center stack can be pulled rearward and rotated toward either driver or passenger to access the navigation, HVAC and entertainment functions. The free-standing instrument cluster has a similar look and moves with the adjustable steering column while the steering wheel spokes harmonize with both cluster and center stack.
Overhead a ladder-type front-to-rear console with storage and entertainment units incorporates distinctive mood lighting along its edges. Flanking the console are fore-aft skylights, bringing welcoming daylight to rear seat passengers as well as those up front.“The seating is designed to be athletic, comfortable, yet rugged,” said Chris Welch, designer of the seats, which are contoured around specially-fabricated folding framing finished in satin silver. To facilitate ingress/egress to the rear compartment, milled silver handles are integrated into the outboard sides of the front seat backs. The dark charcoal seats are trimmed in a smooth polyurethane-coated material and a three-dimensional open texture “spacer knit” fabric which is also used as a non-glare covering on the instrument panel. Contrasting red-orange fabric on the seat inserts echoes similar accents on the instrument panel, steering wheel and door armrests.
Source : www.allpar.com
I don’t know anything about the future plans CG might have for the Rampage. I am merely speculating based upon what I’ve seen and read and heard. That said, we are seeing a truck. But what we ought to be seeing is…perhaps…the next evolution of the venerable minivan.Discussion in the forums indicate that this is, believe it or not, a front wheel drive Hemi. Can you say “torque steer”? Like the Honda Ridgeline, the Dodge Rampage concept vehicle is a fresh look at how many families actually use the popular pickup trucks.Scott Krugger, principal exterior designer, said “This is a truck for the person who wants the functional aspects of a truck yet doesn’t want a traditional vehicle. The Rampage has the capability of a pickup without sacrificing occupant space.” Combining the width of a Dodge Ram with the length of a Dodge Dakota, the Rampage features unitized body construction, front-wheel drive, and unique independent rear wheel suspension (as with the first Dodge Rampage, which was based on the Omni).
To achieve their objectives of a family-size passenger cabin and pickup utility, the largest portion of the Rampage is devoted to the passenger cabin, followed by the five-foot cargo box, and last, the engine compartment (which accommodates a 5.7-liter HEMI®). To visually reinforce the fact that the majority of the vehicle is dedicated to passengers and cargo, a slim appliqué of brushed aluminum runs along the cowl, up and over the roof rails and around the top of the cargo box, a shimmering silver ribbon that contrasts with the dark-gray exterior.The Dodge grille is set flush within a curving plane that encompasses rectangular wraparound headlamps. Featuring LED lighting, all exterior lamps rely on light-piping and both acrylic to achieve a cleaner look.The body side is dominated by flared fenders with the widest part of the body centered over the 22-inch aluminum wheels. The framed doors feature a continuous fore-aft glass plane while the reverse-angle “pillar” on the rear door and distinctive triangular window give a sporty coupe-like profile.
To draw attention to the occupant space, a U-shaped chamfered element runs above the sill and travels up the body along the leading and trailing edges of the door sets. Accented with brushed aluminum, this detail is subtly repeated on the exterior door handles. Access to the interior is exceptional. When either door is opened, the sill pivots down to expose a handy step assist. While the front door is hinged conventionally, the rear door slides open to reveal an imaginative and supremely practical interior, entry to which is enhanced by the absence of the customary B-pillar.“The interior of the Rampage is durable, functional and efficient,” said Irina Zavatski, principal interior designer. “Everything is there for a reason.”Structural elements are exposed. The contoured center stack, for example, “floats” above the surface of the instrument panel. Composed of satin silver finished “framing,” the center stack can be pulled rearward and rotated toward either driver or passenger to access the navigation, HVAC and entertainment functions. The free-standing instrument cluster has a similar look and moves with the adjustable steering column while the steering wheel spokes harmonize with both cluster and center stack.
Overhead a ladder-type front-to-rear console with storage and entertainment units incorporates distinctive mood lighting along its edges. Flanking the console are fore-aft skylights, bringing welcoming daylight to rear seat passengers as well as those up front.“The seating is designed to be athletic, comfortable, yet rugged,” said Chris Welch, designer of the seats, which are contoured around specially-fabricated folding framing finished in satin silver. To facilitate ingress/egress to the rear compartment, milled silver handles are integrated into the outboard sides of the front seat backs. The dark charcoal seats are trimmed in a smooth polyurethane-coated material and a three-dimensional open texture “spacer knit” fabric which is also used as a non-glare covering on the instrument panel. Contrasting red-orange fabric on the seat inserts echoes similar accents on the instrument panel, steering wheel and door armrests.
Source : www.allpar.com
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