2007 Jeep 4x4 Geocaching Challenge Photo Contest Update

Voting for the 2007 Jeep 4x4 Geocaching Challenge July Travel Bug photos has
begun. July's photo goal was "American Heritage." Support your fellow
geocachers by visiting the photo gallery and nominating your favorite.

http://jeep.geocaching.com/photos/

The photo goal for August is "No Boundaries". Follow the link below to find out
more about the 2007 Jeep 4x4 Geocaching Challenge:

http://jeep.geocaching.com

Jeep Puts Group in Driver’s Seat to Mark Milestone

American Forces Press Service
2007-07-16

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2007 – Jeep is partnering with the New York Mets major league baseball team, a New York television station and New York auto dealers associations to help put both a U.S. servicemember and a support-letter writer each behind the wheel of a new vehicle.

During a Military Appreciation Day pre-game ceremony at Shea Stadium in Queens, N.Y., yesterday, a Tri-State Jeep Dealers Association representative presented Operation Gratitude with symbolic keys to a 2007 Jeep Patriot Limited.

The “keys” went directly into the troop-support group’s 250,000th care package. And the Jeep, donated by the carmaker in celebration of the group’s milestone, will be driven home by a lucky servicemember upon his or her return to the states.

Operation Gratitude is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

“We are proud and humbled to contribute to a great organization like Operation Gratitude that does so much good in support of our troops,” said Eric Neilsen, president of the New York Dealer Association. “The Jeep was originally developed to serve our military, and we are very pleased to be able to continue this tradition in a small way.”

A U.S. Postal Service representative was on hand to make sure the special package made it safely to the military post office at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Carolyn Blashek, Operation Gratitude’s founder, said.

“The package is very much on its way,” she added. “It left on the 5 p.m. flight last night out of Newark (N.J.) flying next to the pilot the whole way.”

In further support of Operation Gratitude's mission to express the American public’s appreciation, New York’s CW11/WPIX television station, a part of Tribune Broadcasting, the New York Mets baseball team, and Jeep launched a letter-writing campaign that kicked off yesterday.

The campaign will run through Sept. 17, when one lucky writer’s letter will be randomly chosen and sent to Operation Gratitude's 250,000th package recipient. The package recipient and the winning letter-writer both will be announced during a Sept. 30 pre-game ceremony at Shea Stadium in Queens, N.Y., Blashek said.

Though that winning letter will undoubtedly make the servicemember smile, it should also please the letter writer. He or she also will drive home a 2007 Jeep Patriot Limited.

Letters can be submitted through the CW11/WPIX Web site. Each letter received through the site will serve as a contest entry, Blashek said.

During yesterday’s military appreciation event at Shea Stadium, fans also donated “cartons and cartons of items” to Operation Gratitude. The donations, including phone cards, DVDs, CDs, Beanie Babies, disposable cameras, batteries, baseball caps, and lip balm, will find their way into more care packages that will end up in troops’ hands.

“Fan outpouring was great,” Blashek said. “We collected cartons and cartons of items, and the letters are already flowing into the Web site.”

(From Operation Gratitude and New York Mets news releases.)

2007 Jeep Wrangler Recalled

Chrysler said it was recalling more than 80,000 2007 Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Nitro sport-utility vehicles to correct a problem that could make the engine stall, The Associated Press reported.

Chrysler said the recalled vehicles might experience a power interruption, which could lead to a short engine stall (although the engine would immediately restart if the vehicle was in motion).

To affect a fix, dealers will reprogram a power module to remove the potential for a brief interruption of electrical power to the instrument panel and the engine.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the Wrangler last May after receiving reports of engine stalling. Chrysler said the agency has received about 180 complaints of engine stalling in Wrangler and Nitro vehicles.

There has been one accident linked to the issue, the company said, but no injuries have been reported. Chrysler will notify owners about the recall later this week and the work will be completed at no cost to consumers, the AP said.

