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Automobiles

Official: Jeep reveals annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari concepts [UPDATE]

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By Zach Bowman

Jeep Wrangler Sand Trooper II Concept

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Jeep has unveiled its annual spate of concepts before the Easter Jeep Safari. Those start with the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Concept (below left), complete with the company’s EcoDiesel V6 engine. Designers threw in a set of 35-inch Mickey Thompson tires wrapped around 17-inch Rubicon wheels, and a set of custom fender flares help keep all that rubber under wraps.

Meanwhile, the Wrangler Mopar Recon (below right) packs a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 good for 470 horsepower. All that grunt gets to the ground via a five-speed automatic transmission and a set of a Dana 60 axles frond and rear with 4.10 gears. The Recon also makes use of a 4.5-inch prototype long-arm kit and a set of prototype eight-lug bead lock wheels.

The Wrangler Stitch (below left) builds on the momentum of the Wrangler Pork Chop Concept. Engineers once again set out to strike as much weight as possible from the vehicle, and actually managed to trim the curb weight down to 3,000 pounds. That effort has given the machine the same power to weight ratio as the Grand Cherokee SRT8. Plenty of carbon fiber, door deletes and a chrome moly roll cage all help trim those pounds, and a set of DanyTrac Pro Rock 44 axles with 4.88 gears and ARB lockers front and rear let this machine scramble over whatever is in its path.

The Wrangler Sand Trooper II (very top) gets its grunt from a 5.7-liter Hemi and puts all 400 pound-feet of torque to the ground via a set of eight-lug portal axles. That hardware allows the Sand Trooper II to run 40-inch tires.

Jeep took a different approach with the Wrangler Flattop (above middle), however. With an upscale appearance, the Flattop boasts a chopped windowless hard top that shortens the machine in height by a full two inches. Designers also cut out the B pillar for a massive side opening. Katzkin leather seating indoors helps offer up a bit more refinement, and the Warn Zeon winch and 37-inch Mickey Thompson tires give the rig some added capability off road.

Finally, the Wrangler Slim (above right) is likely the most accessible of the whole bunch, showing off exactly what can be built out of a Wrangler with a little patience on a budget. The Slim features a 3.6-liter V6, axles with a 3.73 ratio, 17-inch prototype wheels and a 10th-Anniversary Rubicon front bumper. Rock rails and a two-inch lift help get the Slim off the ground.

Check the full press release below for more information on all six rigs.

UPDATE: We’ve just returned from Chrysler’s Design Dome and brought back with us a slew of pics of all of the …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

Automobiles

Jeep Teases Two Concepts For The 2013 Moab Easter Jeep Safari

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By Kurt Ernst

Jeep's Trailhawk II concept

Jeep’s Trailhawk II concept

Every spring, robins fly north, the swallows return to San Juan Capistrano and Jeep owners descend on Moab, Utah for the annual Easter Jeep Safari. It’s also the time of year when Jeep and Mopar roll out a string of concepts and customized off-road vehicles, many of which will (sadly) never see the inside of a dealer’s showroom. On the other hand, Mopar-befitted Jeeps probably help sell a lot of accessories for the brand, which is why the event is so critical to Chrysler.

In 2011 and 2012, Jeep and Mopar showed six concepts, so we expect a similar number this year. Chrysler has just released two images of Jeeps that will be appearing in 2013, and we have to admit that neither one really does it for us. The Trailhawk II appears to be a modified Jeep Grand Cherokee, but aside from the bright orange paint, lifted suspension and off-road tires, we can’t see anything particularly exciting about it.

The same holds true for the Wrangler “Slim,” which looks to be little more than a hot pink Jeep Wrangler with a lift, new front bumper and off-road tires. Surely Chrysler is holding back on the good stuff until the event is near, since neither concept shows the imagination (and engineering) that the brand has exhibited for past Easter Jeep Safaris.

Jeep Wrangler “Slim” concept

On the other hand, Chrysler’s parent, Fiat, isn’t exactly prospering from European sales, so budgets have likely been pared back from previous years. We hope this is just a head fake from Chrysler, and that we can all have a good laugh about it in a few weeks. If the budget for the Moab Easter Jeep Safari has been slashed, though, we can’t imagine what other cuts are coming in the near future.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Automotive Addicts

Automobiles

Jeep Previews Two Concepts Headed for 2013 Moab Easter Safari

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By Alexander Stoklosa

Jeep Wrangler Slim concept

It’s almost that time of year again, when the snow begins melting away, birds head north again, and Jeeps gather in the Moab for the annual Easter Safari. That also means that it’s time for Jeep to reveal a new batch of concept vehicles in a tradition that’s quickly becoming as eagerly awaited as the Safari itself. To kick things off, the legendary off-road brand has released renderings of two of this year’s six concepts: the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk II and the Wrangler Slim.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk II

Unfortunately, Jeep has yet to unleash any information on the Trailhawk II—which we assume is a followup to last year’s Trailhawk, which spun off a production model—or the Wrangler Slim. Both feature brightly colored paint and dark wheels, and the Grand Cherokee clearly is based on the updated-for-2014 model, but that’s about all the information that’s available at the moment. Both look relatively tame, however; we hope Jeep has more up its sleeve for the other four Moab Safari reveals, although that’s a tall order given the awesome-tude of last year’s wares, which included the J-12 and Mighty FC functional show vehicles.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver