Video: Team tears down then rebuilds a Jeep in under four minutes

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Videos, Military, Canada, Off-Road

Jeep torn down and rebuilt in under four minutes

A Jeep is torn down then rebuilt in under four minutes – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Remember the video where we got to see how long it takes to put a BMW Z4 GT3 together? It took West Coast Racing 600 hours to complete that task. Canada’s finest, on the other hand, think that time is laughable. A team of soldiers from the Canadian Armed Forces can put together a Jeep in far less time. Not only that, they start with a fully-assembled and running vehicle, tear it down then put it back together again… in under four minutes. Admittedly, though, we imagine that building the Z4 is a bit more complex than the work-ready Jeep seen here.

It’s nothing short of awesome, especially since it normally takes us four hours and a 12-pack of beer just to change our brakes.

Whatever you just did in the last four minutes, it’s not as cool as what these guys accomplished. See for yourself after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Duy Pham!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Team tears down then rebuilds a Jeep in under four minutes

Video: Team tears down then rebuilds a Jeep in under four minutes originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Filed under: SUV, Jeep, Reviews, Luxury

Proof Positive That Chrysler Can Still Compete

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’re finally beginning to get a glimpse of exactly what Chrysler has been up to since snagging a whopping $6.6 billion in federal funding during the automotive implosion of 2009. While General Motors has been busily chugging along like nothing happened, the Pentastar hasn’t exactly rolled out a wave of new and refreshed models. There’s been an obvious hitch in the Chrysler giddy up, and those loyal to the company’s three brands have been forced to settle for little more than slightly reworked option packages… until now. As 2010 comes to a close, the company is pulling the covers off a range of new models, each as important to its future success as the last.

In a world populated by bubble crossovers, the Grand Cherokee clearly stands apart.

At the front of the pack is the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a vehicle that’s become synonymous with Chrysler’s righting of itself in the public eye thanks to some of the most well-crafted advertisements in the industry. If you don’t know what we’re on about, we highly suggest pointing your browser toward YouTube and spending a few minutes watching the company’s “The Things We Make, Make Us” spot. Be prepared for an overwhelming sense of patriotic duty, as well as a burning desire to pick up a hammer and bang some nails.

You’ve been warned.

Even before Chrysler’s run-in with Chapter 11, there were flickers of hope within the company’s fleet. The Dodge Ram packed one of the best interiors in the segment, and the previous-generation Grand Cherokee wasn’t a horrible place to spend a few hours. The 2011 Grand Cherokee picks up those cues and runs with them in all directions, resulting in a vehicle that’s as capable off road as it is jousting with mid-town traffic. If this is the new face of Chrysler, we like what we see.

Continue reading…

Gallery: Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Jeep accidently shows off Fiat-based CUV *UPDATE

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Videos, Jeep, Design/Style, Off-Road

Jeep shows off Fiat-based CUV – Click above to watch video after the jump

There have been plenty of murmurings about how Fiat’s partnership with Chrysler will impact the Jeep brand. Exactly how much platform sharing will occur between the Italian automaker and the Pentastar’s globe-roaming purveyor of SUVs has been a hot topic amongst the Jeep faithful for some time. Now it appears that a video posted on YouTube by user thejeepchannel has given the world its first glance at a new Fiat-based crossover set to wear the famous seven-slot grille. In the video, a Jeep intern learns a bit about the company’s design process, all while hovering around a clay model of one very CUV-looking creation.

Chrysler has made no qualms about the fact that it will produce an SUV on the C-Evo platform, and has even made noise about which of the company’s manufacturing facilities will build the vehicle.

Our guess is that the clay model in the video is none other than that very high-rider. Judging by the clay, the CUV will wear a host of typical Jeep design cues, including squared-off fender arches and overhangs. Follow the jump to see for yourself.

