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2020 Jeep Gladiator Gets C6 Corvette Engine, Turns into a Rugged Monster

Without a doubt, one of the most successful new car launches on the American market last year was that of the brand new Gladiator. What could one wish more than a Jeep-branded pickup?
2020 Jeep Gladiator 6 photos
Photo: Mecum
2020 Jeep Gladiator2020 Jeep Gladiator2020 Jeep Gladiator2020 Jeep Gladiator2020 Jeep Gladiator
As soon as it hit the road, people starting having their way with the Gladiator. After all, the model is nothing but an invitation for tuners and custom builders to make it as rugged and insane as possible.

At the 2019 SEMA event in Las Vegas, the variant of the Gladiator you see in the photos above stunned the crowds, both because of the way it looks and because of what it hides under the hood.

At launch at the end of 2019, the truck was available only with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that develops 285 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, but that wasn’t good enough for the garage that made it.

They chose a GM LS3 6.2-liters powerplant instead that, working together with an 8-speed automatic transmission develops no less than 550 hp.

The potent unit is complemented by a host of other changes designed to make the build impervious to any obstacle the ground would throw at it: coilover suspension with triple bypass shocks, Dana 60 one ton axles front and rear, locking differentials, 42-inch Goodyear tires and, last but not least, Bodyguard RX armor package. Bucket seats have been provided for the interior.

All these changes, together with other enhancements made for visual purposes only, make this Gladiator look extremely menacing: it rides extremely high, much higher than stock, the wheels stick out well beyond the width of the body, and the armor package makes it look like it will never comes across an immovable object in its treks.

The car sells, as is, during the Mecum Glendale auction in Arizona, on March 14.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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