Hellcat Equipped Jeep Trailcat is Scary Fun: Wicked Wednesday Presented by the All-New Nitto Recon Grappler™ A/T
If games like Russian Roulette are your idea of fun, then this Hellcat-powered Jeep Trailcat may be the thrill ride you need.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is a great trail rig right out of the box. However, if there is a complaint that can be aimed at it, it is that it is a bit underpowered. The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 packs V8 Hemi power and goes a long way towards addressing the power deficit.
However, for some folks, even that is not enough. The Hellcat engine is one hell of a performance engine. People are stuffing them into everything to increase performance to insane levels. So, dropping a Hellcat engine into a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is a logical next step. Welcome to the Jeep Trailcat.
This week’s “Wicked Wednesday” presented by Nitto Tire features YouTuber RacerX and his review of the custom-built Jeep Trailcat. The Jeep he is reviewing is available right now at the Lewisville Autoplex. This Rubicon goes far beyond just dropping a Hellcat in the engine bay. This Jeep has been customized inside and out. RacerX gives us an overview and driving impressions on his YouTube channel.
It Costs How Much?
Let’s get this out of the way up front. A standard Jeep Rubicon 392 starts at about $75,000. That is a lot of money for a Wrangler for sure, but the Hemi power helps to justify the high price. This custom Trailcat you would expect to cost more with the more powerful engine and other upgrades.
How much more? How does nearly double the price sound? This Hellcat-powered build is listed for sale for nearly $126,000. And it is not brand new, it has nearly 6,000 miles on it. If you want something like this, you are going to need to open the wallet wide.
I Have the Cash, What Am I Getting?
Step this way, my well-heeled friend. The most obvious upgrade is of course the Hellcat engine. This beast out muscles the 392 by more than 230 horsepower. That is a nearly 50 percent increase over the already stout 392. That should make things exciting.
But this build brings much more than crazy power to the party. It rides on 37-inch tires on beadlock 20-inch wheels. There are custom shocks all around as well. A Warn winch sits ready for action up front. Out the back is a dual exhaust to let everyone around you know that this is not a regular Rubicon.
To further increase the bad ass quotient the entire Jeep is covered in a spray on Rhino lining. The Jeep also has many typical Jeep upgrades such as steel bumpers, D Rings, and auxiliary lighting. And of course, on each side a Hellcat badge is proudly displayed.
The party continues on the inside as well. Most noticeable are the custom leather seats with quilted blue leather inserts. It gives the Jeep a bold look and makes you feel that you are in something extra special.
Does it Ride Like a Dream?
Nope. Look, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon does not exist for its smooth and comfortable ride anyway. So, even though it may cost Mercedes-Benz S-Class money, we don’t expect it to ride that way. That being said, the best way to describe how the Trailcat rides is scary. When the accelerator is pressed, the Jeep tends to walk side to side.
A lot.
It sounds awesome, but it is an unsettling feeling going down the road. RacerX says that the Jeep is legit sketchy to drive. But at the same time, he has a huge smile on his face every time he hits the gas. It is like driving a rollercoaster down the highway. If that sounds appealing to you, then this is the rig you want. If it doesn’t sound appealing to you, well it’s a Hellcat thing, you wouldn’t understand.
The video below shows all the Jeep details and driving impressions. Most importantly, you get to hear what the Hellcat engine sounds like when installed in a Jeep. That alone is worth your time. If this is something that you think you want to put in your own driveway, act fast as you won’t find many of these sitting on dealer lots.
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