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The Mopar Underground design team showcased six customised Jeep vehicles and Dodge trucks ocer Easter at the 43rd annual Moab Jeep Safari 2009 in Overseen by Jeep chief designer Mark Allen the Mopar Underground design team has been customising production vehicles since its creation in 2002 and has introduced 14 Jeep concept vehicles to enthusiast crowds at Moab Jeep Safari. “These vehicles are built with pride and passion for the Jeep brand by a small group of dedicated engineers, designers and fabricators to explore and demonstrate the many facets of off-roading,” Allen said. The Mopar Underground design team creates vehicle concepts, which are meant to develop performance parts, accessories and customisation, as well as new vehicle concepts. “Moab Jeep Safari provides a great venue and works as a proving ground to test Jeep vehicle concepts driven alongside Jeep brand enthusiasts, who can provide immediate feedback at the event,” Allen said. “As a result, we use knowledge gained at this off-road event to explore new directions for Jeep platforms and to develop Mopar performance parts and accessories to suit these vehicles.” Mopar Underground Jeep Wrangler The Jeep Wrangler Overland is for those craving travel and adventure. Taking a 2009 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited four-door, the Mopar Underground team turned the vehicle into a mobile “on-the-go” self-contained campsite. To increase cargo capacity for hauling gear, the Jeep Wrangler Overland’s rear seats were replaced with a large, flat, rubberised utility floor. Mounted to the cargo rack is an all-new ARB two-person Simpson II rooftop-mounted tent and touring awning. The interior of the Jeep Wrangler Overland features water-resistant Mopar front-seat covers, rugged Mopar slush mats and a Daystar dash bin and lower switch panel. Helping to enhance off-road travel is a new Mopar 6.4 cm suspension lift. A full-traction rear sway bar was added, allowing the addition of aggressive 35-inch tyres mounted on 17 inch steel Mopar winter/off-road wheels. Additional off-road protection at the front and rear is provided by American Expedition Vehicles’ steel bumpers and for added security a Warn 9.5ti winch. An American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) Jeep Wrangler heat-reduction hood and snorkel kit is fitted to the vehicle. Mopar windshield-mounted off-road lights and Daystar bumper-mounted lights provide additional lighting. Mopar Underground Jeep Grand Canyon II. The Jeep “Grand Canyon II” is the most luxurious off-road vehicle built to date by the Mopar Underground team. The objective was to take a top-of-the-line 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee and ready it for serious off-road action. To improve traction a set of 285/70R17 tyres was mounted on Wrangler Rubicon wheels and fitted with a Superlift 10 cm suspension system. Off-road protection was provided by an ARB high-clearance front bumper and Mopar heavy-duty rock rails. The already well-appointed Jeep Grand Cherokee interior was prepped for severe duty by the addition of Mopar accessories’ front and rear slush mats, cargo liner and stainless-steel sill plates. Mopar Underground Jeep Lower Forty The Jeep “Lower Forty” takes the new Jeep Wrangler platform to a new extreme. It is equipped with massive 40-inch x 13.5-inch 0R20LT tyres mounted on Mopar 20 inch forged aluminium wheels. The Mopar Underground crew added the aggressive wheels and tyres to a stock, two-door Wrangler Rubicon without the use of a suspension lift, with the goal being to achieve added ground clearance without altering the vehicle’s centre of gravity. To accomplish that the team trimmed copious amounts off the body and fenders to provide the needed tyre clearance. Once that was achieved 7.5 cm was chopped from the windshield frame and the rake increased by 10 degrees. |
Custom front and rear fender flares were made 2.5 cm wider and 10 cm higher compared with a stock vehicle. A new one-piece carbon-fibre bonnet with a Jeep CJ-like power dome and an all-new drop-down tailgate stamped with the “Jeep” logo were added. Inside an all-new roll cage was neatly integrated into the body tub and tied directly into the frame rails. The spare tyre was relocated to the cargo floor and a custom cargo rack, supplied by Poly Performance, was installed. Once all body modifications had been completed the exterior received a fresh coat of Red Eye No. 3 paint, a custom colour developed by the Mopar Underground team specifically for this project. Custom touches can be seen throughout the interior of the vehicle, including a colour-matched centre console and instrument panel. The seats were re-covered with Mopar’s Katzkin leather package in a two-tone scheme. The carpet was removed and a durable truck-bed liner was sprayed inside to protect the floor. Rugged Mopar floor mats complete the theme. The Mopar Underground team turned to the Mopar catalogue for the vehicle’s mechanical upgrades. The Jeep Lower Forty features an all-new 5.7-litre Hemi V-8 engine and a Getrag 238 six-speed manual transmission. Power train installations were handled by Mopar supplied Dana 44 front axles and Dana 60 rear axles equipped with 5:38 gears and Dynatrac prepared ARB air lockers to handle the vehicle’s massive tyres.
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