Is A Jeep Nighthawk About To Strike?

Jeep may be taking a side trip … to the city.

The off-road brand’s parent company has filed a trademark application for a new name.

FCA US LLC, which is the legal entity that still encompasses the U.S.-based Stellantis brands, in November requested protection for the Nighthawk name in regard to “land vehicles, namely, passenger automobiles.”

It’s not a nameplate with any history at Chrysler, Dodge, Ram or Jeep, but would fit right in at the last of those.

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Jeep often deploys the Trailhawk name for the most off-road capable versions of its SUVs, aside from the Wrangler, which goes with Rubicon.

The last-generation Grand Cherokee was also offered in a high-performance Trackhawk trim powered by a 707 hp supercharged Hellcat V8. The Nighthawk name suggests more of a stylish street model with a blacked-out look, but Jeep hasn’t commented on the trademark or officially announced that anything like it is in the works.

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It’s also possible it could end up on a Dodge. The trademark references similar ones owned by the automaker including Trailhawk, but also Tomahawk, which has already lived two lives.

It first appeared on a V-10 powered motorcycle concept at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show that the company followed up with nine replicas sold through Nieman Marcus at $555,000 each.

The name then made a trip into the virtual world in 2015 on the 2035 SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo, which was available to race in the Gran Turismo 6 video game.

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For now, the Nighthawk only exists in the files of of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but perhaps it will escape its digital cage soon.