The Easter Jeep Safari, scheduled this year from March 27 to April 4, is an annual event that cannot be renounced for off-road and Jeep enthusiasts: it takes place among the iconic tracks of the Moab desert (Utah, USA) and attracts thousands of “Jeepers” from all over the United States and beyond. A week dedicated to the most technical off-road driving, on some of the most evocative and challenging routes in the world. For the occasion, Jeep presented some prototypes based on the latest generation of the Wrangler, including one with 100% electric propulsion, called “Magneto”.
“Moab’s Easter Jeep Safari has long been the proving ground for every new Jeep 4×4 model, as well as the stage for introducing new Jeep concepts, new Jeep Performance Parts and creative ideas that are highly anticipated by our most customers. enthusiasts – the diehard off-road enthusiasts who take part in this event every year, “said Jim Morrison, Vice President, Jeep Brand North America in an official statement:” This year’s Safari puts the spotlight on what makes vehicles Unique and undeniably performing Jeeps: a variety of powertrains that deliver power, performance, torque and most of all fun. The challenging Moab tracks are strong adversaries for our Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator-based concepts. Each will demonstrate how the legendary 4×4 capabilities of the Jeep brand are capable of dominating any terrain ”.
A “magnetic” Wrangler
Based on the two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the Magneto uses a 100% electric motor. The peculiarity of the powertrain? It is linked to a six-speed manual transmission complete with a clutch, which works as if it were paired with an internal combustion engine. The electric offers 370 Nm of torque and 285 hp of maximum power. Jeep technicians assure that “the calibration developed during the tests ensures that the Magneto propulsion system offers the driving experience of the V6 in terms of both torque and horsepower. While driving at moderate speeds, the differences in terms of performance between the V6 and the new manual electric propulsion system of the Magneto are negligible, except for the almost complete silence ”. The zero-hundred canon is archived in about 7 seconds.
The engine is powered by four lithium battery packs with a combined capacity of 70 kWh and an 800-volt system. The lithium-ion batteries are distributed in several places to balance the weight on the four wheels. Furthermore, the accumulators are kept in waterproof casings to allow the Wrangler to maintain the wading capacity of 76 cm.
The backdate for off-roading
More romantic is the Jeepster Beach, also built on a Wrangler base but inspired by the 1968 Jeepster Commando (C-101), which was the first compact four-wheel drive vehicle with automatic transmission. The bodywork has been modified to recall the original model, while the interior is modern but adorned with specific decorations and low-back bucket seats upholstered in red leather; the rear seat, on the other hand, has been replaced with a chrome four-point safety cage.
Under the hood is an upgraded version of the 2-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine normally offered on other Wranglers: in this case the power increases by about 25% over the production version to deliver 340PS and 500Nm. adopts an eight-speed automatic transmission.
