7 Slot Muscle

Jeep Taunts Us With 470 Horsepower We’ll Never See … The Wrangler Rubicon 392

-  Chris Collard

BACK in the day, and we are talking about the ’60s, Detroit was churning out high-output big displacement V8s like burgers from a McDonalds’ drive-through. But the energy crisis of the ’70s gave pause, and the added burden of the 1980s’ emissions requirements choked the lifeblood out of any dreams of hot-rodding around with a HEMI behind a seven-slot grille. Yes, the Grand Cherokee made impressive strides with the SRT8, but it has been nearly four decades since a CJ-7 rolled out of Auburn Hills (Michigan) with the 5.0-litre (304cid) engine. But what about the Wrangler? It has led the brand for 35 years but has been relegated to six and four-cylinder engines … until now. Enter the Wrangler Rubicon 392.

We were near Moab, Utah, for the Easter Jeep Safari and I slowed down to 40mph (64km/h) at the base of a long, paved, uphill grade. I pressed a funny little ‘goggles’ button on the dash and pinned the skinny pedal. Bam! My head whipped back against the headrest as I felt the Gs press my spine against the seat. The throaty sweet notes of an uncorked exhaust echoed through the cockpit as the speedo spun north toward the century mark. We hit ‘V max’ in a heartbeat (the maximum tyre rating speed of 99mph or 159.3km/h) and I backed off the throttle to coast up to the crest. Peeling off on a dirt track, my mind drifted back to high school days of HEMIs and Dodge Challengers and thought, “Damn, this is one badass Wrangler”.

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