I’m pretty confident in my Toyota FJ Cruiser’s ability to get me into and out of places no sane man would travel, but the Chainlink Extreme puts the FJ to shame. Can you say “articulation”?

Thanks to Dave for the video tip.

BBDO – which is a long time advertising partner of Chrysler – closed its Detroit office last Friday (January 26). BBDO Detroit failed to sign a new contract with Chrysler, and although BBDO works with several other companies, the Detroit office deals exclusively with Chrysler. With no new contract in place, it was forced to close the location.

Just a few days ago General Motors announced that they would be offering a few incentives to any Toyota car following the recent recalls Toyota has announced. Ford and Hyundai soon followed after deciding that it would be a good idea to capitalize on Toyota’s misfortune, while Chrysler still had to think over the idea. Finally Chrysler is now following suit and will be getting into the action, but unlike Ford, Hyundai, and General Motors, Chrysler will be focusing their incentives at the minivan and truck owner market.  All the way through March 1, 2o10, anyone who drives a Toyota Sienna, Tacoma or Tundra will be offered $1,ooo to switch over to a Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep vehicle. There is also money available for any expiring Toyota leases as well. These new offers took in to effect earlier this week. The news of Toyota’s recalls may just blow over and they will be able to recover but with several companies “stealing” their customer base, we just can not make that judgement call right now. It will only take some time to see how these companies new incentive plans will effect Toyota

Surprisingly enough considering the quality issues plaguing its parent company, Chrysler, the 2010 Jeep Patriot managed to walk away from the unforgiving Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) with top honors as the official Compact SUV of Texas. “The TAWA Truck Rodeo is the most comprehensive evaluation of new trucks and SUVs in the country,” explained TAWA President Harold Gunn, “Manufacturers consider it a great honor to win their category.” As well they should, since the only two things that come of Texas are trucks and socially awkward jokes…but we digress, yet again.

More than a just a quick jaunt through a patch of overgrowth, the two-day tests which the various candidates are subjected to are designed to test the limits of their off-road capability and separate the true SUVs from the grocery-getting city slickers. “This is certainly an honor for Jeep,” said Michael Manley, President and Chief Executive Officer – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “We’re proud the Patriot proved its off-road prowess at the Texas Truck Rodeo. The Trail Rated® Jeep Patriot 4×4 is hands down the most capable and affordable SUV in the compact segment.”

The difficult economy and the heavy impact it’s had on the automotive industry has made for rather sparse attendance at several major auto shows, but we’re hoping this year’s SEMA show will prove immune to the crisis. We’re always down for ogling some eccentric (occasionally hideous) aftermarket mods, and this year will mark the first year that we’re able to do so in person. First on our visitation schedule will be the Mopar booth, which Chrysler revealed today will feature 4 total vehicles including the Mopar Jeep Lower Forty, Mopar Jeep Wrangler Overland, Mopar Dodge Ram Bianco, and the Mopar Dodge Challenger 1320.

The first two of the four are what capture our interest the most as they highlight and expound upon the rugged off-road features that Jeep is famous for. The Mopar Jeep Lower Forty is a 4×4 behemoth that will be the object of our illogical affection for weeks to come, though we are forced to deduct some points for the press release which included the line “40 inch meats,” but we digress. Surprisingly enough, the suspension was not been modified at all to accommodate the massive tires, but Mopar did chop off a significant amount of body metal. To finish out the exterior mods, the front and rear fender flares were widened by 1″ and hoisted by 4″ and the stock hood was swapped for was a new one-piece carbon-fiber CJ-like power dome. Beneath the hood sits a 5.7L HEMI® V-8 engine and a Getrag 238 six-speed manual transmission, both of which were installed by Burnsville Off-Road using an AEV 5.7L HEMI V-8 conversion kit.

Like it or not, selecting a new vehicle for most people is almost as much about compromise as it is about finding the perfect car. Unless you have deep pockets and a Jay Leno sized garage, to have certain things, you give up others. The pursuit of finding a better balance is the inspiration behind the Jeep Wrangler JK “Weekender” Project Vehicle. The RealWheels people believed that with a little help they could turn the four-door Wrangler into a better daily family hauler, without diminishing its tough off-road capabilities. Here’s what they came up with.

Today, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) member and Tokyo Motor Show chairperson Toyokazu Ishida, confirmed that Hyundai has become the 23 and final major automaker to withdraw from the show. “Hyundai called last week and orally confirmed their intent to cancel,” said Ishida. “It’s unbelievable.” Decidedly more a sound business maneuver then a personal slight, Hyundai’s decision comes on the heels of a string of cancellations from literally every major foreign manufacturer, including Chrysler, GM (and all its subsidiaries), Ford, Volvo, Porsche, and Maserati, to name a few. Excluding native Japanese manufacturers, that leaves Germany’s Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen and Britain’s Lotus as the sole participants.

ICON, the Los Angeles company that has won our hearts and minds by hand-building some of the most exquisite and perfectly updated FJ40 “recreations,” is firing up their wickedly creative minds to build a bespoke vehicle inspired by the Jeep CJ3 – called the ICON CJ3B. The name’s not terribly original but at least there’s no doubt what they’re trying to sell you. ICON has crafted this baby from the ground up, building it all themselves, and if you’ve seen an ICON before you know they do some incredible work. All we have are renderings right now, but it’s not exactly like the styling is going to be a make-or-break for this particular little terror. Make the jump for details and more photos.

Serious financial concerns forced Chrysler to discontinue its leasing practices in July 2008, but after a few months of steady suckling at government teat, the pentastar is ready to get back in the game. Effective September 17, 2009, Chrysler will begin offering hefty leasing incentives on all 2009 and 2010 MY Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles. To jumpstart their comeback, Chrysler will offer 0% APR rates and upwards of 3 grand in Customer Cash back through the end up the month – none of which is an acceptable reason to even get within 10 feet of a Sebring. Or an Aspen. Or a PT Cruiser. But we digress.

Most Of That Will Buff Right Out

The H1N1-like defect bug that has recently been making the rounds with BMW, Toyota, Honda and Subaru may have unfortunately now infected the Jeep Wrangler. But if you drive a Wrangler, don’t be alarmed just yet, this is still in the investigation stage. That is unless you find yourself ankle deep in hot transmission fluid; then be very alarmed.