by Matt Konkle
Quadratec Channel Editor
The question was really just a throwaway. Something to acknowledge how great the new Jeep Gladiator truck would be for the overlanding crowd. And Mark Allen, the brand’s head of design, simply responded with a smile at the Los Angeles Auto Show late last year.
Just wait, Allen had said at the time, wait until you see what is coming for Easter Jeep (Safari).
Well, the wait is over as Jeep this weekend revealed its full concept lineup that the company plans to take to Moab, Utah for the impending week-long Easter Jeep Safari. Normally, these one-off non-production vehicles highlight different models—past and present—of the brand, but this year it is all Gladiator, all the time.
Five of the six concept vehicles are based off the current Gladiator design, while the sixth is a restored 1968 Jeep M-715 Gladiator-based military truck. That’s right, there is nary a Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Renegade or Cherokee concept in this year’s offerings.
The lineup choice for the 53rd EJS, from April 13-21, was definitely intentional and a nod to the company’s rabid fan base who have long clamored for a truck, according to Jeep’s Head of Brand Tim Kuniskis.
“You’ll notice…every one of these vehicles is a truck, because the public has been asking for a Jeep truck for years. Not asking, demanding for years,” Kuniskis said. “And we finally now have one. To celebrate, we are showcasing six fun and ultra-capable new truck-based Jeep concept vehicles that are certain to turn heads and delight the crowd.”
This year’s concept crop includes Wayout, which is a fully-capable overland concept complete with roof-top tent and custom canopy; Flatbill, showing off the Gladiator’s extreme 4x4 capability with a nod to Motocross culture; Five-Quarter, a restored 1968 Jeep M-715 Gladiator-based military vehicle blending vintage and modern chassis and drivetrain components; J6, which displays a classic Jeep truck styling; JT Scrambler, combining a 1980s appearance with some innovative touches; and Gravity, a rock-climbing-themed trail-ready vehicle featuring tons of available accessories.
“We’re celebrating the release of Gladiator this year. We do Wranglers every year and we have done so for over a decade so it’s fun to play with another vehicle,” Allen said. “We like to take something we love and then throw as much love into it as we can.”
Jeep Wayout
This is most likely the vehicle Allen was referring to back in Los Angeles during the Gladiator’s media release, as this concept is all about overlanding and how the newest Jeep truck will fit into that segment. The Wayout offers a full roof-top tent that sleeps two, custom, large sprawling canopy, custom bed rack with an integrated ladder and 270-degree awning with amber LED lighting to help travelers set up camp.
Additionally, two custom-fit auxiliary fuel tanks are integrated into the bedsides for those longer wilderness adventures, while an ARB on-board air system with a body-mounted quick-disconnect air supply can help power tools or deal with tire issues.
Wayout also sports a Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) two-inch lift kit, 17-inch steel wheels that hold 37-inch mud-terrain tires, a 12,000-lb. Warn winch and JPP snorkel. It even has a custom integrated roof-rack system for packing gear, while the truck bed houses a bed-drawer system for added lockable dry storage.
Powering the Wayout is the award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine which is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Jeep J6
You say you want a two-door Gladiator, right? Well, here is Jeep’s answer. A brilliant-blue machine called the J6 that identifies as a concept—with the hope of so much more.
Some reports indicate that Jeep will gauge fan reactions and interest to the J6, and potentially consider this vehicle for production, but Kuniskis reiterated this edition is only a concept vehicle. He did leave the door open, slightly, for a two-door production vehicle in the future; saying the brand would hear out what Jeep enthusiasts think about a two-door production truck.
“The Moab Easter Jeep Safari provides the perfect venue to interact with and gather feedback from our most loyal and passionate customers – the diehard off-road enthusiasts who attend the event each year,” Kuniskis said.
As far as the J6, well, it features design cues that harken back to the old 1978 Honcho series, such as its color and badging, and will head to Moab with a large, six-foot functional bed that is 12 inches longer than the standard Jeep Gladiator bed. The overall length of the J6 is 201 inches (19 inches shorter than Gladiator), while the wheelbase clocks in at 118.4 inches, nearly matching the JL Wrangler’s wheelbase.
Behind the cab sits a prototype steel sport bar that carries a set of four, five-inch LED lights. Meanwhile, a prototype spare tire carrier under the bar stores up to a 37-inch tire.
Other modifications include a JPP two-inch lift kit, prototype 17-inch beadlock wheels with a Brass Monkey finish, 37-inch BFGoodrich tires, two-inch steel stinger bar that bolts to the Rubicon front bumper and customized rock rails. The concept hardtop is removable, and J6 badging is featured on the tailgate and side fenders. All told, the J6 has 10 five-inch LED lights, with each one capable of producing 4,800 lumens for total nighttime trail coverage
Classing up the interior is a set of Katzkin leather seats and armrests in body-matching blue, an auxiliary switch panel for those 10 LED lights, and trailer brake control switch. A pedal kit, all-weather floor liners and door sill plates round out the interior accessories, while a prototype removable hardtop sits above the cabin.
Like Wayout, the J6 incorporates a 3.6-liter Pentastar engine, but also includes a JPP cold-air intake for added breathability.
Jeep Flatbill
This guy is named after flatbill baseball caps that many in the motocross world wear, and includes a vented carbon fiber hood and high fender flares designed after ones found on motocross bikes. A shorter front bumper improves the approach angle, while departure angle also increases with a redesigned bed and tubular rear bumper.
