The Jeep Moab Safari Concepts Take on The 2018 Jeep Wrangler

Every year, Jeep gives its engineers and designers the opportunity to create wild concept vehicles that will be tested out on the trails of Moab, Utah during the annual Easter Jeep Safari. Most of this year’s concepts take the 2018 Jeep Wrangler to new heights of performance. Others are decked out in the latest Mopar performance gear. Often, Jeep will track the popularity of different concepts and you may see the most popular end up in dealer showrooms as performance packages.

Mike Manley, who heads up the Jeep Brand for FCA says in a statement, “Pushing the limit is something the Jeep brand is no stranger to and these seven new, exciting and capable concept vehicles are the latest example of that. Every year, we look forward to introducing new concept vehicles and ideas to our enthusiasts. The Moab Easter Jeep Safari presents a unique and perfect opportunity to collect valuable insight from our most loyal customers.”

Retro Chic Jeep

The Jeep Jeepster is the hipster version of what a Jeep can be. The firecracker red Jeepster is based on the Wrangler Rubicon and uses Jeep Performance parts to emulate the 1966 Jeepster. Don’t let the retro look fool you, the Jeepster contains the latest in performance, including LED off-road lights, a rearview camera, a 2-inch lift kit and 37-inch BF Goodrich KO2 tires.

The Jeep 4SPEED shows off the latest in light-weighting, making the concept more nimble out on the trails. The 4SPEED, with its gray body and teal trim, features a carbon fiber hood, high-clearance carbon fiber fender flares and a carbon fiber rear tub with perforated aluminum panels. The 4SPEED has a sleek side profile, and elongated door openings, but is 22 inches shorter than a stock Wrangler.

The bright orange Jeep Sandstorm is inspired by the Baja desert racers. It is designed to race down sandy straightaways while still being capable of handling the daily driving duties. The Sand Storm has a heavy duty suspension system and has a 6.4-liter V-8 engine. To fit the Baja look, the exterior features a vented carbon fiber hood, vented high clearance front and rear fender flares.

A True Throwback

My favorite of the concepts is the Jeep Wagoneer Roadtrip and it is a real throwback to earlier times when the Jeep Wagoneer was known as “The Colorado Cadillac” because every mom drove one to haul the kids around. It was the first SUV. The mint-green Roadtrip uses the original steel body but modernizes the chassis and powertrain. The Wagoneer features original front and rear bench seats and door panels. A wicker headliner gives the Wagoneer an open, lighter feel. The 1965 Wagoneer was known as the original luxury 4x4. Built from 1963 to 1991, you still see some of the original Jeep Wagoneers on the road out here in Colorado.

The bright yellow Nacho Jeep concept is basically a rolling billboard of all of the Mopar Jeep performance parts that are available. From gated doors, steel Rubicon bumpers, a Warn Winch kit and a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine, the Nacho is everything you can add to a Wrangler to make it your custom offroad vehicle.

The 2018 Easter Jeep Safari takes place from Saturday, March 24- Sunday, April 1, 2018, on the trails near Moab, Utah.

Participants provide their own four-wheel-drive vehicles to use throughout the 9 day long event. This is the 52nd annual Easter Jeep Safari.