The 2018 incarnation of the Jeep Wrangler is almost ready to be taken out of the oven and, as you can imagine, the spy material covering the Wrangler JL topic gets spicier by the day. Case in point with the piece of footage at the bottom of the page, which shows the next-gen Wrangler drag racing the outgoing model on dunes.
If this sounds familiar, it's probably because we showed you the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JLU doing its thing at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes last month. Nevertheless, while the action we saw in July was more fitting for the soft-roading label, the Michigan location saw the Jeeps engaging in proper offroading activities this time around.
Heck, it almost looks like the uphill challenge was staged - that's how big the rugged terrain performance gap between the two generations of the iconic offroader is.
Of course, tires are always the second most important component in such scenarios (the driver takes the #1 spot) and it seems that the 2018 test car seen here features Goodyear DuraTrac rubber. Nevertheless, the rumor mill talks about the production vehicle getting BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tires.
You should also pay attention to the image gallery below, since we've added the recently leaked 2018 Jeep Wrangler specs at the end.
As we've discussed on previous occasions, the most important addition has to do with the introduction of a 3.0-liter V6 diesel and a reworked 2.72:1 Selec-Track Full Time 4WD system.
And while the two-door Sahara incarnation of the Wrangler will be put to sleep, there's plenty of good news to keep enthusiasts happy. For one thing, the gas side of the lineup will see the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 getting accompanied by a 2.0-liter Hurricane turbo-four.
The base models will involve a six-speed manual tranny, while an eight-speed auto is set to serve as a premium feature.
Oh, and let's not forget the all-new Rubicon's 33-inch tires, as well as the power soft top of the next-gen model.
Jeep is scheduled to take the wraps off the all-new JL and JLU in November, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Nevertheless, we could see an online reveal, which could be disguised as a leak, much sooner.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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