As you can imagine, then, the Flatbill concept is constructed specifically with the desert lifestyle in mind, and has an unmistakable, loud and rowdy appearance. The bed is set up to carry two bikes, while loading and unloading is made easier thanks to a removed tailgate and the inclusion of slide-out ramps.
Massive 40-inch tires on 20-inch rims—the first time on any Jeep Gladiator— provide superior traction and performance, and Dynatrac Pro-Rock 60 front and rear axles offers the strength needed to carry cargo, yet still perform at a high off-road level. A custom four-inch lift kit, along with large rear bypass shocks help the Flatbill comfortably tackle any obstacle.
Inside, there are wild dashboard graphics and yellow accent stitching, while floor boards are covered in yellow bed liner and seat inserts trimmed with motocross jacket material.
The Jeep Flatbill is powered by the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine with a cold-air Mopar intake and mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Jeep JT Scrambler
The Jeep JT Scrambler features a retro look with Punk’N and Nacho colors that call back to the CJ8 edition, but adds an extra set of doors and other performance accessories.
It is also another concept that may just make it past the one-off stage and into productions, said Allen.
“We’ll probably activate (the JT Scrambler) at some point if people love it like the way we think they will. I think it works,” Allen said.
The Scrambler is based on the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, and pulls many items from the JPP line, including a two-inch lift kit, rock rails, 17-inch rims holding 37” tires, four five-inch LED lights atop the sport bar and two on the vehicle’s A-pillars. Facing forward on the brush guard are a pair of seven-inch LED lights, each one pushing out 8,000 lumens.
The bed area features a spray-in bedliner and prototype steel tube roll bar painted body-color white. This version anchors to the bed and extends the length of the bed rails on each side, offering eight tie-down points for cargo. LED task lights are also mounted to roll bar and point to the rear bed, providing illumination in the cargo area.
Inside, the Scramble theme is well-displayed with Amaretto Brown Katzkin leather and orange accent stitching used for the seats, dash and armrests. The Jeep grille logo is even embroidered into the seatbacks, while a Mopar pedal kit and all-weather floor mats complete the interior look.
A 3.6-liter Pentastar engine powers the JT Scrambler, with a Mopar cold-air intake and cat-back exhaust rounding out the vehicle’s upgrades.
Jeep Gravity
While the JT Scrambler may be a concept that could reach production, Jeep’s Gladiator Gravity is something called a concept that really can be built from a stock Gladiator by those with some extra cash. In fact, the whole thing could really be called the Jeep Gladiator Accessory.
Of course, in doing so you wouldn’t get all the fancy Gladiator Gravity badging, but all of the accessories on this vehicle are available upon launch, so you could upgrade your Punk’N Orange Gladiator Rubicon with Mopar cross rails and carrier basket to hold things like rock-climbing gear, tents, clothes, helmets and shoes.
And then you could augment your storage capability with a truck bed storage system that offers additional lockable cargo space through dual sliding drawers, while still allowing for storage on top in the bed area.
One of the unique features of the Gladiator is its ability to open up the cabin, and the Gladiator Gravity shows off two-inch round steel tubular doors, along with a mesh sunbonnet that provides cover while keeping the top-down feel.
As far as performance accessories, the Jeep Gladiator Gravity carries a JPP two-inch lift kit and runs on 17-inch wheels carrying 35-inch tires. Heavy-gauge steel JPP rock rails are thicker and wider, and provide a non-slip finish. Seven-inch LED lights sit on the bumper, while five-inch LED lights are carried on the A-pillars. Gravity also features a cold-air intake and cat-back exhaust system to enhance horsepower and torque.
Additional accessories include grab handles stamped with the Jeep grille logo, MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) bags for storage and all-weather floor mats with a custom ‘plug’ system that allows for direct draining of water and debris.
Jeep Five Quarter
Rounding out this year’s concept series is the Jeep Five-Quarter. Or, in layman’s terms, the Jeep Awesome. This one is a resto-modded 1968 Jeep M-715 Gladiator-based military truck that Jeep designers apparently found somewhere on Craigslist and brought in to fix up.
It's named the Five-Quarter in reference to Jeep trucks of old that were one-and-one-quarter-ton trucks, and this one was completely redone after purchase, with the exception of the original frame, doors, windshield and parts of the cab being salvaged, but modified for the concept.
First off is the powerplant, a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi ‘Hellcrate’ V8 that produces 707 horsepower. That will be more than enough for the vehicle’s 40-inch Maxxis mud terrain tires on 20-inch beadlock wheels.
Then, for the exterior, designers replaced all the old steel panels up front with carbon fiber, while also cutting down the convertible soft top roof 3.5 inches. They also supplanted original lighting with HID and auxiliary LED lights for much-improved visibility.
In the rear, a six-foot custom aluminum bed was installed and utilizes both water-jet-cut panels and wood slats. Also, for more body protection, the designers took away the original rockers and installed functional rock rails, as well as a modified Gladiator Rubicon steel front bumper.
Inside, the Five Quarter’s cabin employs new Jeep Wrangler seats without headrests, and aluminum, water-jet-cut bits on the dash and door panels. Additionally, a repurposed vintage 8-71 supercharger now serves to encase the transmission and transfer case shifters.
Five Quarters rides on a link coil suspension system and uses a Dana 60 axle up front that is pulled forward two inches, and Dana 80 in the rear.