Awesome read, and certainly I truly AWESOME concept truck (even more cool that it actually WORKS) BUT, something struck me as kinda
off about a very prolific statement at the beginning of the article:
"...The F-C is another important project for the Jeep design team as it continues to push and reinforce the brand emphasis on utility and brand heritage. While other US brands have bloated and softened their product lines at nearly the same rate as American waistlines, Jeep has actually become more capable and more purposeful (no, I will not use the word authenticity, which now has as much meaning as synergy or excellence. . . puke). The point here is that Jeep's design team gets it - and not just at the level of enthusiasts, but even beyond that by making concepts that even the enthusiasts get all giddy about. This is an important distinction. Mark Allen and his team do not have focus groups or customer 'needs' pow wows, they are thinking of extremely cool vehicles that even the most die-hard Jeep enthusiast hasn't dreamed up. Now understandably, vehicles like the NuKaiser and the F-C will never go into production, but real, breathing and desirable vehicles will be constructed from the DNA of these lustful objects." While I agree with 99% of what you said, I'd like to point out that in REALITY, Jeep has ONE actual worthwhile 4wd so where pray-tell will this tech be showing up??? There's nothing under the FC's skinn that isn't under the Wrangler Rubi's (albeit maybe physicaly LARGER" axles... but still, in REALITY Jeep HAS bloated their product line with things that would make the original Jeep designers puke (compas anyone???) and tried to pass them off a "trail rated" (who's trails I'll never truly understand) while "Walking-Path Rated" might be a better/more honest moniker... Anyway, I guess I'm just kinda put off by how Jeep continues to make these amazing vehicles but in the end defer's to making soccer-mom's happier then the rest of us all the while dodging the TRUE need we have and that is a Diesel powered Wrangler (although I hear it's ACTUALY coming but I'll belive it when I see it...)
Anyway, YES, I agree with most of the article, but to say Jeep hasn't followed suit with the rest of US truck makers is only maybe 1% accurate. 1 truck doesn't make a brand and Jeep certainly has MORE then some folks share of completely INcapable vehicles with their names on them so... While they're no GM, they still have 99% mall crawlers to 1% actual 4wd's.
Still, the FC and Nukaiser are certainly awesome trucks and what I love even more is they were actually BUILT TO PLAY not just sit on a pedestal at an auto show.
OT Side note : Just went out and wheeled my friends 2012 3.6 Rubi yesterday and I gotta say, while it's still WAY shy of what I would consider a "trucks" torque band (the 4.0L it is NOT but it winds far better aye) it was SO MUCH better then the 3.8 I feel REAL sorry for anyone who bought the older trucks... Also got a new Grand stuck as Stuck can be. Sorry, but the Cherokee is D E A D dead... REALLY comfy out on the highway and SO fun on the gravel roads when driven like a Rally car, but it's hopeless when the trails get tight and complicated (course it's spring here in the NW and alot of "built" trucks were struggling too, but still, I lament the loss of the WK despite having left the Jeep fold long ago for great cause (although I WAS driving my dad's 98 XJ UC and it was quite happy pulling "recovery" duty for it's "new" big brother... Good old 4.0L, now if you just were in a body on frame truck I'd still love you
Cheers
Dave
