Jeep Wrangler fans haven’t had a V-8 under the hood since 1981 when the vehicle was the Jeep CJ. Granted that V-8 from ’81 made only 125 hp and 220 pound-feet of torque. The current generation V6 and turbo-four are both more powerful. Jeep is finally teasing Wrangler fans with what they’ve always asked for in the form of the Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept.
As the name suggests, the concept has a 6.4-liter V-8 engine displacing 392 cubic inches. The V-8 makes 450 hp and 450 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough power and torque to push the brick to 60 mph in less than five seconds. The vehicle also has Dana 44 axles, full-time two-speed transfer case, electric front, and rear-axle lockers, 37-inch mud-terrain tires, and a Jeep Performance Parts factory lift kit.
The V-8 is paired up with an eight-speed transmission featuring a 3.73 gear ratio. It also has a two-mode exhaust that alters the sound at the touch of a button. We sincerely hope this concept hints at a future production version.
