For 46 years, Moab has been home to the annual Easter Jeep Safari; and this year will be no different.
What will be different are the six new concept vehicles Jeep is bringing. Starting with rolling stock, engineers from Jeep teamed up with the guys at Mopar to create one-off designs that test the limits of design, functionality, and consumer interest.
Here’s this year’s line-up:
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk – With 35-inch tall tires and the new EcoDiesel V-6, Jeep says the Trailhawk is the most extreme Grand Cherokee they’ve ever assembled. Seventeen-inch rims are wrapped with Mickey Thompson off-road tires and surrounded by enlarged wheel openings with custom fender flares. Custom skid plates and dual rear tow hooks complete the look. The interior remains relatively untouched.
Jeep Wrangler Mopar Recon – It seems Jeep spared no expense with this one. It’s powered by a 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 making 470 horsepower mated to a five-speed automatic. The axles are upgraded to Dana 60s with 4.10 gears. A prototype long-arm 4.5-inch suspension lift helps the 39-inch-tall tires fit under the flat metal fenders. It also sports a modified “stinger” bumper, a Warn winch, rock rails, prototype LED headlamps, body-color rear corner guards, and a swing-away rear tire carrier.
Jeep Wrangler Stitch – The Stitch is an exercise in weight reduction. Based on the 2013 Rubicon, it’s been lighted to a parse 3,000 pounds – giving it an incredible power-to-weight ratio. Weight was cut from the frame, axles, body, and interior by removing useless things like the radio, heater, and rear seats. Other parts like the fuel tank and hood were swapped out for lighter units fabricated from aluminum and carbon fiber. The front seats were upgraded to those found in the 2013 SRT Viper for an added touch of awesome.
Jeep Sand Trooper II – Building off the first Sand Trooper concept, this 2013 example is fitted with a 5.7-liter HEMI, a five-speed automatic, innovative Portal axles, beadlock rims, and 40-inch tires. “Shorty” modified bumpers hold a Warn winch up front and a trailer hitch receiver out back for added utility. An in-dash back-up camera helps the driver avoid small cars and large rocks when in reverse.
Jeep Wrangler Flattop – Like your uncle’s haircut from the ‘80s, this Wrangler is made to look good. Its restyled windowless hard top covers the windshield and roll cage that were chopped shorter by two inches. The hard top’s B-pillars were also removed to create a massive opening from the A-pillars back. A Katzkin leather interior package with copper accents help distinguish the Flattop from other Wranglers. It still has plenty of off-road goodies like a DynaTrac Pro Rock 44 front axle and a Dana 60 rear with ARB air lockers, TeraFlex sway bars, the ubiquitous Warn winch, and 37-inch tires.
Jeep Wrangler Slim – The Slim is the mildest concept here with options that could easily be found on everyday Wranglers. The option list includes a prototype 2-inch lift from Mopar, a cold-air intake, rock rails, LED headlamps, Mopar bumpers front and rear, and a CB radio. The powertrain remains the stock 3.6-liter V-6 and 3.73 gearing in the anti-spin axles. The Slim is designed as inspiration for Jeepers on a budget who want to modify their rigs without taking their bank accounts (too far) into the red.
