Here Are the Concepts That’ll Run Riot at Jeep’s Annual Easter Safari

It's like an egg hunt — only with more near-death experiences

March 31, 2017 9:00 am

There are plenty of Easter traditions that have nothing to do with Peeps, bunnies or Cadbury eggs.

In Norway, people celebrate Easter by reading crime novels. In Bermuda, they fly kites. And in the desert outside Moab in Utah, they celebrate with Jeeps. Hellish ones.

To give fans who travel to Moab each year something to look forward to other than nine days of trail-riding, Jeep usually debuts a slew of concept models to commemorate the annual Easter Jeep Safari, and this year is no different, as the automaker has created seven fresh builds for the event.

In case you can’t make it to see the models — which Mopar helped design — here they are.

Jeep Grand One
Relying on a 5.2-liter V8 mated to a four-speed transmission for power, the Jeep Grand One is a fresh take on the 25-year-old Grand Cherokee model. Riding on 18-inch wheels wrapped in 33-inch mud tires, the ’90s-inspired SUV even has an old-school car phone in the front seat.

Jeep Safari
Based on the Wrangler, the Safari has a Pentastar V6 and a five-speed transmission, but its most distinctive features by far are those “windoors.” Crafted from lightweight aluminum and clear vinyl, the unique doors open like cabinets on hinges and feature zipper openings to let in air.

Jeep Quicksand
This build isn’t much for subtlety: it immediately calls attention to its hot-rod status with a “peekaboo” cutout in the hood that shows off the top of an eight-stack injection Hemi underneath. And with a staggered tire setup and front-mounted winch, this SUV is off-road ready.

Jeep Trailpass
With custom Katzkin leather seats, all-terrain tires and tinted headlamps and tail lamps, the Trailpass can handle off-road trails in style. Powered by a Tigershark engine paired with a nine-speed transmission, the Trailpass has add-ons like a roof basket and cross and rock rails.

Jeep Switchback
Merging an assortment of high-performance parts and components, the Switchback features a number of concept LED fixtures to provide superior visibility in all conditions along with half doors and a concept hood that are covered by a never-before-seen hard top and roof rack.

Jeep CJ66
According to Jeep, to create the CJ66, all you have to do is “take a Jeep Wrangler TJ frame, hang a 1966 Jeep Wrangler CJ universal Tuxedo Park body on it, add in Wrangler JK elements, [and] power it all with a Mopar 345 Crate HEMI engine kit-enabled 5.7-liter HEMI.” Nice recipe.

Jeep Luminator
The Luminator’s roof is laden with high-tech touches like a solar panel and drone landing pad, while its hood gets in on the action thanks to a LED light bar with active scanning technology that spots  hazards and wildlife. Somewhere in there, you can see the Wrangler it’s based on.

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