* Camp Jeep® Comes to New England Auto Show for the First Time * Bayside Expo Center transformed into 40,000 sq. ft. off-road driving course * Auto show attendees to have chance to ride in the all-new 2006 Jeep® Commander * Consumers will experience the Jeep lifestyle with a Trail Rated® Test Track, live Djs, video games and electronic Web photos with Jeep vehicles * Jeep Kidz zone features Kidz mini-Jeep driving course and 18-ft. climbing wall The 40,000-sq.-ft. display boasts a 16-foot hill climb, Sirius Dj's broadcasting live, and a special Jeep Kidz area. The interactive Jeep display will give consumers and opportunity to truly experience the world's most capable 4x4 vehicles and the lifestyle that goes with them. Chrysler Group has hosted test drives at auto shows for three years and is the only automotive manufacturer to offer on-site test drives at auto shows. The all-new 2006 Jeep Commander — the first ever seven-passenger, three-row Jeep vehicle — will join the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Liberty on the Trail Rated off-road driving course. The five-minute drive will showcase the Jeep brand's off-road capabilities, including traction, articulation, ground clearance, maneuverability and water fording. Eight vehicles will operate on the test track at any given time and an additional 25 vehicles will be on display, including the Jeep Commander and Jeep Gladiator concept vehicle. Other Chrysler and Dodge vehicles on display include the Chrysler 300C SRT8, Dodge Ram Mega Cab and Dodge Charger R/T. "Auto show attendees want to do more than just look at vehicles, they want an experience to remember," said George Murphy, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing for the Chrysler Group. "At the Jeep display event goers will see the vehicles inside and out, feel their capabilities and get a taste of the lifestyle that goes with the Jeep brand." Test Track Fun Facts * The Jeep course will be comprised of five different surfaces -- dirt, rocks, water, wood and asphalt -- and includes a 16+ foot vertical climb on a Jeep mountain. * More than 220 yards (5,700 cubic feet) of dirt and wood chips will be used to construct the Trail Rated course. All materials will be recycled and returned back to original source. * The temporary structure built to accommodate Camp Jeep New England covers almost 40.000 square feet. * Course construction will take five days. * Jeep Trail Rated course highlights include water fording, ground clearance, articulation, traction and maneuverability demonstrations. * It will take nearly five minutes to ride the circuit on the 465-foot-long Jeep course. (Great roller coaster rides last about three minutes!) * Over 20,000 riders are expected to take part in the Camp Jeep New England experience. * A free Jeep Photo Zone will give guests the opportunity to have their photo taken with the Gladiator concept vehicle. * Guests will receive a free souvenir at the always popular Jeep penny press. Also featured is the popular "Jeep Kidz" zone, which features the "Jeep Kidz Course" where kids ages 3 and up can test drive their very own mini Jeep vehicles, play Tony Hawk video games, experience Atomic Skis & Wildcat Mountain and climb an 18-ft. wall. Since Chrysler Group began implement auto show test drive events in New York in 2005, nearly 135,000 individuals have experienced test rides, and more than 1.7 million have visited the displays. Auto show test drive events have been held in Boston, Chicago, New York and Frankfurt, Germany. The list of venues will grow in the 2005-2006 auto show season. The average time a consumer spends at a Chrysler Group test drive display is 41 minutes, which is nearly four times more than the 10-minute average typically spent at auto show displays. Chrysler Group has found that 40 percent of those who attend an auto show change their minds as to what they wish to purchase because of their auto show experience. In addition, 60 percent of auto show attendees will be in the market for a new vehicle within six months, with eight percent purchasing a vehicle within four weeks, 22 percent purchasing a vehicle within six months and 40 percent purchasing a vehicle within one year. The indoor test tracks grew from recent success Chrysler Group has had with its Chrysler and Jeep brand driving programs over the last several years. These two day-long events are held in dozens of cities around the country and immerse consumers in brand specific lifestyle activities, and offer guests the chance to drive Chrysler and Jeep brand products. For more information on Chrysler Group products and events, visit www.Jeep.com, www.Chrysler.com and www.Dodge.com. Source: Chrysler Group |