When the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat - opens in new window or tab. was unveiled a couple years ago, enthusiasts cried out for Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to “hellcat” everything at the dealership. In other words, fans wanted to see the Hellcat’s 6.2-liter supercharged 707-horsepower V8 put into every FCA vehicle that had enough space under the hood, no matter how improbable. Perhaps Fiat-Chrysler was listening. We’ve now seen the Charger get its own Hellcat iteration - opens in new window or tab., and a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat is expected to be announced in the next few months. But the off-road faction of FCA’s enthusiast base has been left out of the fun—except for the Jeep Wrangler Trailcat concept that we had a chance to drive last week.
We got our first glimpse of the Trailcat in March when we were at the annual Jeep Easter Safari - opens in new window or tab. in Moab, Utah. It was revealed along with a set of other outrageous Jeep concepts. Concept vehicles, which are usually not intended for production, allow engineers to push the furthest limits of technology to produce jaw-dropping machines that are unconstrained by conventional design or federal safety regulations.
While a mass-produced Trailcat might not ever make it into Jeep showrooms, the version we drove was fully functional. The supercharged Hemi shoehorned into the engine bay is hooked to a six-speed manual gearbox similar to the hardware found in the Challenger, and it sends power to all four corners through a pair of Dana 60 axles - opens in new window or tab..
While we would have loved to open up the Trailcut through high-speed dunes, our off-road trail through hills of Malibu, Calif. was more of a crawler scenario—deep, low-speed ruts, steep inclines and declines, and loose terrain. Nonetheless, that was enough to test the suspension, which was upgraded with Fox shocks - opens in new window or tab. and Eibach springs - opens in new window or tab. to both improve wheel articulation and provide more body clearance for the massive 40-inch tires - opens in new window or tab.. Jeep engineers also made significant changes to the platform itself, chopping the roof by two inches and extending the wheelbase to 108 inches to provide room for the new suspension bits.
As expected, the star of the show was the supercharged Hemi. It breathes through a pair of Borla performance mufflers - opens in new window or tab., and with no bodywork preventing its song from reaching our ears, it sounded absolutely fantastic.
While many modern vehicles including Jeep’s own Grand Cherokee Trailhawk use sophisticated software to do much of the off-road work—also allowing designers to use more street-friendly components—the Trailcat takes an old-school approach. Its off-road prowess is purely mechanical, with locking differentials sending the Hemi’s massive torque to chunky mud-terrain tires, with the trick suspension making sure each wheel stayed in contact with the ground regardless of how off-kilter the trail got.
Although the Trailcat was never intended for production, the sheer joy it can illicit from drivers and bystanders alike is more than enough justification for its existence. When engineers get the opportunity to run wild with an idea, truly remarkable things can happen.
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