It’s July 13, the day of the 2021 Ford Bronco reveal, and Jeep has just announced a 6.4-liter V-8 Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept—clearly as a way to take some spotlight off FoMoCo’s new Wrangler competitor. But it won’t work, because we’ve seen this before.

I realize that writing, essentially “hey, here’s a car and it’s not all that interesting” isn’t exactly a way to get readers to click on my story, but I just have to be honest: The 6.4-liter V-8 Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept is not intriguing, mostly because of the last word in its name.

Were Jeep showing a production-ready Wrangler with a Hemi (and this Jeep may very well become one—keep reading), I’d probably still be doing donuts in the Chrysler employee parking lot, celebrating the company’s correction of what I think has been a great oversight since the JK Wrangler Unlimited came out in 2007.

You see, when the “TJ” Wrangler became the four-door “JK” Unlimited after the 2006 model year, it essentially entered a new class of SUV. It grew in pretty much every dimension, especially curb weight, and yet, under the hood, the strongest engine offering remained a six-cylinder. At that time, it was a 3.8-liter “minivan motor,” as many called it, thanks to its history under the hood of Chrysler minivans. And that V6 was weak. Truly weak.

Yes, in 2012, Jeep threw a 260 horsepower Pentastar under the hood, but frankly, I think most of the world knows that the Wrangler Unlimited always deserved a V8. Wrangler buyers have lots of money, and yet, they’ve been stuck with a boring-sounding, high-revving V6 for the last eight years? That doesn’t seem right. (Okay, there is a 2.0-liter turbo, but it’s not any more powerful than the Pentastar, though the 3.0-liter turbodiesel is a nice new offering, but it’s still too slow for the 4,500+ pound brick).

All of this might lead you to think that this new Hemi concept Wrangler is cool, except for the fact that—because, as I said, “most of the world knows that the Wrangler Unlimited always deserved a V8”—many folks have been installing Hemis into JKs and JLs for years. AEV has been showing off Hemi four-door Wranglers since 2007, Jeep itself has put V8s into many Wrangler concepts throughout the years (The Sandstorm below has a 6.4-liter in it, and the Trailcat below that has a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi), and a number of folks in off-road world have been V8-ifying their rigs, especially since the JK came out (because why spend $30,000 on axles, tires, bumpers, and other mods only to be held back by a ho-hum V6?).

The point is, a Hemi Wrangler concept ain’t new. And it’s really not that alluring, especially not in the context of an All New Ford-Freaking-Bronco!

What is more interesting than the new concept Jeep is the brand’s hint that a Hemi engine might actually make its way into a Wrangler. Here’s the most important quote from Fiat Chrysler’s press release for Yet Another V8 Wrangler Concept:

The last time the most recognizable vehicle on the planet was offered with a V-8 engine was in the 1981 Jeep® CJ, with its 5.0-liter V-8 that delivered 125 horsepower and 220 lb.-ft. of torque.

Jeep enthusiasts have been clamoring for a V-8-powered production Wrangler in recent years and the new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept is an indication they may soon get their wish.

[…]

“Jeep Wrangler enthusiasts have been asking us for a Wrangler V-8 and our new Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept proves that we have the ability to make that happen,” said Jim Morrison, Head of Jeep Brand – FCA North America. “From the recently introduced 29-mpg Wrangler EcoDiesel to our award-winning Jeep Gladiator, and the upcoming Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, Jeep is clearly listening to its customers. We are anxious to gauge their reaction to this new Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept, a vehicle that delivers an incredible and unmatched level of fun-to-drive performance and capability, on- and off-road.”

Road & Track claims to have confirmed via “a source inside Jeep” that V8 Wrangler will become a reality. From the car website:

“The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is headed into production, according to a source inside Jeep. The company has apparently produced 30 V-8 Wrangler prototypes at the Toledo, Ohio Wrangler plant—something our source says would not happen for a one-off concept.”

I hope it happens, and that the company’s engineers were able to figure out underhood packaging constraints as they relate to both powertrain cooling and frontal crash protection.

Anyway, I guess it’s about time I actually say something about this concept Jeep, dubbed “6.4-liter V-8 Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept.” It makes 450 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque, which it sends through an eight-speed automatic, a full-time transfer case, 3.73 gearing in lockable Dana 44 axles, and then to 37-inch mud-terrain tires. Apparently, the Jeep can do zero to 60 mph in under five seconds.

There are some nice red seats, steel bumpers, a Warn winch, beadlock wheels, and a two-inch Jeep Performance Parts lift kit.

As another Jeep Wrangler concept with a V8 under its hood—especially one aiming to take the spotlight from the Ford Bronco—it’s just “meh.” But as a production vehicle, I admit that it would be epic (Jeep said “no comment” when I asked how production-ready this concept vehicle is).

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