Jeep Compass Rallye Now Available

New Rallye Package from Mopar® Is Available for 2007 Jeep® Compass

• Rallye Package outfits Jeep® Compass from head to toe with cool exterior accents
  
  
• Mopar® Body kit adds Rallye car toughness to athletic Jeep Compass styling
  
  
• Rallye Package available on Jeep Compass models sold in United States and international markets
  

The Jeep® brand continues its expansion into new territory and into the world of rallye car toughness with a new body kit from Mopar®. For a limited time, a new Rallye Package featuring Authentic Jeep Accessories from Mopar will be available for both 4x2 and 4x4 2007 Jeep Compass and Jeep Compass Limited models. Mopar is the Chrysler Group's original equipment parts manufacturer.
Arriving in U.S. and international markets in late 2006, the Jeep Compass is an all-new compact sport-utility vehicle that combines classic Jeep cues with contemporary lines. The Mopar Rallye Package takes this sleek style another step, wrapping Jeep Compass' modern design in an aggressive toughness.

'The Rallye Package from Mopar enhances the sleek, sophisticated and expressive styling and appearance of the Jeep Compass,' said John Plecha, Director – Jeep Marketing and Global Communications. 'It embellishes its modern Jeep appeal and gives the Compass a character all its own.'

• The Jeep Compass Rallye Package – available in Black, Silver, Inferno Red, Jeep Green and Steel Blue – includes:
  
  
• Unique 18-inch x 7-inch black-painted aluminum wheels with machined edges and chrome center caps
  
  
• Roof-mounted rear spoiler that adds performance-oriented styling
  
  
• Auxiliary driving lights with covers that feature the Jeep logo
  
  
• Bright exhaust tips that reinforce the Compass' forceful personality
  
  
• Chrome Rallye badge
  
  
• Mopar body kit featuring front and rear fascia overlay appliqués, lower honeycomb front fascia grille and side sill lower panels and door appliqués

The U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Jeep Compass Rallye Package is $1,985 (Sport) and $1,850 (Limited). Limited production began in April for the United States and international markets. Pre-orders are being taken now.

The Jeep Compass Rallye edition debuted as a concept vehicle at the 2006 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Jeep Compass competes in the compact sport-utility segment, which is expected to grow considerably in the next decade, giving the Jeep brand the opportunity to grow with it. Annual compact SUV volume in the United States for the 2006 calendar year was 520,045 units, up 34 percent from 387,828 units in 2005. The compact SUV segment is expected to continue to grow to 814,000 units by 2016. This is a great opportunity for the Jeep brand to attract new buyers who want a stylish, fuel-efficient, affordable, safe and capable SUV.

Source - DaimlerChrysler

2007 Jeep Wrangler Brabus Review

Legends are immortal and in the automotive world that is especially true for the Jeep. Wrangler, the 'mother' of all off-road vehicles. To customize the latest version of the American 4x4 and to make it even more exclusive STARTECH is developing an innovative and exclusive accessories program - for the short wheelbase and the new long wheelbase version.

In a first step STARTECH offers custom-tailored light-alloy wheels, some initial exterior modifications and exclusive interior options.

The polished STARTECH Monostar IV 9Jx20 light-alloy wheels attract attention at first sight. The striking five-spoke wheels lend the new Jeep. Wrangler a more exclusive appearance. But that's not all: Mounted with sporty on- and off-road tires in size 285/50 R 20 front and back they give the SUV even more agile handling characteristics while at the same time improving driving safety.


While the STARTECH design program for the new Wrangler is still under development, the first stainless-steel components will be available shortly. Sturdy tubular side guards for short and long wheelbase models protect the rocker panels of the Jeep and partially hide the Jeep's frame from view. The spare wheel cover with high-gloss stainless-steel ring adds the finishing touch.

The new Wrangler generation for the first time includes a model with diesel engine. The STARTECH motor engineers are currently developing the STARTECH SD 4T tuning module for the 2.8-liter (171 cu. in.) common-rail turbodiesel engine.

