Inspired by specialized off-road vehicles built to withstand the brutal conditions of Baja desert-racing competition, the Jeep Sandstorm is also said to perform well in that other unforgiving hostile driver environment: public roads and highways. Despite giving off more than a whiff of the upcoming Wrangler pickup?which will have a full four-door crew cab?the Sandstorm’s telltale cut-down rear doors reveal its Wrangler Unlimited origins.
Far from just a cosmetic job, the Jeep Sandstorm concept has heavy-duty front and rear Dynatrac 60 axles with a 5.68:1 gear ratio and 17-inch beadlock wheels wrapped with 39.5-inch BFGoodrich Krawler tires. High-speed stability is addressed by moving the front axle four inches forward and securing it with a heavy-duty long-arm four-link suspension and track bar. The rear axle is moved two inches to the rear and utilizes a triangulated trailing-arm four-link suspension. Wheel travel is increased significantly both front and rear?custom coil-over dampers with reservoirs permit 14.0 inches of travel in front and an impressive 18.0 inches of travel in the rear. A 6.4-liter V-8 engine plucked from the pages of the Mopar performance catalog provides motivation, sending its grunt to the axles via a six-speed manual transmission.
Exclusive exterior bits include a chassis-integrated cage that incorporates a rear-mounted spare-tire carrier, chopped-down rear doors, a vented carbon-fiber hood, and vented high-clearance front and rear fender fl...