First up is the Jeep Shortcut. With it's 2 inch lift, red plaid interior, and it's body-paint-matched steel rims it is no doubt a nod to the CJ-5's of the 70's. In addition to being 12 inches shorter than a standard Wrangler is today, it has Dana 44s in both the front and the rear.
Next up is the Jeep Trailstorm. I know that there honestly is nothing majorly special about this concept because, let's be honest, every town has one of these built up Jeeps. So what makes this one so special? You can guarantee that the Jeep Trailstorm wont be a mall crawling pavement princess like the one your jock neighbor drives to work everyday.
My daily driver is a 2008 Jeep Commander. I love that Jeep. When Jeep revealed the Commander back in 2005 for the 2006 model year, Jeep enthusiasts everywhere hoped that it would be a true replacement for the old Cherokee XJ that was discontinued in 2001. Compared to the current generation of Cherokee's it is the closest thing we have to those old XJs. So when I first saw the name Commander show up on a list of Jeep Safari concepts I was excited until I noticed the Renegade part in front of it. Don't get me wrong, I kind of like the Jeep Renegade in all of it's "cute ute" glory, but when you compare it to the heritage that Jeep has, it just doesn't really make the cut for me. But I have to be honest that the Renegade Commander concept is actually a pretty nice looking ride with it's 2-inch lift, rock rails, skid plates and a whole load of other Mopar off road parts.
The next item isn't really a concept as much as it is a restoration project. The FC 150 utilizes the original forward cab body, complete with dings and scratches, mated to a 2005 Wrangler frame. Jeep lovers all over the world will rejoice at the use of the bullet proof Jeep 4.0-liter straight six powering this beast. Along with the Dana 44 up front and the Dana 60 in the rear, this old FC is definitely an off road ready machine.
My personal favorite out of the bunch is the Jeep Crew Chief 715. If you look at past Safari concepts you will notice one trend. Kaiser grilles. Jeep loves using those old school grilles and who can blame them. The Crew Chief is a modified Wrangler Unlimited with a pickup bed in the back. With the Chief's 20 inch beadlocked wheels, onboard air system, a set of winches and more there isn't much you can't do with this Jeep and certainly there aren't many places you couldn't go.
Any XJ owner/lover is probably also a big fan of the Comanche which for all intents and purposes was a 2 seat pick up version of the Cherokee. What Jeep has done now is taken that same concept, only used a Renegade this time around. Honestly it looks as if someone took a Renegade, cut the back of it off and slapped a truck bed to it only to realize that they actually liked the tail light sof the Renegade so they put them back on. My favorite feature of the Renegade Comanche though is definitely the convertible soft top roof. After all, being able to be topless is one of the best parts of owning a Jeep.
Finally we come to the crown jewel of this years Jeep Easter Safari. The Trailcat. This Wrangler has had it's windshield chopped, it's body lengthened by one foot, fitted with a six speed manual transmission and given Dana 60s in both the front and the rear. Oh yeah, and lets not forget the 707 HP 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI under the hood. Do we need a 707 HP Wrangler? Probably not, but do we want a 707 HP Wrangler? Abso-freaking-lutely!
What ever your thoughts are on these concepts there is one thing that is clear. Jeep knows it's fan base and they do listen. For those of you that may be a bit saddened by the thought that these vehicles will never come to fruition have no worries. Most, if not all, of these concepts could be built in your garage with a little bit of fabrication know how and a Mopar Off Road catalog. That's right every one of these concepts uses parts that are already available. So get out your checkbooks and get buying.
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