If we’re about to descend into a Mad Max world, I’ll have the perfect vehicle for it. Jeep is dropping off a Wrangler 392 today.
Assuming they can find the gazzuline to make the trip.
This Jeep sucks oceans of it, to the tune of 17 MPG in Wasteland (open road) driving and 13 just piddling around. It’s the price of having 470 horsepower on tap – produced by the 6.4 liter V8 under this Wrangler’s hood.
It is the first V8-powered new Jeep Wrangler in a mighty long time. Regular Wranglers come with a 3.6 liter V6, or a turbo’d four – or a turbo-diesel V6. This one comes with the same V8 that’s been previously offered in SRT Dodge models like the Challenger/Charger 392. It is a bigger V8 than the Hellcat’s 6.2 liter engine – which has the Mad Max blower (not de-clutching) to make up for it.
It gets to 60 in 4.5 seconds – quicker than Mad Max’s Interceptor – and it can keep going where Mad Max’s Interceptor would be forced to stop. Or break, if it tried.
In addition to its mega-V8, the Wrangler 392 has mega clearance (10.3 inches) and a suspension that can articulate like a wolf spider over obstacles in its path. It rides on hunky all-terrain tires, has Dana 44 ultra-duty axles front and rear. You’d need treads to have more off-road gumption – and tanks can’t wolf spider over boulders.
This is just the roster of equipment that’ll come in handy when you see the Lord Humungous and Wez in your rearview.
The only thing missing from the roster is a pair of 50 gallon reserve tanks, to keep you going!
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Hi Eric ,
I gotta say that my 93 Toyota truck just wont give up. It ain’t exactly plush, but it will get the antidote to the clinic. Never been much of a Jeep fan, cause all my friends that had them say they should have bought two so that they had one to drive while the other was in the shop.
Agreed, Blues –
I love my ’02 Frontier. It runs like new and has never – not once – not run. But it also doesn’t get to 60 in 4.2 seconds and so the Humungous would likely catch up with me, if it came to that!
Why shove a monster V8 in a Jeep? It was supposed to be a trail crawler, slow and steady… I guess the answer is because they could. Doesn’t make sense to me, I want something to get me out there and back in one piece and some sanity.
Hi Cederq,
The Rubicon 392 is a trail crawler; one of the most capable there is. But it also hauls ass – and what’s not to like about that? The thing is a massive thumb in the eye for the Woke – from its non-metric callouts to its unbaffled four-tip exhaust.
It makes me smile!
“It is the first V8-powered new Jeep in a mighty long time.”
So…I’m guessing the Grand Cherokee (including the SRT and Trackhawk) doesn’t count? lol
Well, Wrangler…!
Like the mopar guys shoving giant engines into things.
They are the last American (Italians) left.
Eric,
Regarding Mad Max: Was a de-clutching supercharger ever made? I have a friend who is more knowledgeable in such matters who told me there is no such thing. Something about a bypass being necessary to go around the screw.
What say you?
Aside from looking cool for the camera, declutching the roots blower is silly. If the rotors do not spin under engine vacuum (unlikely but possible) the declutched blower would simply choke the engine to death. Unless like your friend said there were some sort of bypass/check valve to allow it.
Thanks, Ernie. I can only imagine, as implied by the movie, that there might be some gain in fuel efficiency by not using the blower? Not sure that even makes sense, but maybe, depending on the drag created by the blower and the fuel efficiency of the engine without the blower.
Oh, there is a benefit to such a thing if you have a switch fetish like I do. Forget touch screens. That’s all garbage. Now switches, buttons, dials… Those are sexy!
Hi BaDnOn,
It was purely a “for show” thing – a very cool thing – but it didn’t function and I don’t see how it could. I mean, you probably could set up a clutch (similar to an AC compressor) but when disengaged, the roots-type blower internals would not be rotating, creating big airflow issues, I’d expect. But it looked very cool!
That it did, Eric! But thanks for setting things straight.
So all it needs is a switch to disconnect it from the internet, and the ability to operate without it, and some strategically placed armor, like on its 50 gallon reserve tanks. Perhaps a machine gun mounted on top.
Is this the reward for the Kia review? Actually all the crossovers you’ve been driving lately, except maybe the blinged-out Merc…
Hi RK,
No, but it is the relief! Serial crossovers… it puts any writer to the test. Hmmm… this one has a 10.25 inch touchscreen whereas that one has an 8 inch touchscreen…
And they ask me why I drink!
Ugh! I HATE it when so-called automotive journalists/reviewers/critics/whatever spend more time foaming over the damned tech gadgets than the car itself! Seriously, these dildos couldn’t care less if the car was some cheap Chinese-made egg-on-wheels! All they care about is whether or not they can “pair” their smartphones to it. I bet if GM waited a few more years and put a massive touchscreen in their Ass-tech…sorry, Aztek, it probably would’ve been considered the most beautiful car ever made! ROTFLMAO!
Morning, Blue –
I hate it, too. Then again, I know how to drive stick – and many of these others don’t!
“Dana 44 ultra-duty axles front and rear”
Sounds nice. Very nice.
I wonder how it compares to an FJ. Is it even close?
Hi Helot,
We’ll see! Expect a Report soon…