2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon on 2040-cars

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Hendrick wants to put Jeep Wranglers back on the battlefield

The Jeep Wrangler could be headed back to the battlefield. According to reports, negotiations are currently under way with the US Army to adapt the iconical American off-roader for military use. The Wranglers would serve as inexpensive, lightweight, unarmored vehicles that could be more easily airlifted into remote locations than costlier, heavier, and bulkier options. The proposal is not being fielded by the Jeep brand itself or its parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, but by Hendrick Dynamics. The Charlotte-based offshoot of NASCAR racing team Hendrick Motorsports calls its modified Wrangler the Hendrick Commando. Instead of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 found in most US-market Wranglers, the Commando version employs the 2.8-liter diesel four built by VM Motori, modified to run on any type of diesel fuel or on JP-8 jet fuel to maximize its deployment versatility and comply with the Army's Single Fuel mandate of 2012. It would also support a variety of modular attachments for specific jobs, ranging from machine gun mounts and counter-mine rakes to radar arrays and advanced communications equipment. Hendrick says the Commando could also be deployed by helicopter or in cargo planes. And because it's based on a civilian platform, the Commando would also benefit from the latest advancements introduced by its manufacturer, the parts and service network already in place, and the thorough testing that's already gone into developing the Wrangler for civilian use. Hendrick has reportedly built 14 prototypes to date, including the two-door Commando 2 (based on the standard Wrangler), the four-door Commando 4 (based on the Wrangler Unlimited), and even a pickup conversion called the Commando S. It is not, however, the only company adapting Jeep Wranglers for military application. Israel-based Automotive Industries Ltd has been producing successive versions of the Wrangler-based Storm for use by the Israel Defense Forces and other militaries overseas since 1990. If the US Army awards the contract for the Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) vehicle to Hendrick Dynamics, it would bring the iconic Jeep back to the battlefield where it got its start. The brand and its most prolific model trace their roots back to the Willys MB, launched in 1941 on contract from the US Army for deployment in World War II.

BMW Neue Klasse X revealed, 2025 Mini Countryman JCW and SE driven | Autoblog Podcast #824

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. In the news, BMW revealed the Neue Klasse X EV, Jeep Wrangler drops the V8, Ford Mustang gets a 810-horsepower supercharger kit and Shell leans into EV charging. We look back on the life and designs of Marcello Gandini. We discuss the various automatic shifters that are now on the market. We talk about driving the Mercedes-Benz CLA, as well as the 2025 Mini Countryman JCW and the electric Countryman SE. Finally, we help a listener pick a newish truck or SUV for around $40,000 in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #824 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown BMW Vision Neue Klasse X Revealed: Looking to the past to build a better future Jeep Wrangler bids farewell to the V8 with 2024 Rubicon 392 Final Edition Ford Performance supercharger kit gets Mustang 810 hp with a warranty Shell to unload 1,000 retail locations in pivot to EV charging Marcello Gandini dies at 85. Here's a look at some of his famous designs A discussion on automatic shifters Cars we're driving 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 4Matic 2025 Mini Countryman JCW and SE Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Design/Style Green Podcasts BMW Ford Jeep Mercedes-Benz MINI Electric Luxury Performance

NHTSA still mulling crash tests for recalled Jeeps

Well, no one should ever accuse the government of not giving things plenty of thought. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is still debating whether it will retest any of the 1.56 million 1992 to 1998 Grand Cherokees and 2002 to 2007 Libertys that were part of a recall regarding fires after rear-end collisions. And yes, this debate has been going on for over a month. In other news...
The recall dustup started in early June, when Chrysler took the unusual position of refusing a recall request from NHTSA regarding placement of the fuel tank on the effected vehicles. NHTSA said a collision could cause a fire, a position Chrysler took issue with. Extensive negotiations ensued, with Chrysler agreeing to fit certain Jeeps with trailer hitches, which it said would provide some protection to fuel tanks mounted behind the rear axle in the event of a collision.
Part of the issue rests with the amount of data that needs to be processed, according to The Detroit News. NHTSA administrator David Strickland said during a Washington Auto Press Association meeting, "There's a lot of data and Chrysler is being very cooperative in giving us more data." Until that information has been sorted, it looks like re-testing will still be up for debate.