2024 Jeep Wrangler Sport S on 2040-cars

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The Apple of the auto industry isn't Tesla, it's Jeep

Whenever Apple is going to have a new product for sale in its stores, the fanboys line up in such great numbers that it's surprising Ticketmaster hasn't figured out a way to capitalize on the multitude of anxious buyers with credit cards ready to go. When Elon Musk talks about a new car being added to the lineup, there is an analogous group of people, and Musk has cleverly set up a model in which people place deposits for their place in line. The number of deposits (two per customer only, it should be noted) for the Model 3 is some 400,000. Because Tesla is a Silicon Valley company that has a highly desirable, highly designed suite of products for which there is demand the likes of which is completely uncharacteristic for the category, it is often compared to Apple. After all, has anyone gotten into line to buy a Windows phone? Do you even remember the Zune? So it must be that Tesla is like Apple. But there is one nontrivial problem with this comparison: Apple sells its products in mass quantity. Tesla, even though it just had its best quarter ever, delivering a record 25,418 vehicles - up 69 percent over the first quarter of 2016 - is still, when compared to the car industry in general, selling a specialized product. No, the automotive brand most like Apple is Jeep. Just as with Apple's quickly identified design language - either for the physical phones and computers or the interfaces for same - there is no mistaking a Jeep. Like Apple's legion of fans, there are people for whom a Jeep is not merely a form of transportation, but a statement about one's way of life. Like the companies that wish they could have designs that are Apple-like and do their utmost to have a similar objects or appearances (sometimes landing them in court, a la Samsung), is there a single automotive company that wouldn't like to have some of Jeep's magic? While there aren't people who are lined up outside of dealerships when a new Jeep goes on sale, there is probably more interest in the forthcoming Wrangler than in the accumulation of interest in a half-dozen other vehicles from other companies. And like Apple, Jeep is a comparative volume play. Last year FCA US LLC delivered 926,376 Jeeps. Walter P. Chrysler and the Dodge Brothers must be spinning at high velocity in their graves, because the U.S. total for Chrysler brand was 231,972, and Dodge was 506,858. The sum of the two - 738,830 - is well shy of Jeep's sales. On a global basis, Jeep sold some 1.4 million units in 2016.

Experience Jeep's 75th Anniversary at Easter Jeep Safari | AutoblogVR

It may not have been known as a Jeep just yet, but it was all the way back in 1941 that the very first Willys MB quarter-ton 4x4 rolled down the assembly line in Toledo, Ohio. That General Purpose American military machine would go on to become one of the most recognizable vehicles in the world. And the name Jeep, which was adopted for the off-roader by soldiers in World War II, has been famous ever since. In the 75 years since that first military Jeep was born, the brand has built a sterling reputation for off-road prowess. Jeep's range-topping vehicle, the Grand Cherokee, bears almost no resemblance to its military forebears. But that doesn't mean it's not ready to leave the pavement and get dirty. See what we mean in our latest Autoblog VR episode. That wasn't the only Jeep vehicle we took for a spin while celebrating the brand's 75th anniversary at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. Jeep fans have been salivating over the prospect of a pickup truck for years, and the company has finally confirmed that it's coming as a 2018 model. It will be built at Jeep's spiritual home in Toledo, Ohio, the same city that spawned the company's military roots. Even though Jeep's Crew Chief Concept isn't the actual pickup that will go into production, it's still an awesome ride, and we were happy our virtual-reality camera gear could capture it in its natural habitat. Each week, new episodes will launch on the AutoblogVR App. We'll preview them here on Autoblog, but for the full immersive experience, head over to the app, which you can download for free from the App store and Google Play. Be sure to try it with a cardboard viewer, too! Jeep Driving Truck SUV Off-Road Vehicles Videos VR Original Video virtual reality 360video

Next-gen Jeep Wrangler to pack 300-hp Hurricane turbo four

Fiat Chrysler has been working for some time now on a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Dubbed "Hurricane," the engine is now said to produce nearly 300 horsepower. And its first application could be in the next-generation Jeep Wrangler. With that much power coming from such a small engine, the Hurricane would offer an even higher level of specific output than the 1.75-liter engine in the Alfa Romeo 4C – one of FCA's highest-stressed engines – far eclipsing the 4C's 120 horsepower per liter with 150 hp/l. By way of comparison, the latest 2.0-liter, four-cylinder version of Ford's EcoBoost engine produces "only" 245 hp (122.5 hp/l). The 2.0-liter turbo four in the latest Mercedes-AMG CLA45 and GLA45, however, produces 375 hp. To get so much out of so little an engine, FCA will utilize a twin-scroll turbocharger and variable valve timing. That could make it ideally suited towards a compact performance model, but according to Automotive News, its first application could be in the new the Wrangler. The larger 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 produces 285 hp, nearly as much as the Hurricane will. But with a smaller engine, an eight-speed transmission, and aluminum construction, the new Jeep will likely benefit from dramatically-improved fuel consumption. Related Video: