Jeep Wrangler Mud-Wrestles and Drags Defender, Grenadier, Teaches Europeans Dirty Tricks

The Willys MB respawned as the ‘jeep’ (common noun at first) in 1941 and evolved into the Civilian Jeep (CJ) after 1945, when the vehicle was sold to the masses. It set the path for all other 4x4s by being the first all-wheel drive automobile to be mass-produced for general use. Its closest living relative is the Jeep Wrangler, the uncompromising earth roamer from the United States of Automobile.

Soon after, on the right-hand drive of the Atlantic, a Jeep chassis became the foundation of another overlanding icon, the land rover (again, common noun). It, too, grew into the Land Rover Defender that we are so familiar with. Guess what happened when it became an adult? That’s right, it sired another spin-off, the Ineos Grenadier.

And here they are today, all three proud representatives of the ‘go-anywhere’ attitude in motoring, going head-to-head in a mud-bogging contest somewhere in England. The weather couldn’t be more favorable for such an event, with rain prepping the surface just right and turning the soil into a superglue-infused clay that renders mud tires to racing slicks status.

Check the video and see how the carwow boys have managed to race the latest models of the Land Rover Defender, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and the Ineos Grenadier over very inhospitable terrain. Forget everything you were taught about all-wheel drive systems, locking differentials, rock-crawling low-range transfer cases, or anything else about how to transfer horsepower to a surface with the coefficient of friction of ice and the sticky habits of tarr.

The cars undergo several challenges, including a drag race over muddy ruts, driving uphill to rip donuts, and trying to drive across ditches without spilling a cup of water. To make matters as unfair as possible, the three off-road SUVs are not on par with each other regarding power and torque. The Jeep brings the smallest available engine in the lineup, the turbocharged two-liter four-cylinder plant that sends 272 hp and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft).

By all applicable metrics, the Rubicon walks like an off-roader, talks like an off-roader, looks like an off-roader, and is an off-roader. Therefore, it also acts like one, putting its relatives in their place (second and third) in the drag race.

The Grenadier is not far behind, though. It is a direct offspring of the original Land Rover Defender but built according to 21st-century engineering standards. Its 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six engine (courtesy of BMW) doesn’t burn gasoline but diesel. Therefore, it only churns out 249 hp and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft).

The modernized Defender (the 90-inch / 2,286-mm short-wheelbase version, hence the ‘90’ in its name) appears to have fallen far from the tree. Its curvy lines and overall catwalk-like demeanor inspire a profound sense of fashion but very little trust in its ability to get its shoes dirty and emerge victorious. It does score points in the overall artistic impression, with its gym-going three-liter straight-six turbo diesel firing up 300 hp and 650 Nm (480 Nm) of torque.

I can’t tell from the video how ‘Mud and Snow’ the tires on these cars really are since the thick layer of mud stuck in the tread grooves makes them very similar to dragster slicks. Except they don’t hook up, and the off-roaders find themselves in trouble from the start.

I could lay down the results of every round of this multi-challenge trial adventure. Still, you’d be missing out on all the glorious fun of watching the three Brits from carwow's YouTube channel having a blast while doing their best to get dirty. Instead, play the video below and enjoy.