1998 Jeep Wrangler Se Sport Utility 2-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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FCA design chief Ralph Gilles uses Jeep to help couple in fiery wreck

Fiat Chrysler's head of design Ralph Gilles recently rendered assistance at a fiery crash scene that left one dead. Gilles helped two people trapped inside a vehicle following a pair of collisions that left them pressed up against a burning vehicle. He used his Jeep Wrangler to nudge a Ford Edge engulfed in flames across the road. The 57-year-old female passenger who was trapped inside the other car was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. The first crash happened early Sunday, Feb. 18, in a rural area north of Detroit when a 2013 Ford Fiesta carrying the woman and her husband collided head-on with a 2013 Ford Edge that had crossed the center line. The driver of that vehicle sustained minor injuries; police said alcohol is believed to have played a role. Gilles was driving home with his wife, Doris, when they came upon the accident, stopped and called 911. He told the Oxford Leader he and the driver of the Edge tried to help the couple in the Fiesta, but none of the doors would open. After Gilles went to move his Wrangler out of the way, he saw a Buick LeSabre broadside the already-crippled Fiesta and push it up against the Edge, which then caught fire. With the couple still trapped inside the Fiesta, Gilles got the idea to put the Wrangler into four-wheel drive and push the Edge to the opposite shoulder using his Jeep. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. "I still have no idea where that (thought) came from," Gilles told the Leader. "The only thing I can remember thinking (is) I've got a Jeep, it's got a bumper on it, I think I can do this. All I could think about were the two people still inside the other car." Firefighters were later able to extract the couple from the Fiesta and transport them to a hospital. The woman was then airlifted to a second hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her husband was listed in stable condition. Gilles posted a short video of the burning vehicle on Instagram and wrote that he was "NOT a hero." "It made us appreciate the true heroes. The first responders, Firemen/women, EMS and Police who deal with this stuff every day," he wrote. Image Credit: Ralph Gilles / Instagram Jeep fire

The 2018 Jeep Wrangler will look a lot like the 2017 Jeep Wrangler

JL Wrangler Forums suggests the next-generation Wrangler will be restyled in an evolutionary way that maintains the off-roader's classic looks yet adds new features. The forum used intelligence from spy photos and leaked images to assemble renderings of the new Wrangler. They show that the front end is still classically Jeep, but with modern updates. The LED headlights and turn signals revealed in FCA drawings are noticeable changes. An interesting touch is just behind the rear bumper, where there appears to be an air dam for aerodynamics. There's still a gap between it and the front fenders to keep the old-school look intact. The grille, windshield, and hood are also more raked for the sake of aerodynamics. At the back, the lights follow the FCA drawings as well, though the reverse lights from those illustrations appear to be absent. The square taillights are also shown on the truck variant, along with the plastic fender flares of the SUV version. Spy photos of the Wrangler pickup have shown a streamlined box with integrated taillights akin to the Ram, but it's likely to be a placeholder until the final design is selected. The sides of both models also feature more squared-off details in the top and door handles, generally with beveled corners for a more modern look. The top is where things get fuzzy. The new model might lose its removable top altogether, in favor of removable panels similar to the Jeep Renegade. JL Wrangler Forums illustrated how this could work in the above image. The roof can be removed in sections, and the rear-most windows can also be taken out. The overall effect is similar to that of a current Wrangler Unlimited. There is a potential drawback to this system, though. All of these hard panels will have to be left somewhere. And unlike the current model, this one wouldn't have a soft-top back-up when the weather turns. It's hard to say for sure if this design will make it to production. FCA has consistently and effectively hidden this part of its Wrangler prototypes since they were first spotted. At this point, we can only speculate on how the top will function. Otherwise, these renderings seem plausible, and we should know how accurate they are when the Wrangler makes its expected debut next year. The new Wrangler will likely have some aluminum body panels, an 8-speed automatic and an available diesel powertrain. For more details and spy photos, check out our post that has assembled everything we know so far about the 2018 Wrangler.

5 classic trucks and their polarizing modern revivals

EVs are helping eliminate Detroit's gas-guzzling problem. Some revivals of gas-powered classics are getting the EV treatment.  But not every revived model looks exactly like its original counterpart. We're in a new era of hulking Detroit metal, and you can thank EVs. Americans can't get enough of their big, beefy trucks and SUVs. But for many years, some of the biggest gas guzzlers fell out of fashion as gas prices rose and emissions regulations tightened. But in the past few years, some of the most iconic American truck nameplates have been brought back to life with electric motors, like the GMC Hummer. In other cases, as with the Ford Bronco, improvements in engine technology and more interest in rugged adventure vehicles made a gas-powered revival possible. Even some revivals that started as gas-powered, like the Chevy Blazer and the Jeep Wagoneer, are now getting electrified spinoffs. (Even if they don't always look quite as sleek as their original inspiration.) Here are side-by-sides of five classic American trucks and their modern counterparts. The Jeep Wagoneer 1975 Jeep Wagoneer and 2024 Electric Jeep Wagoneer SStellantis After a long wait, Jeep released its revival of the classic Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer in 2020. Starting later this year, an electric version of the luxury Jeep SUV will join the Wagoneer lineup. The Chevrolet Blazer A 1973 Chevrolet Blazer and a 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EVGetty Images, General Motors The Chevrolet Blazer was first rebooted in 2019 as a sporty family SUV. The modern Blazer shares zero resemblance to its boxy, off-roading older sibling, but it has still managed to become one of Chevy's more popular SUVs in recent years. The Blazer EV came later, and was one of the first models GM built on its new Ultium battery platform. The Hummer A Hummer H2 and the 2023 Hummer EV pickup truckGetty Images, General Motors Once the poster child for Detroit's big, bad gas guzzlers, the Hummer got new life as an electric pickup truck in 2021. The Ford Bronco A 1971 Ford Bronco and a 2022 Ford BroncoFord Motor Co. After a rouge group of engineers and designers inside Ford spent years trying to breathe life back into the Blue Oval's boxy off-roader, the Ford Bronco was finally resurrected in 2020 amid a rise in popularity for rugged adventure vehicles. The Ford Ranger 1985 Ford Ranger and a 2024 Ford RangerFord Motor Co.