The Jeep introduced the Trailcat concept at the beginning of 2016 at Moab during the 50th annual Easter Jeep Safari. At that time the company presented seven concepts, but this one is at the top of the list when it comes to absurdity. This isn’t necessarily bad, and the concept looks pretty handsome.
This isn’t a spy shot because we know everything about the Jeep Trailcat, but it is slightly odd to see it in public. Is this just some casual ride, or there is something more to it? Does Jeep plan to sell this model as an actual road-going vehicle? The realistic answer would be that Jeep is using this concept as a test mule for the new 2019 high-performance Wrangler which is going to be presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show together with the JL model.
This vehicle is just too brutal for the market. However, when we look at some of the production version coming from Ford, Chevrolet and Ram, it is not so strange to think about the production Wrangler Trailcat. That would be interesting to see. The vehicle produces 707 horsepower, has a proper roof and it is equipped with 295/45R20 section tires. Is it smart to put that amount of power in a lifted Wrangler with gigantic 40-inch BFGoodrich Krawler tires and a roll cage? Probably not.
It would be ludicrous to see a 707hp Hellcat-powered Wrangler going on sale at some point in the future. What about the Wrangler SRT Trailcat powered by a high-performance version of the new turbocharged Hurricane I4 engine which delivers 300 horsepower? Perhaps Jeep could toy with a turbocharged Pentastar V6 powerplant as well. This ultimate off-roader will be outstanding no matter which path Jeep chooses to follow.
