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V8-Powered Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept Wants to be Built

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept 3 photos
Photo: FCA
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 ConceptJeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept
About a year ago, Jeep’s former Head of the Jeep Brand was vehemently denying the arrival of a V8-powered version of the Wrangler JL anytime soon. Here we are in 2020, the year when Ford is finally bringing back the beloved Bronco nameplate to compete against Jeep’s most legendary model and it looks like Jeep is having second thoughts.

Meet the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept, a one-off show car that has every chance to become part of the 2022 Wrangler lineup if it’s received well enough by Jeep fans and potential customers.

Jeep Wrangler enthusiasts have been asking us for a Wrangler V-8 and our new Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept proves that we have the ability to make that happen,” said Jim Morrison, Head of Jeep Brand – FCA North America. “From the recently introduced 29-mpg Wrangler EcoDiesel to our award-winning Jeep Gladiator, and the upcoming Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, Jeep is clearly listening to its customers. We are anxious to gauge their reaction to this new Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept, a vehicle that delivers an incredible and unmatched level of fun-to-drive performance and capability, on- and off-road.

This is not the first Wrangler concept powered by a V8 in modern times, with that title going to the monstrous Jeep Trailcat from 2016, which was powered by the 707-horsepower Hellcat engine.

The Wrangler Rubicon 392, on the other hand, gets the naturally aspirated 6.4-liter (392 ci) from Dodge’s SRT lineup, delivering a more than healthy 450 horsepower and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) of torque.

Those numbers are enough for a 0-60 mph acceleration time of less than five seconds, which is mighty quick for what is essentially an off-roader that is obviously more at home on the trail than the drag strip.

The 6.4-liter V8 is paired with an upgraded 8-speed automatic transmission and the model comes equipped as standard with Dana 44 axles, a full-time two-speed transfer case, electric front and rear axle lockers, 37-inch mud-terrain tires and a Jeep Performance Parts two-inch lift kit from Mopar.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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