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Jeep planning on a Grand Wagoneer Hellcat?

Twitter guy and Finder of Things Hidden Bozi Tatarevic scored another gem: an internal ZF document referencing a Jeep Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk. Dating from at least early 2017, the German auto supplier paperwork pairs what would be a 6.2-liter V8-powered three-row Jeep with ZF's 8HP95X transmission. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk uses the 8HP95 gearbox, a version of the 8HP90 transmission used in the Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats, but built for all-wheel-drive applications and with a choice of gear ratio sets. This doesn't mean we'll ever see a Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk, but it looks like Jeep's been thinking about it. Not only that, but the brand was thinking about it with the just-launched-for-2019 Hellcat engine. The ZF document lists 729 PS for the engine in the Jeep, or a hair shy of 718 horsepower — just one off the figure for the 2019 Charger and Challenger Hellcats. The listed production dates mean ZF planned for a build run of April 2017 to May 2017. The document also mentions the Rolls-Royce Cullinan with two sets of build dates: from January 2016 to February 2016, and from December 2017 to January 2018. That sounds like a run of prototypes, which could be how the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk got included in the paperwork. The document didn't reference any other Wagoneer versions. A Hellcat-powered Grand Wagoneer would make sense. The new luxo-Jeep will be built on a modified Ram platform at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant, and we know Ram's working on a Hellcat-bound Ram 1500 TRX. And the now-iconic engine in an SUV that hopes to become a new icon would be a treat for dealers who wonder if the Grand Wagoneer will arrive too late to succeed. Again, this doesn't mean we'll see anything of the kind. Chrysler also evaluated a 300 Hellcat, but nothing's come of it. And with the standard Wagoneer still several years away — the renovations at the Warren plant aren't due for completion until 2020 — any hi-po version could wait another year after launch, were such a thing to happen. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #336 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #336 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #336
Jeep rear-mounted fuel tank controversy

3-row Jeep Wrangler, V8 Kaiser ambulance, and more from Mopar for SEMA

SEMA is back this year, and as is tradition, the American Stellantis brands Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Mopar are bringing some truly amazing concepts to the show. The brands have come up with seven vehicles, four from Jeep, two from Ram and one from Dodge. Some of them show off the current Mopar catalog and possible future parts, while others are just really cool customs. Let's check them out. Jeep Wrangler Overlook Jeep Wrangler Overlook concept View 8 Photos We're starting off with perhaps the most interesting of the concepts on display, the Jeep Wrangler Overlook. And you'll notice right off the bat that it's longer than your average Wrangler Unlimited. It's actually a full foot longer. And it doesn't just add cargo space, it adds passenger space. There's a third row of seats in the Overlook. Those seats also necessitated the safari-style custom rear roof. It's 5 inches taller than a regular Wrangler roof to provide headroom for rear occupants. It also made room for the extra windows. Front passengers also get a fancy single-piece roof section with a pop-up glass section, and the interior features black leather and bronze accents. Other body changes include a custom hood, a narrower front bumper for improved approach angle and a widened rear bumper to protect the longer tail. It also gets custom front bumper lights, Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) A-pillar lights and tubular side steps. The Overlook also rides on the Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) 2-inch lift kit with Fox shocks and 20-inch wheels with 37-inch tires. We wouldn't have thought a three-row Wrangler would be something that would reach production, and it's still unlikely. But, this looks really good. And when Land Rover already offers a third row in the Defender, and is working on a stretched version, we're starting to wonder if Jeep should think about an even more stretched Wrangler. Kaiser Jeep M725 Kaiser Jeep M725 concept View 11 Photos Next up is this year's resto-mod from the Stellantis crew. They found an old Kaiser Jeep M725 military ambulance and did a few things to make it a more modern, go-anywhere super tailgater. Under the hood is a 485-horsepower 6.4-liter V8 paired to an old-school TorqueFlight 727 automatic transmission, shifted by a B&M shifter housed in a repurposed ammunition box. It's still four-wheel drive and has the old axles, but they're attached via a coil-spring suspension instead of the original leaf packs.