We recently found an article posted on the net about a 2008 Jeep Gladiator Concept. Oddly enough, there are no pictures of the vehicle, but from the sounds of it ... it seems like it could be referring to the JT Concept... or could it? You decide...
[source: CarJunky]
Jeep pickups in the 60's carried the Gladiator name, however the roots of the vehicle go back to the 50's and the military Jeep Truck. The Gladiator Concept brings a Wrangler front end married to a small cab with an extended 7 foot cargo deck and the visual effect makes this look a neat, small and sturdy addition to the Jeep line.
Powered by a 2.8 liter Liberty power plant, the Gladiator packs all the punch it needs to assert itself on the performance front. What we particularly liked about this automobile is the extended wheel base which runs to 138 inches providing plenty of room for the spare which is side mounted. Four wheel drive is of course fitted as you'd expect, and both front and rear axles are fixed and solid. The rear axle however, uses coil dampers rather having leaf springs fitted as these would not allow for the short overhang to the rear.
The chassis for the Gladiator uses a stretched Dodge Dakota to get the extended wheelbase but the overall visual impact of the automobile remains in proportion. The truck has that angular militaristic luck, no curves and blunt lines but then if you are in the market for beauty you wouldn't be looking at a pickup.
When this becomes available in early 2008 it is going to make an excellent addition to the Jeep range and carries the idea of the Jeep Truck far better than anything else in the Jeep range which seem to be aimed at the suburbanites doing the school run rather than something that will be going off road and getting dirty. The Gladiator looks exactly as you would expect a Jeep to look and in this regard it gets top grade.
The small cab, which has been extended slightly from the Wrangler, has a rear hinged door for access on the passenger side only however on the drivers side the rear site is accessible by a small 2 foot square “dog door”. Given the small cab, the rear passenger accommodation is probably better suited for the mutt rather than people as it is tight and suitable only for small children rather than adults and when you see it you'll probably ask why they bothered at all.
The rear window is powered and can wind down which is a neat feature normally found on a Midgate vehicle but to give you an idea of the rear space available, when the seat squab is tucked down and the rear bulkhead is stowed you only add another foot to the cargo space. It seems a great deal of neat engineering but for little effect.
Overall this is a truck that is going to sell well, it has the looks and the feel of a real Jeep and is a lot more practical for the town than a Hummer, but still will handle off-road as it should. The biggest plus with this vehicle is that hopefully it heralds a return to what a Jeep ought to look like.
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!
Chrysler's Skunkwerks is really nothing more than a bunch of folks who use their spare time to make the kinds of vehicles they'd really like to build. That makes them just like a lot of us -- except that they have the full resources of Chrysler to pull from. One of their latest creations is the Jeep Wrangler JT, which is the Jeep pickup we've all been dreaming of. Built on a Wrangler Unlimited platform, keeps the Wrangler's engine and suspension, and adds a 5-foot bed, a 3-inch lift, a winch, and 35-inch tires. It will be making an appearance at SEMA later this year.
Autoblog got to drive it (around the parking lot), along with a few other cars sprung from the minds of Chrysler's gearheads. Look for a report and pics of the JT in Moab soon. And if you're wondering just what color that JT is, it's called Hearing Aid Beige.
We recently posted some news about the new EarthRoamer XV-JP, the sweet new camper design that encompasses a tent and all sorts of goodies. While we only had info on the exterior of the Jeep, we have now seen the interior pictures, and all we have to say is WOW! These guys are slick. They packed more into the back of a Jeep then we could ever imagine.
While you will find one picture below, make sure and check out all the pics! If anyone ends up getting this handy camper for their new JK, please let us know!
Camp Jeep New York will be bigger and better than ever and entirely outdoors at the New York International Automobile Show (April 6 -15). At 45,000-sq.-ft., Camp Jeep New York will transform the entire Inner Roadway of the Jacob K. Javits Center into an off-road driving adventure, giving consumers an opportunity to truly experience some of the world's most capable 4x4 vehicles.
The highlight of the exhibit is the Jeep Trail Rated Test Track which includes water fording, ground clearance, articulation, traction, and maneuverability demonstrations. The track is an off-road playground where consumers can ride in models of the 2007 Commander, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited.
The test track will consist of seven different surfaces -- dirt, mulch, gravel, rocks, water, wood and asphalt -- and includes an 18-foot vertical climb on a Jeep Mountain. Consumers will also have the opportunity to scale a 16-foot climbing wall, play video games featuring Tony Hawk and have their picture taken with a Jeep in the Jeep Photo Zone. And kids ages 3 and up can test drive Mini Jeep vehicles on the Mini Jeep Kids Course.
This year at Camp Jeep New York, Jeep will be celebrating the 500,000th test ride attendee. This marks a substantial milestone in the Chrysler Group's auto show ride-n-drive program. The 500,000th rider will receive an all expenses paid trip for his/her family to the national Camp Jeep this summer. Also, taking a test ride on the Jeep Trail Rated Course will help benefit local environmental efforts. Jeep has partnered with The Wildlife Conservatory of the Bronx to donate funds for ecological preservation.
Kicking off the springtime selling season, the 2007 New York International Auto Show will feature an impressive collection of cutting-edge design and remarkable innovation. More than four floors of displays from the world's automakers will feature the newest vehicles and futuristic concept cars. More than 1,000 cars and trucks will be on display at the Javits Center, filling 846,000 square feet of exhibit space. In addition, dozens of World and North American vehicle debuts are expected at the Show. NYIAS is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.
For more information, or to purchase tickets for the New York International Automobile Show online, visit http://www.autoshowny.com/.
Earlier today, EarthRoamer announced plans to produce the XV-JP: Wrangler Expedition Vehicle. There is little information found about it, but as you can tell from the picture, its almost a Gladiator with a camper. Here is all the current information we know at this point.
EarthRoamer is proud to announce the EarthRoamer XV-JP! Built on the 2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited platform, the new EarthRoamer XV-JP combines Jeep's legendary off road capability with innovative EarthRoamer design to create a vehicle with unprecedented capability.
More information about EarthRoamer vehicles can be found here
The Cleveland Auto Show that opens to the public on Saturday at the I-X Center features a lot of bling, one-of-a-kind concept vehicles, the Jeep Trailhawk and advanced looks at 2008 models as well as vehicles you can buy now.
There will be more than 1,000 vehicles from 40 automakers on display, organizers said. Attendance at last year's show topped 648,000.
Other exhibits include Camp Jeep Cleveland, a 40,000-square-foot display that will let attendees drive a Jeep Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Commander or Liberty on an off-road driving course that features a 16-foot hill climb.
If you aren't doing anything this weekend and you have time, go check out the Cleveland Auto Show. Write in and tell us what you thought!
Chrysler Group just released this clip for the Jeep Trailhawk concept vehicle. It might just change any negative thoughts you might have been having once you see it in action!
