The first FCA Design Cars + Coffee event of the year was held yesterday. Weather forecast said there would be rain in the late afternoon, but like all Michigan weather it didn’t go according to plan. Shortly after the event started, rain hit the area. But, that didn’t stop the diehard Mopar fans from coming out. While some left the event early, the rain subsided for enough time that we got a chance to get some pictures and video of the four concepts on display at the event.
The first car we got to look at was the special one-of-kind 2018 Dodge Challenger T/A 392 created for the Spring Festival of LXs or LX Springfest as it is commonly known. The event is held in Southern California every year and is open to FCA LX-platform derivative vehicles such as the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Challenger.
What makes this Challenger T/A 392 so special is the color. Its a FCA Design test color called “Fortuno’s Gold”. The name comes from John Fortuno (who goes by the screen name fatchance), who is the founder of the LX Springfest event. Let us just say the color looks simply amazing in person. When you walk around the car, the metallic flake shifts the color from a deep gold to a metallic mustard-like color. The color has a lot of 70’s flare to it, while looking modern today which makes it really stands out in a crowd. Let’s hope this color makes it into production.
The Challenger T/A also features a unique Shaker hood system borrowed from the Scat Pack 392 Shaker. However this time, the shaker is painted in “Fortuno’s Gold” instead of being black like the production shaker unit.
2017 Jeep Quicksand Concept. (MoparInsiders.com)The concept next to the Challenger T/A was the popular Jeep Wrangler Quicksand Concept. The Quicksand Concept made it’s debut at the 2017 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. This concept is not so much a wicked Jeep as it is a piece of art. Probably one of the most detailed Jeep concepts to ever come out of the design studio. We are not going to talk about the Quicksand too much, since we will have an article coming out on it later this week.
Sitting next to the Quicksand Concept is the vehicle that highlighted the 2018 Easter Jeep Safari, which is the 1965 Jeep Wagoneer Roadtrip Concept. This is our second time seeing this vehicle in as many of months and it still makes it hard to wipe the big grin of your face after looking at it. The design team did an amazing job with this concept. If you want to know more about the 5.7-liter HEMI powered Wagoneer Roadtrip Concept, be sure to read the article we did last month after seeing it.
The last concept on display was the 2013 Jeep Wrangler Flattop Concept. The Jeep Wrangler Flattop is a paradox of sorts. Its highly styled and refined body and interior completely belies its phenomenal off-road capability. Jeep designers took special care to give the Wrangler Flattop an upscale appearance inside and out, but bolted some of the most hard-core off-road gear available to Flattop’s chassis.
Featuring a custom one-piece, windowless hard top, the body is finished in a metallic sandstone with copper and brown accents. The top and windshield were chopped two inches, and the b-pillar was removed creating a massive opening from front to rear. The door and hood hinges, tow hooks, grille slats and headlamp surrounds are finished in a copper tone, and the bumpers, side rails, side mirrors and hood decal are dark brown. The bumpers are customized versions from the Wrangle Rubicon 10th Anniversary model, as is the hood. Custom high line fender flares, Truck-Lite LED headlamps, LED rear taillamps and side markers, a massive Warn Zeon winch and TeraFlex spare tire carrier round off the exterior enhancements.
The interior features dark saddle Katzkin leather seating, copper accents on the steering wheel spokes, vent rings and passenger grab handle and Mopar slush mats.
Under Flattop’s rich exterior is some serious off-road gear such as a Mopar cold-air intake, Mopar exhaust kit, aluminum five-spoke wheels that carry 37-inch Mickey Thompson off-road tires, the DynaTrac Pro Rock 44 front and Dana 60 rear axles feature ARB air lockers and TeraFlex sway bars, and Full-Traction control arms. All of this is hardware is bolted to King shocks with pneumatic bump stops.
The design team did an amazing job putting on the event, even if the weather did not cooperate. But we look forward to the next FCA Design Cars + Coffee later this year.
Editor’s Note: Uploaded More Photos From Event On 11/3/2018.
