It’s early November, so it must be time for automotive media, dealers, shop owners, and so many others — so, so many others — to descend upon Las Vegas for the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association Show, aka SEMA.
SEMA is place for OEMs to show off concepts, and the Jeep Scrambler Concept is making noise so far.
Billed as the first high-speed, desert concept from Jeep with an SRT badge on it, the Scrambler Concept’s design is inspired by the CJ-8.
The Scrambler Concept gets an independent front suspension — a Wrangler first — and the removable rear seats can swivel 180 degrees. Punk’N Orange paint finishes off the highlights.
“The original Scrambler became an icon because it broke the rules. It looked different, worked differently and represented a certain kind of freedom that resonated with enthusiasts then and still does today,” said Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands, SRT Performance and Direct Connection division, Stellantis North America, in a statement. “We asked ourselves a more provocative question: what happens when SRT stops treating the trail as the limit and builds the ultimate open-air desert weapon? The Wrangler Scrambler SRT Concept is our answer.”
Mechanical features include heavy-duty wheels, a Trophy-truck-inspired rear axle, and hardware that’s based on desert-racing components.
“The Wrangler Scrambler SRT Concept combines everything enthusiasts love about Jeep vehicles: capability, open-air freedom and authenticity, with the power, control and relentless performance mindset that define SRT,” Kuniskis continued in his statement. “It is overbuilt and engineered around the idea that the desert can be every bit as demanding as a racetrack. It is unapologetic by design.”
The Scrambler takes the Wrangler design and changes it from the A-pillar back towards the rear. The doors are longer, the rear body work is different, there is a pickup bed, a roll cage, unique fender flares, and a different tailgate.
Jeep says the Scrambler Concept shows what a V8 Wrangler can do when modified for high-speed, desert-running performance.
Tim’s Take
My take — I am also Tim, and not Tim Kuniskis — is that this concept looks cool and I’d love for Jeep to build a production version, though I know how unlikely that is. On the other hand, the current Wrangler has suffered in on-road ride quality, especially compared to its closest rival, the Ford Bronco, and if the next Wrangler gets an independent front suspension, that could be a game-changer. I would not be shocked if the Scrambler were a test bed for an independent front suspension in the Wrangler — and perhaps for other features, like those rear seats.
[Image: Jeep]
