Click Here To View The Moab Jeep Safari 2008 Gallery


Mopar and the Mopar Underground team showcased their customized Jeep vehicles and Dodge trucks at Moab Jeep Safari 2008 in March.

“Jeep engineering has been coming to Moab for years. Mopar is at Moab to test, evaluate and prove the authenticity of our Mopar Performance Parts for Jeep vehicles and Dodge trucks on the most grueling off-road trails in Moab,” said Simon Boag, President – Service & Parts/Mopar, Chrysler LLC. Mopar is Chrysler LLC’s original equipment parts manufacturer and supplier.

Boag added, “We wanted our core off-road customers to talk about their vehicle usage so we can address their unmet needs and identify emerging product trends to better support their off-road adventures. Mopar prepped several vehicles for Moab Jeep Safari to gauge consumer feedback and reaction.”

Overseen by Ralph Gilles, Vice President of Jeep/Truck & CFM Design, Chrysler LLC, the Mopar Underground design team has been customizing production vehicles since its creation in 2002. The Mopar Underground design team creates vehicle concepts meant to develop performance parts, accessories and customization as well as new vehicle concepts. In fact, the first-generation SRT4 was born from this team’s style initiative.

“Our diverse team which changes frequently has been developing SEMA concepts for more than five years. It’s the usual ‘enthusiast’ suspects from our union shops [plastic, paint, metal and wood], Product Design Office, SRT and Mopar Performance Parts and engineering,” said Gilles.

“We try to push the boundaries of conventional thinking—customizing with no limits to creative expression and freedom, just the power to imagine. We want to build customized concept vehicles that flex the potential in our platforms, show that Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles are indeed designed for customization and keep the Mopar spirit and passion alive,” said Gilles.
Vehicle Customization Industry

The 2007 Jeep Wrangler was named one of the most accessory-friendly vehicles by SEMA members
According to a Foresight Research report conducted last year [commissioned by SEMA's Research and Information Center], more than 1,700 full-size truck owners revealed that 50 percent had spent or planned to spend $500 or more on accessories—with a high of 63 percent for Dodge Ram owners (most likely to accessorize). And 20 percent of that group said they bought their trucks at a particular dealership because of the availability of accessories
Jeep® Wrangler “Rubicon® King”
An amplification of Jeep's most capable off-road machine. Taking full advantage of the 4:1 ratio Rock-Trac transfer case and Tru-Lok-equipped Dana 44 axles, the JK Rubicon King utilizes massive BF Goodrich 37 x 12.50-17 TA Krawler tires mounted on Hutchinson beadlock wheels from Mopar. Superlift Suspension provided the 4-in. lift for extra ground clearance. Warn-supplied the new 9.0 RC Rock Crawling Winch. Featuring a six-speed transmission, power is provided by the 3.8-liter V-6 engine under the hood.

Custom features include relocation of the spare tire where the back seat used to reside, fender flares and grille trimmed for extreme clearance, trick lighting, military spec tow shackles and radio delete plate. Other features include American Expedition vehicle's new heat-reduction hood and rear corner guards.

The “JK Rubicon King” premiered at the 2006 SEMA Show and traversed the trails at Moab Jeep Safari 2007.

Jeep® Wrangler JT
Built from the military version of the all new Jeep Wrangler, the Jeep Wrangler JT showcases just how flexible this new platform can be. Revealed at the Moab Jeep Safari 2007, the JT dominated the steep climbs and descents on the slopes of the Hell’s Revenge trail. Its 4x4 capability was established as it negotiated the slick hot tubs and waterfalls – at times, almost completely vertical to the ground.

Beginning with the new 116-in. wheelbase platform for the Wrangler Unlimited, the design team managed to create a very nimble, trail-savvy Jeep with a 5-ft. pickup bed and an easy-to-handle removable hardtop. Power is provided by its 3.8-liter V-6 engine.

Off-road enhancements include:

4-in. suspension lift provided by Superlift
35-in. BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tires
Rear bumper and tire carrier from Mopar
Front bumper from Mopar
Warn 9500ti winch
The Wrangler JT is painted Hearing Aid Beige. The JK JT premiered at Moab Jeep Safari 2007 and was shown at the 2007 SEMA Show.

Jeep® Grand Cherokee “Grand Canyon”
The “Grand Canyon” features 33-inch tires and a 4-in. lift. Power comes from a 3.0-liter V-6 CRD engine under the hood. The “Grand Canyon” premiered at Moab Jeep Safari 2006.

Jeep® Liberty “Liberator II”
The “Liberator II” features 33-inch BFG MT KM2 tires (on 17x17.5 wheels) and a 2-in. suspension lift from Superlift. Power comes from the 3.7-liter V-6 engine under the hood. It features an ARB rear locker with an onboard air inflation compressor. It also has custom-fabricated rock rails and front fascia skid plate as well as a Mopar brush guard and Borla cat-back exhaust. The “Liberator II” premiered at Moab Jeep Safari 2008.

Jeep® Wrangler “JKL”
The “JKL’s” 110-in. wheelbase features 37-inch tires and a 4-in. lift. Power comes from the 6.1-liter HEMI® V-8 engine under the hood. The “JKL” premiered at Moab Jeep Safari 2008.

Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon®
Takes the already off-road benchmark Jeep Wrangler to a whole new level, this Wrangler represents the best of the best of what Jeep has to offer. The interior of the “50K JK” features custom Katzkin leather seating from Mopar, GPS navigation system and satellite radio.

Plenty of power and traction comes with the 3.0-liter CRD diesel engine under the hood that pushes 230 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. There are Tru-Lok-equipped Dana 44 axles underneath. Performance suspension lift allows clearance for 35-inch BFG Mud Terrain tires mounted on custom 18-inch aluminum wheels supplied by Taneisya.

The exterior features a Warn 9.5ti winch mounted on an American Expedition front bumper. A full-size spare is carried by a rear bumper from Mopar Performance Parts. Sprayed in Rolex Silver paint, it looks like a billion bucks.