Each year, hundreds of off-road enthusiasts spend Easter week migrating to the mecca of their sport: Moab, Utah. Loath to miss out on a great marketing opportunity, Jeep is taking advantage and showcasing a series of concept 4x4s that show what dedicated rock hounds can do with a little aftermarketing. It's shown more than 40 concepts since 2002, and this year it's all about big tires and light weight. Its half-dozen Easter Jeep Safari concepts include an ultralight Wrangler and "the most extreme Grand Cherokee ever."
So what exactly constitutes the most extreme Grand Cherokee ever? Jeep started things off with its new EcoDiesel V6, giving the Trailhawk plenty of low-end torque and driving range. It then jacked the package up on a set of 35-inch Mickey Thompson tires hugging 17-inch Wrangler Rubicon wheels. The wheel openings are stretched out around those big tires and adorned with fender flares. The Trailhawk also includes custom front and rear skid plates, dual rear tow hooks and modified Mopar rock rails.
To make sure that no one mistakes the Trailhawk for a soccer mom's Grand Cherokee, Jeep splashed it with vibrant blood orange paint and added an SRT hood, SRT front and rear fascias with extra ground clearance, a black grille, and a black roof with one-off custom roof rails. Inside, wet boots and dirty gear are met with Mopar slush mats and a rear cargo liner.
Inspired by the Jeep Wrangler Pork Chop, an ironically named lightweight Jeep concept from the 2011 Easter Jeep Safari, the new Jeep Wrangler Stitch takes weight savings even more seriously. Jeep slashed a quarter of the base Wrangler Rubicon's 4,100-pound (1,859-kg) curb weight, knocking the Stitch down to an even 3,000 (1,360 kg).
Like the Trailhawk, the Stitch rides on Mickey Thompson 35-inch off-road tires on 17-inch aluminum wheels. Modifications and additions include a Mopar cold-air intake, Mopar exhaust kit, custom DynaTrac Pro Rock 44 axles with 4.88 gears and ARB front and rear lockers, King shocks with pneumatic bump stops, and Tom Woods drive shafts.
No one's mistaking the radically light Stitch for a stock Wrangler, but Jeep still added plenty of distinguishing touches. The body is wrapped in a clear silver fabric designed to conceal the cut-out panels from some angles and highlight them from others. The bright yellow of the interior matches the clear yellow vinyl soft top, and a pair of Truck-Lite LED headlamps finishes off the Stitch's unique look.
If leaving chunks of the body on the factory floor seems a bit extreme, the Wrangler Slim offers a more modest lightweight Wrangler package. Weight was saved using simpler measures, such as a lightweight rear bumper and rock rails. The concept also includes a Mopar two-inch lift kit, Mopar cold-air intake, black grille, black hood decal, LED headlights and Rubicon tires. It is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 and uses a 3:73 anti-spin axle. The Rock Lobster body color is highlighted by the beauty rings that wrap the 17-inch prototype forged beadlock wheels. Inside, it has leather seat covers, a CB radio, all-weather slush mats and a hard-top headliner.
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