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

More fun than an egg hunt

You can forget about those furry little rabbits or hunting for eggs – at least as far as a few thousand Jeep fans are concerned. For them the Easter break entails 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 36 concept vehicles expressly for Jeep aficionados in attendance.  To help commemorate the event now in its 47th year, Jeep and Mopar have again collaborated – this year on six Jeep concepts that will be on display between March 23rd and 31st.

They are as follows:

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Concept

If the name sounds familiar that’s because this is the third created for Easter Jeep. For starters, it’s powered by Chrysler’s new clean EcoDiesel V-6. 17-inch Wrangler Rubicon alloy wheels wrapped with 35-inch Mickey Thompson off-road tires, enlarged wheel openings, custom fender flares and front and rear skid plates, dual rear tow hooks and modified Mopar rock rails.

Painted a non-metallic blood orange, design cues include a Grand Cherokee SRT hood, SRT front and rear fascias modified for extra ground clearance, black front grille, matte black roof and custom roof rails.

Jeep Wrangler Mopar Recon

The Mopar Recon Wrangler features 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 (approximately 470 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque) mated to a five-speed automatic transmission and Dana 60 front and rear axles with 4.10 gearing suspended by a 4.5-inch prototype long-arm lift kit.

Rolling on prototype forged eight-lug beadlock wheels with 39-inch off-road tires, the Recon comes with front and rear half-door and window kits, front and rear off-road “Stinger” bumpers, Warn winch, high-clearance flat fenders and rock rails. Also part of the package is a Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary hood, prototype LED headlights,  canvas soft top, swing-away tire carrier and body-color rear corner guards and taillamp guards.

Jeep Wrangler Stitch

A past favorite, the light weight Pork Chop gets its first follow-up model in the Wrangler Stitch. Based on the 2013 Wrangler Rubicon, the Stitch has a 3,000-lb. curb weight that gives it a power-to-weight ratio similar to the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.

Weight was shaved from the frame, axles, body and interior while the doors, rear seats, audio system and all heating and air conditioning components were 86'd. The black leather front seats are from a 2013 SRT Viper. Sections of the body were also cut out, the windshield was chopped 2 inches, and the hood is a custom carbon fiber version of the Wrangler 10th Anniversary Rubicon. The standard roll cage was replaced by a lighter chrome moly unit while the lower control arms, floor pan and fuel tank were fabricated of aluminum.

Additional modifications include a Mopar cold-air intake and exhaust kit, Mickey Thompson 35-inch off-road tires, lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels, custom DynaTrac Pro Rock 44 axles featuring 4.88 gears and ARB front and rear lockers, King shocks with pneumatic bump stops and Tom Woods drive shafts.

Jeep Wrangler Sand Trooper II

Based on the 2012 SEMA Sand Trooper, the Sand Trooper II ups the ante (Las Vegas reference intended) with 5.7-liter HEMI that produces 375 horsepower and 400 ft.-lb. of torque and mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. It also features Mopar eight-lug front and rear Portal axles, Jeep Performance Parts prototype forged beadlock wheels and 40-inch off-road tires.

Exterior revisions include a satin black grille, hood lock, front and rear half-door and window kits, front and rear  "Shorty" bumpers, Warn winch, flat fenders, rock rails and a vented hood from Mopar, LED off-road lights and headlamps, Rubicon 10th Anniversary swing away tire carrier and black taillamp guards.

Jeep Wrangler Flattop

The Jeep Wrangler Flattop features a custom one-piece, windowless hard top while the body is finished in metallic sandstone with copper and brown accents. Both the top and windshield were chopped two inches and the b-pillar was removed. The door, hood hinges, tow hooks, grille slats and headlamp surrounds are finished in copper, while the bumpers, side rails, side mirrors (along with the hood decal) are dark brown. The bumpers and are one-off versions from the Wrangle Rubicon 10th Anniversary model. The Flattop also comes with custom fender flares, Truck-Lite LED headlights, LED taillamps and side markers, Warn Zeon winch and a TeraFlex spare tire carrier.

Interior accoutrements include dark saddle Katzkin leather seating, copper steering wheel accents, vent rings and passenger grab handle and Mopar slush mats.

Engine mods include a Mopar cold-air intake and exhaust kit while suspension upgrades include  37-inch Mickey Thompson off-road tires wrapped around alloy five-spoke wheels, DynaTrac Pro Rock 44 front and Dana 60 rear axles with ARB air lockers, TeraFlex sway bars and Full-Traction control arms and King shocks with pneumatic bump stops.

Jeep Wrangler Slim

Last but not least is the two-door Jeep Wrangler Slim that's wrapped in a Rock Lobster exterior color and comes with full doors and a hard top. Under the hood are a 3.6-liter V-6 and a Mopar cold-air intake. Slim rolls on prototype 17-inch forged beadlock wheels (with Rock Lobster beauty rings), has a special 10th Anniversary Rubicon front bumper which also complements the lightest rear bumper Mopar offers. The Wrangler Slim also sports a prototype Mopar 2-inch lift kit, a 3:73 anti-spin axle, lightweight rock rails, black grille, black hood decal, LED headlights and Rubicon tires.

Not to be left out of the equation, the black interior features leather seat covers and a CB radio, as well as a Mopar hard-top headliner.

images courtesy of Chrysler LLC