Jeep Wrangler Unlimited on 2040-cars

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2018 Jeep Wrangler spy shot mega gallery

We've already seen the 2018 Jeep Wrangler in official shots from the automaker. But there were only three, and they showed off only two of the many trim levels we're sure will be offered. So, feast your eyes on this spy shot mega gallery, which puts on display both two- and four-door Wrangler models in Sport, Sahara, Rubicon, and Overland guises. There are more than 40 images here, so take your time before coming back to finish reading. Done? OK, good. There are a few interesting bits worth obsessing over, starting with the two-door Rubicon in black. Obviously, there's no front bumper on this prototype. We can't say for sure whether that's because it's been out testing in its natural habitat, but we can clearly see the potential for top-shelf approach angles. We also get a good look at the removable soft top, which has nice, big, open side windows without the diagonal strip of opaque vinyl cutting through. There are five different four-door Wrangler Unlimited models in this gallery (not including the Wranglers of the last slide that are shot from further away), in Sport, Sahara, and Rubicon trim levels. We see soft tops (with what we hope are preproduction rear windows that don't line up very well) and hard tops in both matte black and body color. Clearly, the hardtops have removable sections for an open-air experience without the hassle of completely pulling off the entire outer shell. Also note that the black Unlimited Overland (with silver highlights and mirrors) is an export-only trim. Finally, take a look at the interior shots at the end of the gallery. We're not sure which model we're looking at, but it's a bit incongruous to see a contrast-stitched and leather-covered dash with a small UConnect touchscreen surrounded by a bunch of hard plastic. Thankfully, we're sure that a larger LCD will be optional, along with a cool body-color dash panel and an additional screen between the two main gauges. The interior we see in this spy gallery shows the eight-speed automatic shifter sitting next to a console-mounted four-wheel-drive shift lever. We've heard that multiple 4x4 systems will be available, including one safe to engage for full-time four-wheel-drive. Related Video:

Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).

Jeep Gladiator was designed as an outdoor lifestyle tour de force

LOS ANGELES — It's been more than 30 years since the last Jeep Wrangler-based pickup went out of production. And it's been more than a dozen years since a modern Jeep Wrangler-based pickup concept first taunted us with its chunky bed-shaped behind. But today, America's signature off-road brand has finally unveiled the production version of a Jeep Wrangler-based pickup. And it looks, rather predictably, like a four-door Jeep Wrangler with an open box in the back. (From some angles, it also looks like a Jeep that is towing itself.) "There were some key drivers that the designers had to work around," says Timothy Kuniskis, head of Jeep North America. "We wanted to not just go after Wrangler buyers, but after truck buyers. So this vehicle had to have four doors, four real doors. But the big thing was the bed. We know our consumer, the one who will be interested in this truck, and for them, it had to be the width of an ATV and the depth of two dirt bikes, so that dictated the size of the bed." This new trucklet is called the Gladiator, which is a departure from the name of the previous Wrangler-based pickup, the Scrambler. The Gladiator name does have Jeep heritage, having been the moniker of the full-size truck the brand sold from the mid-1960s to the early '70s. Since nomenclature is key in defining product and perception, we would be remiss if we did not note the key semantic differences between the names. A Scrambler is a go-getter (or resolutely confusing.) A Scrambler is nimble and scrappy. A Gladiator, on the other hand, is about vanquishing and conquest, and is typically gigantic. A Gladiator is domineering. Having only seen the photos, it was difficult to tell how big this thing is. Luckily, we've now seen it in person, and it is indeed big, but not huge. "It's a midsize pickup, a segment that is exploding now. Tacoma is and has been the dominant player in the category, but with GM coming back in and the Ranger joining soon, and now us, we're going to see this category get to 500,000 units a year very soon," says Kuniskis. "Everything that psychologically drives a consumer to a Wrangler, there's a sub-segment of those buyers whose needs push them toward a pickup. These aren't people who are going to fill the bed with mulch and boulders. It's not a work truck. It's absolutely a lifestyle choice. These are people who are into surfing, mountain biking, dirt bikes, side-by-sides." Jeep is in an interesting position from a design perspective.