Jeep has come out with a plethora of Gladiator concepts for this year’s Easter Jeep Safari and one of them is powered by a Hellcat engine.
Every year around the middle of April, Jeep enthusiasts from around the world all gather in Moab, Utah for the Easter Jeep Safari. There, Jeeps of all shapes and sizes enjoy the wild frontiers of Utah while also hobnobbing and schmoozing with other Jeep aficionados. Consider it a sort of wine and dine if everyone was obsessed with off-road four-by-fours.
Also every year, Fiat Chrysler bestows the Jeep faithful with several Jeep concepts to wow the assembled masses. Since the Jeep Gladiator just came out, this year it’s all about the Gladiator, with 6 concepts to be displayed.
One of them has a Hellcat engine, so clearly we’re most interested in that one.
It’s called the M-715 Five-Quarter, and it’s actually not based on the modern 2020 Gladiator, but actually the Gladiator from way back in 1968. The original M-715 was a military truck that served in the Vietnam war and affectionately referred to as the “Five Quarter” since it weighed 1-and-a-quarter tons (1.25 tons, five quarters… it’s a math joke).
The original M-715 was considered underpowered, so Jeep fixed that by slapping the crate engine from a modern Hellcat inside. As a reminder, that’s a 6.2-L supercharged HEMI V8 with 707 hp.
RELATED: JEEP IS GOING TO BRING GLADIATOR CONCEPTS TO EASTER JEEP SAFARI
Pretty much everything else has been replaced and upgraded too. The front grille has been replaced with a carbon fiber version, the headlights replaced with HID lights along with LED auxiliary lights, and the soft-top roof has been replaced by one that’s smaller and 3 inches shorter.
Many of the body panels have been replaced by water-cut aluminum versions with intricate designs. The 6-foot bed now has wooden slats running its length, the rockers have been upgraded to full-length rock rails, and the bumper is from a Gladiator Rubicon.
On the inside, the seats are from a modern Wrangler, the dash is all water-cut aluminum, and the center console is actually an old 8-71 supercharger housing that now encases the transmission and transfer case shifters.
Axles, suspension, and wheels have all similarly been replaced. We’re not sure how well this thing would perform off-road, but we’re hoping it’s going to be quite impressive. And maybe we’ll find out next week at the Easter Jeep Safari.
And for some even better pictures, check out Jalopnik's coverage at the reveal. You'll really get to see some of the astounding bodywork and incredible interior.
NEXT: ADDICTIVE DESERT DESIGNS COMES OUT WITH NEW BUMPERS FOR OLD JEEP WRANGLERS