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Weekly Recap For 7.8.16 | Autoblog Minute

Senior Editor Greg Migliore recaps the week in automotive news, including a look at the new V12 hypercar coming from Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing. Aston Martin Jeep Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video autos Red Bull Racing hypercar am-rb 001

Jeep Wrangler Polar is a tasty frozen treat

Perhaps it's because we've seen so many kitted-out examples over the years, but it seems to us that the Jeep Wrangler tends to wear its special-edition duds better than most models. It might be the icon's familiar rectilinear proportions or the inherent bolt-on look of its extremities - bumpers, mirrors, lighting, and step rails - but we've seen precious few factory specials that look anything but excellent.
Case in point: this new Jeep Wrangler Polar unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. This European-market limited-edition model is said to be a celebration of winter driving, which evidently works out to a body-color hardtop, black-accent seven-slot grille, 18-inch gloss black wheels, Trac-Lok limited-slip differential and a hard hat for the spare tire. Finished here in Hydro Blue (Billet Silver Metallic and Bright White are also available) and a black interior with Polar White accents, the Polar edition features badges displaying 78° S and 106° E longitude and latitude coordinates for Vostok, Antarctica.
This new Jeep will be available in both standard and Unlimited formats with either the 3.6-liter Pentastar gas engine or the still-not-for-US 2.8-liter turbodiesel when it bows early next year. For further details, check out our gallery above and the press release below.

Jeep Grand Wagoneer could top out at $130,000

Jeep's image presents a blue-collar, American brand that builds SUVs for Average Joe drivers, nevermind the thousands of $40,000 Wrangler Unlimited that sell every year. But a revived Grand Wagoneer could push Jeep prices into a whole new realm. Eventually. Speaking to AutoExpress, Jeep boss Mike Manley confirmed "the Grand Wagoneer concept is moving forward," and that its price could reach levels previously unheard of from the brand. "I don't think there's a maximum price ceiling per se for Jeep. If you look at the upper end of the segment in the US, for me, the Grand Wagoneer done well can compete all the way through this segment," Manley told AE. "I'll use US dollars, but pushing the car up to $130,000 to $140,000 may be possible, but we need to establish Grand Wagoneer in its own right first. That's why I wouldn't say there's price ceiling." That's about twice as much as Jeep's current most-expensive model, the $66,690 Grand Cherokee SRT. Hell, it's more than a Dodge Viper ACR, and is roughly on par with a base Maserati GranTurismo. But while getting wrapped up in the idea of a six-figure Jeep is easy, Manley's argument that his brand needs to establish the new model first is more important. It absolutely does not sound like Jeep will introduce the reborn Grand Wagoneer with a trim near $130,000. Instead, we bet the new flagship model will kick off between $50,000 and $60,000, right near the top of where the brand currently plays. That lets Jeep undercut entry level versions of the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLS, and GMC Yukon Denali without giving brand loyalists sticker shock. After establishing the Grand Wagoneer, to use Manley's parlance, Jeep can afford to push higher and challenge the base level Range Rover, which starts around $85,000. Only after that can we expect Manley's hypothesizing to come true. So yeah, while a $130,000 Jeep sounds like a possibility, we wouldn't expect it for at least a few model years after the Grand Wagoneer's big debut. Related Video: