independence Archives

Jeep JK-8 Independence kit finally turns your Wrangler into a pickup truck

Filed under: Truck, Chrysler, Jeep

Jeep Wrangler JK-8 Independence pickup truck

Jeep Wrangler JK-8 Independence pickup truck – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve seen Jeep Wrangler pickup trucks before that never had a chance at production. They’re the kind of teasing that many die-hard Wrangler lovers just can’t handle, so the folks at Mopar are giving owners of the four-door Unlimited a chance to make their own Jeep pickup.

Jeep Wrangler JK-8 Independence pickup truck bed The Wrangler JK-8 Independence is a new Mopar kit that provides a 50-inch pickup truck bed with 44 inches of width between the wheel wells. The folks at Mopar aren’t ready to talk price just yet, but they promised two variants of the kit. One is a weld-free bolt-on setup that mechanically inclined Jeep owners can put together “over a weekend.” The second is a show-ready kit that can be fitted at the dealership or a specialty body shop. The parts for both kits will reportedly cost about the same, but labor costs for the show truck version will cost extra. The kit will reportedly be available in every color that you can currently get the Wrangler Unlimited.

In all, Mopar tells us the kit includes a bed floor, all the necessary body panels, the fiberglass cap and a new bulkhead. To build your own JK-8 Independence, you’ll need to remove all the interior parts behind the front seats. The new body panels will cover the second row entrance, and a short fiberglass cap provides enough covered space for your gear.

The bright yellow JK-8 show truck, which is based off of a 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, features a Mopar/Dynatrac ProRock 44 front axle and a stock 44 rear axle with 4.88 gears. Thirty-seven inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2 tires and a 4.5-inch long-arm suspension kit make sure this makeshift truck doesn’t get stuck even in the most inhospitable terrain. Special off-road capable bumpers round out the modifications, and all of the above modifications are available straight from the Mopar catalog.

Click on the gallery below to check out the official Jeep Wrangler pickup truck that you’ve all been waiting for.

Gallery: Jeep Wrangler JK-8 Independence pickup truck kit

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Jeep JK-8 Independence kit finally turns your Wrangler into a pickup truck

Jeep JK-8 Independence kit finally turns your Wrangler into a pickup truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Jeep JK-8 Independence kit finally turns your Wrangler into a pickup truck”

Saab 9-3 Convertible Independence Edition officially revealed prior to Geneva debut

Filed under: Convertible, Saab

Saab 9-3 Convertible Independence Edition

Saab 9-3 Convertible Independence Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

A couple of days after reports of a special edition Saab 9-3 surfaced in celebration of the company’s independence from General Motors, the automaker has confirmed its particulars and corrected a few details along the way.

The 9-3 Independence Edition celebrates not only Saab’s liberation out from under the GM umbrella, but also the 25th anniversary of the company’s first convertible. It’s based on the Aero trim model, but while earlier reports suggested it could get the 220-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo from the 9-5, the special edition is actually driven by a 1.9-liter diesel four with 180 horses and a six-speed automatic.

Amber Orange metallic is the dominant color, coating the exterior and highlighting the cabin with trim on the parchment leather sport seats and stitching on the steering wheel. There’s also grey piping on the floor mats and carbon-look leather on the instrument panel, levers and handles. And while those special 18-inch wheels may look like they’ve got five spokes, but actually have twenty.

Only 366 examples of the Independence Edition will be made in all – one for each day of this year and another to kick off the next. Follow the jump for the press release and check out the pair of images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Saab 9-3 Convertible Independence Edition

[Source: Saab]

Continue reading Saab 9-3 Convertible Independence Edition officially revealed prior to Geneva debut

Saab 9-3 Convertible Independence Edition officially revealed prior to Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Saab 9-3 Convertible Independence Edition officially revealed prior to Geneva debut”

Saab 9-3 Independence Edition sneaks out ahead of Geneva debut

Filed under: Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Saab

Saab 9-3 Independence Edition

The Saab 9-3 Independence Edition (based on the Aero Convertible) marks the day, February 23, one year ago when Saab left the General Motors corporate org chart to once again become an independent automaker (inasmuch as it can be called that, since it’s still owned by Spyker). Expected to debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, the Saab 9-3 Independence Edition has leaked onto the web a little early.

Unique Independence Edition touches include a new color called Sunset Red and special 18″ wheels. Meanwhile, the interior gets parchment leather seats with an orange stripe down the middle, an orange needle on the turbo guage, a Super Sport steering wheel and an assortment of other interior bits from Saab specialist Hirsch. The best part, though, is that the 9-3 Independence Edition also gets the 220-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four from the Saab 9-5.

Enamored? Try not to be, because with only 366 individually-numbered examples to be sold worldwide, the likelihood of getting your hands on one is pretty slim indeed. Thanks for the tip, Knape!

[Source: SaabsUnited]

Saab 9-3 Independence Edition sneaks out ahead of Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Saab 9-3 Independence Edition sneaks out ahead of Geneva debut”