Going on Safari Jeep Style

Jeep unveils six Mopar prepared vehicles for the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari

Better than an egg hunt

You can forget about egg hunts and furry little rabbits – at least as far as thousands of Jeep fans are concerned. For them, Easter means trekking out to the Utah town of Moab for the annual week-long Moab Easter Jeep Safari.

Since 2002, Jeep and Chrysler’s parts division have collaborated on 30 concept vehicles for Jeep aficionados in attendance. To help commemorate the event now in its 46th year, Jeep and Mopar have again collaborated – this year on six Jeep concepts that will be on display there between March 31st and April 8th.

They are as follows:

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Concept

For starters 18-inch Goodyear Wrangler SilentArmor off-road tires wrap around painted alloy Mineral Gray wheels with modified Mopar rock rails adding to the off-road capability of this Jeep Grand Cherokee concept.

Painted Stone White, the grille surround, lower front fascia, mirror caps and rear light bar and wheels are finished in Mineral Gray, while red is used for the upper grille mesh, front and rear tow hooks, wheel center cap logos and bolt holes in the alloy wheels. Red trim line outlines the glare-reducing matte black hood.

2012 Jeep Wrangler Apache from Mopar

Mopar has chosen the Easter Jeep Safari to intro a new Mopar 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 (approximately 470 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque) engine conversion kit for the Jeep Wrangler.

Available through Jeep new car dealers beginning this summer, the Mopar conversion kit initially will be mated to Chrysler’s W5A580 five-speed automatic transmission with plans to eventually also pair it to the six-speed manual from the production Wrangler.

Jeep Mighty FC Concept

The “FC” stands for “Forward Control” and there was a Jeep Forward Control that was built from 1956 to 1965. For Moab 2012, Jeep created a modern version.

The design team began with a 2012 Wrangler Rubicon, repositioning the cabin over and ahead of the front axle. The wheelbase was lengthened, and a custom built drop-side cargo box was added (the cab utilizes a roof from the Mopar JK-8 conversion kit). A Wrangler-based interior has been slathered in heavy-duty Katzkin leather, while the cargo area has been given a full-width, drop-side tray-style bed measuring over eight feet in length.

Jeep J-12 Concept

The J-12 is essentially an extended version of the JK-8 pickup conversion kit for the Jeep Wrangler.
Starting with a new 2012 Wrangler Unlimited, the vehicle’s rear frame was extended 18 inches, resulting in a cargo box a full six feet in length. The custom hood and front fenders are a nod to the iconic Jeep Gladiator series trucks.

A “dressed down” cabin, sans carpeting, features a bed liner underfoot and a “modern version” of the traditional bench seat trimmed in plaid.

Mopar Accessorized 2012 Jeep Wrangler

Starting with a Wrangler Rubicon, off-road Mopar enhancements include a two-inch lift kit, 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires wrapped around five-hole wheels, off-road bumpers, a Warn 9.5ti XP winch, Mopar rock rails and Kicker dash 6.5-inch two-way speakers.

Prototype Mopar accessories making their debut include a locking center console box, a rear cargo cubby cover, windshield-mounted LED lamps, a hard-top headliner and an “Add-A-Trunk” partition for secure storage in the cargo area.

2012 Jeep Wrangler Traildozer Concept

The Jeep Wrangler Traildozer is a collaboration between Jeep and American Expedition Vehicles that began life as a Dozer Yellow 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Adding a 470 horsepower 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 mated to a Getrag 238 six-speed manual transmission got things started, while power is put to either pavement or dirt via 37-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claw radials mounted on Mopar Classic five-spoke wheels.