Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4x4 10th Anniversary on 2040-cars

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FCA inline-six rumored to be real, headed for Jeep Wagoneer

In September, Allpar reported that that clues being dropped at Fiat- Chrysler headquarters, in the carmaker's factories, and on engineer resumes pointed to the development of an inline six-cylinder engine. The site has just proclaimed the rumor is reality, writing that the straight-six, "turbocharged to meet or beat 5.7 Hemi power ratings, with a smoother torque curve, is on the way." The motor's first outing is expected to be either the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, debuting perhaps next year, or the Jeep Wagoneer, debuting in 2020 or 2021. "Tornado" is the purported codename for the power plant said to be just under three liters in displacement, expanding the family begun with the Global Medium Engine 2.0-liter turbo codenamed Hurricane. Engine bay constraints and a long use horizon mean engineers won't simply add two more cylinders to the GME, however. Allpar says the brief is to keep the Tornado GME-T6 — the alphanumeric for "turbocharged six" — no more than three inches longer than the Tigershark 2.4-liter four-cylinder. That means "major design changes" that could include a space-saving head, more closely spaced cylinders, and no cylinder liners. An FCA division called Comau could be called on for its "SmartSpray" plasma lining technology. Allpar muses that the standard version of the engine for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram could get a single twin-scroll turbocharger. Performance trims for Alfa Romeo and Maserati could get different heads and maybe twin turbos, an SRT version might also get both those tweaks. History shows that the Italian versions would make changes to the block, as well. Even so, the Tornado would be less expensive than any Ferrari-supplied V6. A straight-six would put FCA in company with current adopters BMW and Mercedes-Benz, future users like Jaguar, and perhaps Aston Martin. The engine would span the widest range of use cases in the U.S. carmaker's portfolio, though. Potential applications include being a base engine for Ram trucks, serving double duty as a base engine and 5.7-liter Hemi replacement for the Dodge Charger and Challenger, working in the high-end Jeeps, and as a properly hot trim — with Ferrari-designed heads — in the luxury Italian sports cars. The Alfa Romeo Giulia begs for just such motivation to fill the gap between the 280-hp, $42,695 Ti Sport RWD and the 505-hp, $73,700 Giulia Quadrifoglio RWD. And a twin-turbo inline-six in a Maserati Alfieri would stack up nicely with the Germans.

Hands on with the concepts of the Moab Easter Jeep Safari

Jeep has a way of tugging at the heartstrings of its enthusiastic owner base when the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari rolls around. The 2015 version sees all boxes ticked in the off-road event's 49th year: multiple diesel engines on display, a pickup-truck-like model and more than a few nods to the brand's long and storied history book. We were able to get a first-hand look at the seven concepts being shown in Utah's Red Desert in the much cooler, cleaner confines of the FCA Technical Center's Design Dome. Jeep Chief Concept We aren't sure if it's that throwback chrome grille or the eye-catching Ocean Blue paint, but even more than the Red Rock Responder, the Chief drew our eye as soon as we walked into the Design Dome. It's a surprisingly tall vehicle, but it's also very wide. We'd also wager it's longer than your typical four-door Wrangler. Jeep may have used a Wrangler as a base for the Chief, but any similarities to the donor vehicle are extremely difficult to spot. The fenders and doors are probably the biggest giveaways, but you're going to need to squint (and have the benefit of a Wrangler to compare with, like we did) to pick out Wrangler bits. As is the recurring theme throughout all seven concepts, the Jeep design team's attention to detail is borderline fanatical. From the "Surf Rated" badge on the fenders, to the tweaked door handles to the bumper stickers in the cargo area and the Tiki-statue-shaped shifter, the little details are truly the stars of the Chief Concept. The rosewood trim in the rear cargo area is stunning and adds to the Beach-Boy-friendly stylings of the Chief. The throwback grille, round headlights and tall, skinny taillights, meanwhile, add a lot of personality to the exterior. The high beltline and lower roof gives the Chief a chop-topped look, but it's arguably the least successful element to the blue concept's otherwise impressive design. All of the vehicles Jeep put together for Moab are 100-percent functional. That's not surprising with some of the vehicles you'll see below, but it somehow is remarkably impressive given the degree of the changes Jeep made in putting together the Chief. Jeep Wrangler Red Rock Responder The Wrangler-based Red Rock Responder is arguably one of the most capable of these real-world vehicles, both in terms of the way it looks and its actual hardware. We mentioned the special rescue equipment fitted to the bright-red, truck-like Jeep – a compressor and air gun, sockets, tow straps, etc.

Jeep shows off Moab Easter Safari concepts crawling the red rocks

While most brands are busy showing off in New York, Jeep headed out to Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari with the company's fleet of 2013 concepts. This year saw the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk II, Wrangler Mopar Recon, Wrangler Stitch, Wrangler Sand Trooper II, Wrangler Flattop and Wrangler Slim Concepts tackle the rocks and sand, and Jeep was kind enough to bring along a camera crew to film the machines rolling over a few obstacles. The result is the video below, though don't expect to see too much hardcore off road action.
Instead, the quick clip features more than a few interviews with Jeep executives, including Jeep Head of Product Design Mark Allen, explaining what makes the Easter Jeep Safari so important. You can check out the quick clip below for yourself, and be sure to thumb through our galleries of the concepts as well.