Jeep designers and engineers have concocted another round of innovative concepts for the 58th annual Easter Jeep Safari off-roading summit in Moab, Utah.
The four concepts will test their capabilities on the rugged terrain at the March 23-31 event, which is one of the largest off-road gatherings in the world and hosted by Moab’s Red Rock 4-Wheelers club.
Jeep has used the event over the years to engage with brand enthusiasts and give its designers and engineers hands-on experience in the wilderness to help develop future models.
The Easter Jeep Safari allows the team to have some fun while learning new things, said Vince Galante, vice president of Jeep exterior design.
Sometimes, ideas put through trial on the trails end up in production models. Galante said Jeep installed a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine in a Wrangler 15 years ago, something it hadn’t done before and that “sounded crazy” at the time. But that vision came to fruition in 2021 with the Wrangler Rubicon 392, which houses a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8.
“We bring seasoned team members, we bring new team members,” Galante said. “A lot of times we get stopped on the trails and we get to interact directly with our customers.”
Here are details of this year’s concepts.
The Low Down Wrangler concept pays homage to the Lower 40 concept from 15 years ago that included the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and 40-inch mud-terrain tires.
The Poison Apple Red Low Down Wrangler packs more of a punch with a 6.4-liter Hemi engine and even bigger 42-inch tires. In a nod to the Lower 40, it features a low center of gravity.
There are no interior screens on the concept Wrangler.
“We just decided to do away with any screens at all because there’s two settings on the exhaust: One is loud and the other one’s entirely obnoxious, so that’s all the entertainment you really need with this one,” said Chris Piscitelli, senior manager of Jeep exterior design.
The Willys Dispatcher concept, based on the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid, takes inspiration from post-World War II civilian Jeeps.
It features 36-inch tires wrapped around vintage-style alloy cream “steelies.” An old-school-style winch with modern technology adorns the front bumper. The winch looks like “a lawn mower motor that’s strapped to a Jeep,” Piscitelli said.
The carpet was removed — because early Jeeps didn’t have that amenity — for a Jeep Performance Parts vinyl floor cover instead.
“It’s a little bit of a mix of where we’ve been versus where we’re going,” Piscitelli said. “It pairs the retro vibes with the electrified powertrain, which we really thought was kind of a cool mix.”
The Gladiator Rubicon High Top concept sports retro-inspired Ginger Snap paint. It’s loaded with parts such as concept flat fender flares at all four corners to give drivers ample off-road ride clearance.
The seats are retrimmed with custom quilted and perforated tan and black Alea leather and have embossed Jeep Performance Parts logos on the headrests. A sun bonnet provides overhead protection.
“The emphasis of this build was to take one of our most capable vehicles and make it even more capable through the use of our ever-growing catalog of Mopar and Jeep Performance Parts,” said Matt Hilburn, manager of Mopar and Jeep Performance Parts design. “We love to have just as much fun as the guys over in the Jeep studio, but we like to play around with the same toolbox and parts that we make available to our customers. When you think of it that way, it sort of makes builds like this a road map or a blueprint for anybody building their own Jeep at home.”
The Vacationeer concept, based on the Grand Wagoneer, provides comfort while braving the elements.
It features a RedTail Overland Skyloft on the roof that serves as a climate-controlled sleeping space for two people. The stock second- and third-row seats were removed to accommodate the Skyloft.
The Vacationeer is accented with woodgrain graphics on the side in a callback to Wagoneers of yesteryear.
“This one was more inspired by the woodgrain paneling from the ’60s and ’70s — the earlier ones that had the thinner stripe that ran the length of the body,” Hilburn said.
The Vacationeer sits on 35-inch BFGoodrich mud-terrain tires and is powered by the 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbocharged 510 engine, which produces 510 hp and 500 pound-feet of torque.