September 14, 2007
Jeep returns to active duty
Exciting news for fans of the original Army jeep: a new version is being recalled to active duty -- and it's no luxo-SUV, leather-upholstered, pimp-my-ride creampuff, either.
The J8 is based on the Wrangler Unlimited and has been designed for military and civilian government use. It sports a reinforced frame and upgraded suspension that includes the much-discussed rear leaf springs that were pointed out in the earlier spy photos. Maximum payload is 2,952 lbs. as a result.
It'll be offered as both a four-door that looks mostly like the civilian Wrangler Unlimited and a 2-door pickup ... The J8 is designed to be very flexible, and will be available in a variety of seating/cargo configurations in both left- and right-hand drive (again, this explains the RHD version captured in spy photos).
Power comes from a 158-horsepower / 295 lb-ft 2.8L 4-cylinder turbodiesel mated to a 5-speed automatic and Jeep's Command-Trac 4WD system. The powertrain affords the J8 a maximum towing capacity of 7,716 lbs. Another feature unique to the J8 is its air-intake system, which uses a hood-mounted snorkel that lets it ford bodies of water up to 30 inches deep and operate in sandstorm conditions up to five hours.
What's the bad news? Well, it's being manufactured in a Cairo factory (WTF?!) and it's not slated for sale to civilians. Let the letter-writing campaign begin.
Want to see pictures? Click here.
Posted by Mike Lief at September 14, 2007 10:42 AM
| TrackBack