When the Chrysler Group opens their 2016 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, there were be a collection of 7 Moparized vehicles from the Jeep and Ram brands. One of those vehicles will be the Jeep Wrangler Trailcat Concept – which is almost certainly a Wrangler built to dominated any off-road situation with the power of the Hellcat Hemi.
Unfortunately, I have to point out that this is purely speculation based on the image above, showing the Trailcat name on what is very obviously a new Jeep Wrangler. We can also see a custom hood, some bigger wheel flares and a set of huge tires on beadlock rims. The Wrangler Trailcat is painted black and green, and I expect that in addition to what we can see in this sole teaser, this Jeep Concept will have a dressed up interior and a beefy Mopar suspension setup.
Most notably, the expectation is that the Jeep Wrangler Trailcat Concept will be powered by the same supercharged 6.2L Hemi that makes the Charger the world’s most powerful sedan and the Challenger the world’s most powerful muscle car. While it might seem crazy to put the Hellcat Hemi in the relatively small and light Jeep Wrangler, this is not the first time (or even the second time) that the Mopar team has put a high performance SRT V8 in a Wrangler. However, this newest V8 Wrangler will almost certainly be the nastiest off-road beast we have seen from the Mopar team.
The Wrangler Trailcat Concept headed to Moab later this month isn’t the Hellcat Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk that we have all been hoping for, but this Hemi-powered Jeep is likely just the next step towards the debut of the world’s most powerful sport utility vehicle.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
