Jimmyb
30-04-2010, 01:54 PM
<p align="justify"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/easter-jeep-safari-main-630.jpg" width="240" height="165" hspace="10" border="0" align="LEFT" /><strong>Chrysler's engineers have been busy lately. Mark Allen, head of the Jeep design studio, has introduced a total of eight new concept vehicles at this year's Easter Jeep Safari.
Each one has been worked up by the company's off-road engineering team, and while most are nothing more than pure fantasy, at least a few can be crafted out of parts available from the Mopar go-fast catalog. Even better, all have the off road guts to go anywhere you please.
</strong>
That includes the Jeep Wrangler J7. Consider this the stripped-down beast we would build if Chrysler gave us the keys to the kingdom for a week.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/07-easter-jeep-safariopta.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
Fluffy stuff like carpet, the stereo and alloy wheels have been ditched in favor of more utilitarian goods. New all-steel bumpers, complete with helicopter hooks, join a sturdy rear gate and steel wheels wrapped in 35-inch rubber. A small 2-inch lift helps accommodate the larger rollers, and the eye-searing Mustard Plug paint sets the truck apart from the crowd. While we have no problem with the 3.8-liter V6, we would probably swap the four-speed automatic gear box for a row-your-own.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/02-easter-jeep-safariopt.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
Speaking of rowing your own, the Jeep Patriot Extreme is more than happy to accommodate third-pedal lovers everywhere. While Wrangler guys may be quick to rag on the baby Jeep, this Patriot is more than capable of dispatching rough terrain. A two-inch suspension lift gives the trail-rated package just a little more clearance, and custom rock rails protect the bodywork from getting too close to the trail. We're also digging those 16-inch TJ Moab wheels, extra lighting on the bumper and roof rack for... snowboards?
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/trail-boss-250-1270058403.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
Chrysler says it turned out the Wrangler Trail Boss (right) just to show off all of the products available from the Jeep trail catalog. The truck's specs read like a recipe for a Wrangler wish list. Outside, the most noticeable difference between the Trail Boss and a standard Wrangler is the addition of new AEV off-road bumpers, complete with a Warn 9.5ti winch, though the half-doors and sun bonnet do much to alter the truck's attitude, too. A 3-inch lift kit allows for healthy 35-inch rubber down below, wrapped around those slick Hutchinson Rock Monster beadlock wheels. Click the jump to read about the rest of the Mopar monsters.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/06-easter-jeep-safariopt.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
Our personal favorite? That has to be the Jeep Nukizer 715 (above). While the name could use a little work, this truck is the epitome of what we want to see Jeep produce. Designed as an homage to the legendary Kaiser M-715, this beastie makes use of a J8 two-door body and an aftermarket AEV Brute pick-up bed. Chrysler's engineers built that leaning front nose out of carbon fiber, and stretched the frame to 124 inches to make a little more room for the new bodywork. It only gets better when we start talking drivetrain. At its beating heart, the Nukizer 715 uses a 2.8-liter tubo-diesel four-cylinder mated to a four-speed slusher. A Dana 44 axle sits up front, backed up by a Dana 60 in the rear, both with 5:38 gear ratios. Perfection? You're looking at it.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/10-easter-jeep-safariopt.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
The Mopar crowd also took a shot at creating their own rock crawler with The General – a 2009 Wrangler built for scrambling over the big stuff. A 4.5-inch lift kit gives the truck a little extra reach, and tricks like those flat fenders and half doors give the driver a little extra visibility, too. The standard bumpers have been ditched in favor of hard steel units, and rock sliders along both rockers are ready to take some serious abuse on your favorite trail. It looks good as it is, but we wouldn't mind seeing a few hard earned scratches and dings along that perfect bodywork.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/01-easter-jeep-safariopt.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
The finale of the big eight is the Mopar ImMortal, which, despite some odd capitalization that makes the truck read more like "I'm Mortal" than "Immortal," actually boasts some hardcore equipment. A set of specially-adapted Portal axles provide a full five-inches of lift on top of a 1.5 gear reduction. Throw that in with the ImMortal's 4:1 transfer case, and this Wrangler is capable of a ridiculous 100:1 final drive. Oh, this? It's built for climbing trees.
