Not officially sold in the United Kingdom where this video was filmed, the Rubicon 392 is the most badass Wrangler that money can buy. As the name implies, the belly of the beast comes in the guise of a 6.4-liter HEMI that cranks out 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet (637 Nm).
Tipping the scales at 2,150 kilograms (4,740 pounds), the V8-powered challenger is noticeably lighter than the other three utilities on the starting line. The Mercedes-AMG G 63 is the heaviest of the lot at 2,560 kilograms (5,644 pounds), while the BMW X7 M50i weighs 2,490 kg (5,490 lb), and the three-door Land Rover Defender 90 V8 is rated at 2,471 kg (5,448 lb).
The most expensive utility vehicle of the lot also happens to be the torquiest. More specifically, the hand-assembled V8 in the Geländewagen puts out a massive 627 pound-feet (850 Nm) between 2,500 and 3,500 revolutions per minute. In terms of power, AMG outperforms all three rivals with 577 ponies compared to 523 for the Bimmer, 518 for the Landy, and 470 for the Wrangler. Instead of booing and hissing at the pushrod V8 in the Jeep, do remember that it’s the sole naturally-aspirated mill on the starting line.
It's also worth mentioning that two of these utilities are extremely different from their peers in terms of underpinnings. Those SUVs are the X7 and Defender, which feature unibody platforms. This layout presents a massive advantage over body-on-frame utility vehicles in the twisties, and unibodies also tend to be more aerodynamic. The question is, can the X7 and Defender shame their more archaic rivals over the quarter mile? Well, yes and no…
The Rubicon-ified Wrangler shoots off the line better than the competition despite its off-road tires, but the X7 and G 63 pull harder. The Bimmer crosses the finish line first, followed extremely close by the Merc. Both finish the race in 12.9 seconds. The V8-engined Defender and Wrangler, on the other hand, make do with 13.3 seconds and 13.8 seconds, respectively.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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