Meet the Jeep-ster bunny
Jeep tempts fans with seven Performance Parts-based concept cars, writes David Linklater.
It’s an annual tradition for Jeep and Mopar (which creates all official Jeep Performance Parts) to create weird and wonderful concept-cars to show off at the brand’s annual Safari in Moab, Utah.
It’s tradition, but also clever marketing: the concepts showcase a vast range of parts and accessories from Mopar to the brand’s most loyal and enthusiastic customers.
Now in its 52nd year, the Easter Safari took Jeep fans on a week of technical off-roading over demanding trails and through picture-postcard settings.
For 2018, Jeep and Mopar rolled out seven new weird-and-wild show-car takes on the Jeep theme.
This lightweight concept, following the Pork Chop in 2011 and Stitch in 2013, bolsters Wrangler through weight saving, and showcases Jeep’s new 2.0-litre turbocharged engine.
Custom weight saving measures including a carbon fibre hood, high-clearance carbon fibre fender flares and a carbon fibre rear tub with perforated aluminium panels. The rear has custom bodywork and the 4Speed’s ride height is above a standard Wrangler.
Overall length has been shortened, while leaving the wheelbase the same, resulting in increased approach and departure angles.
The interior features a customised instrument panel and retrimmed front seats, while the rear seats have been removed.
Inspired by Baja desert racers, Jeep says the Sandstorm is all about blitzing sandy straightaways while still being capable of handling daily driving duties.
To fit the Baja look, the exterior features a vented carbon-fibre hood, vented high clearance front and rear fender flares and a cage that include a rear-mounted laydown spare tyre carrier.
The exterior handles and swing gate have been removed, while the rear doors have been chopped.
Other custom Baja-inspired touches include high clearance front and rear tube bumpers, modified rock rails, an integrated on-board air compressor, racestyle fuel filler, KC Carbon series front auxiliary lights and a chase light.
The Sandstorm is powered by a 6.4-litre V8 engine from the Mopar performance catalogue and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
The B-Ute’s exterior features unique front and rear fascias and upper grille area, a hood with heat extractors, and wider flares.
Jeep Performance Parts include a lift kit, roof rack and rock rails.
Inside it features customtrimmed seats with Mineral inserts, a Carbonite finish on the shifter, speaker and vent surrounds, Piano Black inserts and a Molle system on the back of the front seats.
The B-Ute is powered by a 2.4-litre Tigershark engine, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
Jeep says the retro Wagoneer Roadtrip ‘‘stirs up nostalgic memories of going to Yellowstone National Park on a summer family vacation’’.
This particular Wagoneer retains its original steel body, but the chassis and drivetrain have been updated.
The wheelbase has been stretched and the body has been updated to accept the additional length.
Other subtle exterior styling tweaks include reshaped wheel wells, bumpers and integrated rock rails. A razor grille has been added, while Bottle Green architectural glass replaces the original pieces.
Inside, the Wagoneer features original front and rear bench seats, door panels, kick and rear panels, all trimmed in Oxbloodcoloured leather.
A wicker headliner gives the Wagoneer an open, lighter feel and the floor has been bedlined. Additional interior details include a custom cooler fashioned from period-correct luggage, and a tool box created from the valve cover of this Wagoneer’s original 230 Tornado OHC-6 engine.
Built from 1963-91, the Wagoneer was the first fourwheel-drive vehicle mated to an automatic transmission. This Wagoneer heritage vehicle is powered by a 5.7-litre V8.
The Nacho Jeep is a rolling catalogue of Mopar’s JPP range, offering a blueprint off-roaders can follow to create their own custom trail vehicle.
Parts featured on the Nacho include a hood that is accented with the standard black hood graphic featuring the all-new JPP badge, which is engineered to accommodate a cold-air intake that feeds the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine.
The satin black Mopar grille adds contrast to the Nacho exterior, and the steel Rubicon bumper offers off-road protection and functionality.
Trail visibility, inspired by the Jeep Luminator concept vehicle shown at Moab in 2017, is delivered by A-pillar and brush guard-mounted LED lights from the Automotive Lighting division of Magneti Marelli.
Automotive Lighting LED header lights seal to the windshield for extra forward illumination, and a rear off-road scouting light uses four-colour LEDs to communicate trail conditions: stop (red), 1-5kmh (amber), 5-40kmh (green) and a rear flood light (white).
Black Katzkin leather seats are dressed up with the Jeep grille logo embroidered in light tungsten stitching on seatbacks, and light tungsten accent stitching on the seat bolsters.
Based on a Wrangler Rubicon, the Jeepster concept evokes the colour palette and speedy styling of the 1966 Jeepster.
The original’s two-tone graphic theme is mirrored with a Firecracker Red body, set off by a Bright White concept hardtop, chopped by two inches, and a Bright White custom windshield raked back 2.5 degrees.
The customised windshield maintains the new Wrangler’s fold-down feature.
A concept tubular roll cage replaces the sport bar and an additional tyre is secured with a custom carrier.
The interior meshes off-road functionality with premium features, including black Katzkin leather seats with Rubicon Red Jeep grille logos embroidered on the seatbacks, and Rubicon Red accent stitching on the seat bolsters.
Relocation of the spare tyre to the cabin provides an opportunity for another custom touch: concept storage packs mounted to the tailgate for transport of gear and supplies such as food, water and tools.
Starting as a Wrangler Sahara, the J-Wagon is painted Warm Neutral Grey with warm-tinted glass, and complemented with Brass Monkey touches throughout the exterior.
It features a version of the JPP hood designed with a cutout kit to work with the available snorkel.
The hood latch is Brass Monkey and further embellished with a black Willys logo.
Camel-colour Katzkin leather seats give an upmarket feel inside and feature stark brown piping and plow-through inserts that mimic the triangulated grille design of the concept rock rails.