The Moab Easter Jeep Safari has always been a draw for off-road enthusiasts of every color, and Chrysler has used the event to launch hardcore concepts since around 2002.
</p>
Each one has been worked up by the company's off-road engineering team, and while most are nothing more than pure fantasy, at least a few can be crafted out of parts available from the Mopar go-fast catalog. Even better, all have the off road guts to go anywhere you please.
</strong>
That includes the Jeep Wrangler J7. Consider this the stripped-down beast we would build if Chrysler gave us the keys to the kingdom for a week.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/07-easter-jeep-safariopta.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
Fluffy stuff like carpet, the stereo and alloy wheels have been ditched in favor of more utilitarian goods. New all-steel bumpers, complete with helicopter hooks, join a sturdy rear gate and steel wheels wrapped in 35-inch rubber. A small 2-inch lift helps accommodate the larger rollers, and the eye-searing Mustard Plug paint sets the truck apart from the crowd. While we have no problem with the 3.8-liter V6, we would probably swap the four-speed automatic gear box for a row-your-own.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/02-easter-jeep-safariopt.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
Speaking of rowing your own, the Jeep Patriot Extreme is more than happy to accommodate third-pedal lovers everywhere. While Wrangler guys may be quick to rag on the baby Jeep, this Patriot is more than capable of dispatching rough terrain. A two-inch suspension lift gives the trail-rated package just a little more clearance, and custom rock rails protect the bodywork from getting too close to the trail. We're also digging those 16-inch TJ Moab wheels, extra lighting on the bumper and roof rack for... snowboards?
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/trail-boss-250-1270058403.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
Chrysler says it turned out the Wrangler Trail Boss (right) just to show off all of the products available from the Jeep trail catalog. The truck's specs read like a recipe for a Wrangler wish list. Outside, the most noticeable difference between the Trail Boss and a standard Wrangler is the addition of new AEV off-road bumpers, complete with a Warn 9.5ti winch, though the half-doors and sun bonnet do much to alter the truck's attitude, too. A 3-inch lift kit allows for healthy 35-inch rubber down below, wrapped around those slick Hutchinson Rock Monster beadlock wheels. Click the jump to read about the rest of the Mopar monsters.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/06-easter-jeep-safariopt.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
Our personal favorite? That has to be the Jeep Nukizer 715 (above). While the name could use a little work, this truck is the epitome of what we want to see Jeep produce. Designed as an homage to the legendary Kaiser M-715, this beastie makes use of a J8 two-door body and an aftermarket AEV Brute pick-up bed. Chrysler's engineers built that leaning front nose out of carbon fiber, and stretched the frame to 124 inches to make a little more room for the new bodywork. It only gets better when we start talking drivetrain. At its beating heart, the Nukizer 715 uses a 2.8-liter tubo-diesel four-cylinder mated to a four-speed slusher. A Dana 44 axle sits up front, backed up by a Dana 60 in the rear, both with 5:38 gear ratios. Perfection? You're looking at it.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/10-easter-jeep-safariopt.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
The Mopar crowd also took a shot at creating their own rock crawler with The General – a 2009 Wrangler built for scrambling over the big stuff. A 4.5-inch lift kit gives the truck a little extra reach, and tricks like those flat fenders and half doors give the driver a little extra visibility, too. The standard bumpers have been ditched in favor of hard steel units, and rock sliders along both rockers are ready to take some serious abuse on your favorite trail. It looks good as it is, but we wouldn't mind seeing a few hard earned scratches and dings along that perfect bodywork.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/01-easter-jeep-safariopt.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="10" border="0" align="right" />
The finale of the big eight is the Mopar ImMortal, which, despite some odd capitalization that makes the truck read more like "I'm Mortal" than "Immortal," actually boasts some hardcore equipment. A set of specially-adapted Portal axles provide a full five-inches of lift on top of a 1.5 gear reduction. Throw that in with the ImMortal's 4:1 transfer case, and this Wrangler is capable of a ridiculous 100:1 final drive. Oh, this? It's built for climbing trees.
The Moab Easter Jeep Safari has always been a draw for off-road enthusiasts of every color, and Chrysler has used the event to launch hardcore concepts since around 2002.
</p>
