Jeep fans have been clamoring for a V8-powered Wrangler for as long as I can remember. The last Jeep to have a factory V8 engine dates back well before my birthdate, so it?s easy to understand the hype behind the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392. This vehicle marks the return of a production V8 engine in a Wrangler after nearly 40 years. For millennials and younger Gen Xers, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is the first-ever Wrangler with a standard V8 motor, and what an engine it is.

Hemi V8 Reporting for Duty!

You know Jeep is serious when it chooses the biggest naturally-aspirated Hemi V8 in the FCA family. The 6.4-liter Hemi, also known as the 392, is a technological showcase with an active intake manifold, two spark plugs per cylinder, variable cam timing, hollow intake valves, and piston oil cooling jets. Dodge Charger and Challenger fans know this engine well. It’s even available in the 2021 Durango, so it’s about time Jeep joined the club. 
Capable of producing 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft. of twist, the engine churns out peak torque at just above idling speed, and you know what this means, right" Mated to an eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic driving all four wheels via a Selec-Trac full-time active transfer case, it means zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and a quarter-mile run in 13 seconds, awe-inspiring for an off-road vehicle. The Wrangler Rubicon 392 won?t look out of place on the drag strip despite having 17-inch Beadlock wheels, 33...