The annual Jeep Easter Safari in Moab, Utah attracts more than 10,000 enthusiasts and their four-by-fours, all anxious to experience legendary trails such as Cliffhanger, The Pickle, Jax Trax, and Hell’s Revenge. This year’s version, which runs through March 27, is big: it’s the 50th anniversary of the Red Rock 4-Wheelers club, which hosts the event and Jeep’s 75th birthday. In honor of that, Jeep’s design team took a no-holds-barred approach to seven concepts designed especially for Moab.
Jeep design chief Mark Allen explained that the concept program began 15 years ago when the team would bring its SEMA vehicles to Moab. “Now it’s reversed,” he said, “with the vehicles debuting in March.” The concepts are “fully functional drivable vehicles that can openly explain what we’re thinking. They’re a huge conversation starter for our Jeep enthusiasts.”
Among this year’s designs, four stand out as true rock stars.
Jeep Trailcat
The bright green Jeep Trailcat will likely draw the most attention, thanks to its 707-horsepower Hemi engine. “All of the subsystems are built around the engine,” said Allen. “The chassis, suspension, gearing, and tires need to handle that kind of power. This isn’t the first time we’ve put a lot of horsepower into a Wrangler, but it’s a first for the Hellcat engine.”
The Trailcat rides on beadlock wheels and 39-inch tires. Viper seats carry full harnesses. Dual exhausts come from a Dodge Challenger. A manual gearbox is authentic Jeep. “The Trailcat’s appearance works the muscle car side of the family,” Allen said.
FC 150 Retro Mod
Allen’s design team located a 1960 FC 150 online and transformed it into a heritage concept that celebrates the pickup truck based on the CJ-5 chassis. “We were struck by its condition,” said Allen. “It had been taken care of. If we restored the paint the truck wouldn’t have the character of all its scars. Not a lot of people know about the FC 150, built at a time when there were no rules when it came to pickup trucks.”
Its short bed and wheelbase makes the truck nimble. The FC 150 rides on a 2005 Wrangler chassis with a four-liter engine and three-speed automatic transmission. “The newer running gear makes it a safer and more fun vehicle to drive,” Allen said.
Jeep Shortcut
The Jeep Shortcut, built on the current Wrangler platform, recollects the legendary CJ-5 of the 1950s. “That was when Jeep got everything right,” Allen said. “Some people think the Wrangler has gone too far away from that and we wanted to show them it hasn’t.”
The team shortened the Wrangler by 26 inches, installed a two-inch lift kit with Fox shocks and 35-inch tires. A custom grille inspired by the CJ has the headlamps invading the outer slots.
Jeep Comanche
Now that Jeep has committed to producing a pickup version of the Wrangler, could the Renegade be far behind?
“At one time compact pickups were alternatives to small cars,” said Allen. While Jeep has no plans to build a compact pickup, we hope reaction to this concept will make them reconsider. Power comes from a two-liter inline four-cylinder diesel engine and nine-speed automatic transmission, giving this Trailhawk-style pickup plenty of torque.