STARTECH sport exhausts will soon be available for all engine and body variants of the Jeep. The fully stainless-steel exhausts feature one characteristic oval chrome tailpipe each on the right and left, and produce a more sonorous engine sound, while at the same time optimizing power yield.

The interior of the Jeep can also be upgraded stylishly with STARTECH accessories: Highly polished scuff plates welcome driver and passengers, and the ergonomically shaped STARTECH sport steering wheel adds to the ambiance.

Additional customization requests can be fulfilled by the company-own STARTECH upholstery shop. Partial and fully leather interiors made from especially soft yet durable Mastik leather satisfy even the most discriminating tastes.

Discuss this in the MoJeepin.com Forums!

Jeep Wrangler Ultimate: SEMA Concept 2

Not only will the Jeep JT be revealed at the 2007 SEMA show later this year, but so will the Jeep Wrangler Ultimate. Not that the new four-door Wrangler Limited needs any more exposure (demand is currently outsripping supply for the popular configuration), but the Wrangler Limited takes that vehicle and adds some urban flair to make it more eye-catching to the valet crowd.

The Wrangler Ultimate gets the same rock-crawling hardware showcased on the JT Concept, which includes a 3-inch lift kit and 35-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tires, but also gets a set of handsome forged 18-inch aluminum wheels from Alcoa. The Jeep design team decided to dump the entire Mopar catalogue of accessories on the Wrangler Ultimate's exterior, which gets some fancy sparkle and shine from ts chrome fuel filler door, taillamp guards, tubular side steps, exterior mirrors, tow hooks, door handles, hood hinges, and overlays for the front fascia. The Liquid Charcoal Pearl Coat exterior paint color is not available from the factory, either.

The Wrangler Ultimate's interior also gets the show car treatment with seats upholstered in a mesh fabric and trimmed in dark slate gary Nappa/Province leather bound with a heavy black leather baseball stitch. There are additional orange trim pieces on the steering wheel, shift knob and passenger handlebar, while the floor shifter appears to have a wooden trim piece, as well. Again, don't expect the Wrangler Ultimate to be an option package anytime soon, but at least Jeep has proven that you can dress up its weekend warrior.

[Source: Jeep]

For more discussion and photos of the Jeep Wrangler Ultimate, be sure to check out the MoJeepin.com Forums!

"It's More Then Just Jeepin!"

FJ Cruiser Beats Jeep Wrangler Unlimited for SUV of the Year

The readers of ReviewCars.com recently picked the Toyota FJ Crusier as the 2007 4x4 of the year, over the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. What's surprising is that the new 2007 Jeep Compass even made the list in its infancy.

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser won the hearts of the owners and enthusiasts. ReviewCars.com announced the winners of Top 10 Trucks and SUVs of the Year, and Toyota FJ Cruiser topped the list.

"FJ Cruiser is a surprise winner," said Edward Choi, President and Publisher of ReviewCars.com. "Given its fashionably quirky retro look, FJ Cruiser should have appealed to only a small group of people. But its significant off-road capabilities and everyday urban utilities brought a wide range of buyers to consider FJ Cruiser," said Choi.

Consumers especially liked FJ Cruiser's stocky body, easy to clean interior, exceptional throttle control, off-road capability and comfortable ride. Over half a million consumers' research and ratings behavior indicated that FJ Cruiser's scores were not only good, but also consistently good compared to other trucks and SUVs.

Jeep and Honda scored high as well, and they have multiple vehicles in the Top 10 list.

2007 Top 10 Trucks and SUVs of the Year are:

1. Toyota FJ Cruiser
2. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
3. Acura MDX
4. Hyundai Santa Fe
5. Honda CR-V
6. Chevrolet Avalanche
7. Mazda CX-7
8. GMC Acadia
9. Jeep Compass
10. Honda Pilot