Yahoo Autos A Hellcat V-8 Fits In the Wrangler and Gladiator, But It'll Never Make Production
One of the trucks Jeep made for Easter Jeep Safari, the 1968 M-715 Five-Quarter Concept, featured power from a Mopar "Hellcrate" engine. Yes, that's the crate version of the 6.2-liter supercharged 707-hp Hellcat V-8. It's not the first time Jeep has built a Hellcat-powered Wrangler concept, and surely, it gets people wondering if a Wrangler Hellcat will ever be put into production.
The answer, sadly, is no. Speaking to Australia's Drive, Jeep boss Tim Kuniskis explained why it's not going to happen.
"Everybody always asks me that question: [the Hellcat engine] fits. You know that. It fits like a glove," Kuniskis said. "But the problem is that it fits like a glove and there is no air space around the engine and the whole external space of the vehicle, so you have no crush space; you have nothing that can be used to absorb energy in a crash.
"It is not a problem to put it in-other than emissions and fuel economy-except it would never pass any crash tests, and that’s a problem."
So, bad news for folks hoping for a factory supercharged V-8 Wrangler. But good news for the aftermarket: Jeep shop Dakota Customs is working on a Hellcat-swap kit for the JL Wrangler, and since the engine bay of the Gladiator is largely similar, it should work for the pickup, too.
And if you want a factory Hellcat-powered truck, just wait for the upcoming (but still rumored) Ram TRX, which should be here within the next few years.
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