*Update: Chrysler has released the following statement concerning the vehicle in the video:

“While we certainly appreciate the interest, the clay model and sketches in the YouTube video represent past design studies, not the future of Jeep design. This and similar videos are targeted toward college students and the youth market in general, to build excitement about the Jeep brand, and to provide a glimpse into some of the processes we go through to create iconic Jeep vehicles.”

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Jeep accidently shows off Fiat-based CUV *UPDATE

Video: Jeep accidently shows off Fiat-based CUV *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Older Jeep Grand Cherokees being investigated for fuel tank defects

Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Safety, Jeep

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees over concerns that their rear-mounted gas tank may be prone to rupture in the event of an accident. The agency has recorded 44 instances where a ruptured fuel tank may have contributed to a total of 55 deaths resulting from fire.

The Center for Auto Safety, a consumer advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader, requested the NHTSA investigation. In response to the Washington-based group’s petition, NHTSA issued the following in a statement: “The existence of these post-crash fires does not, by itself, establish a defect. Further review and investigation into these incidents is needed.” And so an investigation we shall have.

A preliminary report from NHTSA suggested that there wasn’t any evidence that the 1993-2004 Grand Cherokee’s fuel tanks were “over-represented for post-crash fires.” If this investigation leads to a recall, Chrysler has indicated that it will cooperate with the agency.

[Source: Business Week]

Older Jeep Grand Cherokees being investigated for fuel tank defects originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 spied with 6.4L Hemi V8 underhood

Filed under: Spy Photos, Performance, SUV, Jeep

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee – the pride and joy of Chrysler at the moment – is just now hitting dealerships, but the automaker is already hard at work on a high-powered SRT-fettled version of its new sport ‘ute. In the past, the Grand Cherokee SRT8 has always been a guilty pleasure of ours, if only for the rocket-like 6.1-liter Hemi V8 underhood.

Good news then that Chrysler is prepping an all new 6.4-liter Hemi for use in its SRT products, and we’re anxious to see how this new engine works in the Grand Cherokee application, which seems likely to hit as a 2012 model.

Early reports suggested that it could be good for around 450 horsepower, but spy photographers are saying that we could see over 500 raging stallions coming out of this new monster mill. This means the new Grand Cherokee SRT8 could rip off 0-60 times in under five seconds, and we might have a truly worthy American competitor for the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, AMG-badged Mercedes-Benz ML and BMW X5 M. Here’s hoping.

[Source: Left Lane News]

Spy Shots: 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 spied with 6.4L Hemi V8 underhood originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeep to offer Trail Edition Camper as official Mopar accessory

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Chrysler, Jeep, Specialty, Off-Road

Jeep Extreme Trail Edition Camper – Click above for high-res image gallery

We know what you’re thinking. What good is a vehicle capable of overlanding to the remotest parts of the planet if there’s no place to lay your head when you arrive at your for-the-night destination? Here’s a bit of good news for you world travelers: Jeep has just announced a new Trail Edition Camper that will be available as an official Mopar accessory from any Jeep dealership. And it looks just about perfect hooked up behind a new Wrangler.

From what we can see in the high-res image gallery below, these trailers are pop-ups that fold down to a manageable size for towing. Each trailer will sport sleeping arrangements for four with one dedicated queen-size bed (the other sleeping quarters are converted from the table and couch), built-in aluminum cabinet, 110-volt power supply and a “premium canvas enclosure.”

Two models will be available, the standard Trail Edition Camper and the (*cue monster-truck-announcer voice*) Extreme Trail Edition Camper. While the basic model gets 32-inch tires and 12 incles of ground clearance, the Extreme Edition ups the ante with 35-inch BFGs and a whopping 15 inches of clearance. Other suitably extreme upgrades include a beefed-up frame and full underbody skid plates.

Pricing starts at $9,995 for the regular model and $11,995 for the Extreme. Full details and specifications can be found after the break, and we highly suggest you check out our high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Jeep Trail Edition Campers

[Source: Jeep]

Continue reading Jeep to offer Trail Edition Camper as official Mopar accessory

Jeep to offer Trail Edition Camper as official Mopar accessory originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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