It's not right; not at all. It's not right that automakers, Jeep in particular, can build a vehicle like the Jeep Hurricane.

Not when they still struggle to market SUVs that get less than 14 miles to the gallon. If the Hurricane, which debuted at the 2005 North American International Auto Show, can become a functional vehicle with all of it amazing capabilities, it would seem logical if some of that remarkable engineering talent went into building safer cars.

Dreamer. Within the context of what is possible and what is reality, the Jeep Hurricane does amazing things. Strange things, things that make you rub your eyes hard and blink twice. Things like all four wheels turning in opposite directions, thus enabling the vehicle to navigate a turn radius of zero - absolute zero. The Hurricane manages it because of skid steer capability and toe steer, meaing that it has the ability to turn both front and rear tires inward.

Then there are the dual 5.7-liter Hemis, front and back - both emiting power in the realm of 335 horsepower and 370 lb.ft.. of torque, that will gofrom0-60 in less than 5 seconds. Both HEMI engines offer Multi-Displacement -meaning the engines only use the necessary power. That power is delivered through a central transfer case and split axles with a mechanically controlled four-wheel torque distribution system. The front and rear suspension is short/long arm independent with 20 inches of suspension travel, controlled by coilover shocks with remote reservoirs.

The creature has an approach/departure angle of 64.0 and 86.7 degrees -close to vertical - and the Hurricane can even travel sideways.

"In the last two years, we've though of something totally extreme," said Trevor Creed, Trevor Creed, senior vice president - Chrysler Group Design. "Now it's Jeep's turn."

Talk about extreme…Bring that Hummer over here, boy. According to Creed, the Hurricane is full function and built for extreme off-roaders. It's less a car than an amazing mechanical beast, a creature from the deep recesses of a Jeep engineer's dream.

Wake up. The scary thing, according to Chrysler executives, is that they could build it for sale - the two-engine design could be modified into a one-engine package. As for the rest, it seems unlikely that a Hurricane will crab-walk down your street anytime in the next 50years. But then again, they also said hybrids were just a dream..

By Brian Chee

Photos by Erik Hanson