For the first time since the early 1980s, Jeep has in its ranks a military vehicle. The J8 arrives as a uniformed version of the civilian Wrangler Unlimited, with a few significant modifications and upgrades, inside and out. Under the hood, Jeep has installed its 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine (seen briefly in the Liberty) that produces 158 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It's an old-school, clatter-and-shake diesel powerplant, but definitely gutsy, endowing the J8 with a 7716-pound towing ability. There's also an integrated engine snorkel, allowing the J8 to ford some 30 inches of water. Jeep isn't calling the J8 a front-line vehicle, so don't expect it to supplant the military's Hummers, but the company is quick to note that the vehicle is "fully armor-ready." Built, strangely enough, in Cairo, Egypt, the J8 will debut next spring in four-door and two-door pickup body styles, in right- or left-hand-drive.
Photos courtesy of Chrysler.
The new Jeep J8.
The 1941 Willys 'MA,' progenitor of the ubiquitous World War II military jeep.
The M151, Jeep's last military model.
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