Wranglers with V8 swaps aren’t anything new, but a HEMI-powered Wrangler with a manufacturer’s warranty is. Exclusively offered with four doors and Rubicon goodies, the one Jeep calls the 392 has been put through its paces by Roman Mica of The Fast Lane in Moab, Utah.
As you can tell from the headline, the off-roader in the following video isn’t stock. It’s actually the concept Jeep revealed in July 2020, which predates the production model by four months. Differences over the factory Wrangler 392 HEMI include the 37-inch tires (as opposed to 33-inch rubber shoes), heavy-duty differential covers from ARB, half doors, and a winch.
Jeep says the almost-production concept vehicle is good for 13.3 inches (33.8 centimeters) of ground clearance, translating to 34 inches (86.3 centimeters) of water fording. In other words, the prototype offers 3 more inches of ground clearance and 1.5 more inches of water traversing.
The concept’s engine is down on horsepower and torque by 20 each, which is curious when you think about it. As a brief refresher, the production version rocks 470 horsepower, 470 pound-feet (637 Nm) of torque, and 14 miles to the gallon (16.8 liters/100 km) on the combined driving cycle.
“Driving it feels very similar to most Wranglers,” said Roman from behind the wheel, and that’s all he could tell us because Jeep is keeping the media under embargo until they check out the real deal for proper reviews. “I got a feeling that, if you ask Jeep, they’ll say the Bronco had nothing to do with that, that this was in the planning a long time,” added Roman.
Priced from a whopping $73,500, excluding $1,495 for the freight charge, the Wrangler Rubicon 392 is pretty much in a league of its own at the present moment. The Ford Motor Company won’t be sitting on the sideline quietly, though, because the Bronco will be welcoming the Warthog next year with 37-inch rubber and more power than the 2.7-liter V6.
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
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News