[Music] well all right all right everybody welcome to another episode of hot seed Automotive podcast it's your buddy CJ here and tonight we're talking about all things automotive industry The Car Guy hobby real Gearhead talk all the things that car guys and car girls really enjoy talking about the most this is the place to be for that real Gearhead talk now I want to welcome all my subscribers back guys love all my sub subscribers so much I am so grateful for each and every one of you we're gett
ing so much great engagement the channel is going growing like crazy uh get at me at Hot Seat Gearheads on Instagram also got a lot of great exciting fun stuff happening there with your buddy CJ and all of my followers guys if you're not a subscriber please give me a like And subscribe if you're into cars and trucks off-roaders classic cars exotic cars supercars all the above what's going on in the industry cool automotive car guy truck guy events this is the place to be for all that real talk w
e just have a blast around here and welcome everybody let's get into it tonight we talking about that jeep life Jeep life let me tell you something Jeep what an incredible storied brand in this country and across the globe for off-road enthusiasts for truck enthusiasts for 4x4 enthus Enthusiast there have been books written on the history of the Jeep the significance going back as a military vehicle its Origins through postor War II and how it really took off and kind of caught fire if you will
uh with enthusiasts and over the decades the brand has evolved the vehicles have evolved and they they maintain just a huge tremendous loyalty and follow and specifically what we want to talk about tonight guys are four cool Concepts recently released by Jeep uh as part of the 58th annual Easter Jeep Safari event in Moab Utah guys if you're an off-roader you know all about the annual Easter Jeep Safari event in Moab Utah this event's put on by moab's Red Rock four-wheelers group and it's one of
the largest 4x4 events in the world world so if you like to get dirty if you like to get down in the mud you know all about it now your buddy CJ full transparency look I'm more of a car guy I grew up around trucks and heavy trucks and that type of thing that's a whole other story but I was never really sort of a hardcore off-roader if you will I have owned a couple Jeeps so I'm am fully qualified to talk about Jeeps this evening uh I do like Jeep but at the end of this episode towards the end I'
m going to share with you some of my Jeep ownership experiences and what I think about the future of the brand but I want to kind of start out by talking about these four cool Concepts the Jeep is kind of showcasing out at the 58th annual Easter Jeep Safari event out in Utah so guys as we do in this channel we look at things together and we kind of talk about them and that's exactly what we're going to do right now let's take a look at the first concept vehicle together this evening coming from
Jeep guys take a look at this this one's called the Jeep Wrangler low down what we're talking about here is the Wrangler Unlimited platform which is that extended four-door version of the Jeep Wrangler this one's been fitted with the 6.4 L Hemi so are you kidding me that jeep platform with that Hemi I can only imagine what it's like to drive one of these I know that they they went to production with with the Hemi powered Jeep Wrangler Unlimited the one I owned had that 3.8 L pentar V6 and I alwa
ys say that was plenty of power plenty of output honestly for this vehicle on the road candidly I was never an off-roader but I digress let's get back to this thing because I think it's an absolute Beast the name Lowdown comes from what Jeep uh Engineers tell us they wanted to keep the center of gravity low so while the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Lowdown has those 42in tires you can see the big Rubber and wheels on this thing it does not have a lift isn't that interesting what we're talking about h
ere is a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 6.4 L Hemi with 42inch tires Massive Tires and Wheels but no lift so your center of gravity is lower that's going to affect the off-road handling the on-road handling characteristics and in order to accomplish this Jeep Engineers had to do some interesting things the designers and Engineers uh what they had to do was come up with some clearance for that massive rubber uh and they had to do it by kind of Shaving away some space look at the fenders look at the flar
es really kind unique configuration there you can see how the bumper is kind of shortened up front and the this theme of performance kind of Echoes throughout the vehicle the other thing I'll say is that there are no interior screens Jeep eliminated the touch screens the infotainment and what the lead designers and Engineers say is listen this Jeep Wrangler Lowdown concept has some serious EX exhaust in it okay it's a serious performance exhaust system and it's got a loud setting and a ridiculou
s settings and Jeep designers and engineers said that's all the infotainment you need all you need to hear is that big exhaust coming out of the Jeep Lowdown uh which I think is kind of cool so no infotainment again it's simply a concept vehicle how much or little of this will actually go into production we'll see guys let's keep going on this by the way leave me your comments give me a like And subscribe you know your buddy CJ will respond to all the comments I can let's talk about it what do y
ou think about Jeep what do you think about these concept vehicles what does any of this mean for the future of Jeep I'm going to tell you what I think I'm really eager to hear from you guys what are we looking at here look at this thing this is the Jeep Willies dispatcher concept what is this thing Jeep's idea here was to take the best of styling and design cues that kind of heart back to postor War II era late 40s 1950s America okay and couple that with some of the modern drivetrain innovation
s that jeep has embraced recently so what we're looking at here is the Jeep what is it the 4xe this is the plug-in hybrid version of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited okay so this doesn't have the big old Hemi in it this is a plug-in hybrid which I think is kind of interesting is this the future of Jeep we will see but take a look at some of these design cues look at those Steely Wheels look at the rubber they chose to use if that doesn't hearken back to that 1950s era I don't know what does you know
take a look at the embossed that stamped look if you will uh of the Jeep logo and the writing on the side of the hood on the back of the vehicle again that kind of hearkens back to that post World War II era they've got the big worn winch on this thing that is a modern high-tech winch but again the whole appearance I think of this thing gives it that aesthetic from that early era look at the short front bumper on it interestingly enough they did not fit this Jeep concept with carpeting what they
did was they put a vinyl floor cover you know kind of an extreme off-road vehicle no carpeting needed uh this thing sits on 36in tires again with those Steely Wheels giving it that retro styling you know none of this fancy alloy polished aluminum what we're looking at here are those vintage steelies which I think is really cool plus that paint color it's a really neat concept vehicle what does this mean for the future of jeeps you know what leave me comments I'd love to hear from you guys does
anyone own one of these Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with the plug-in hybrid if so what's been your ownership experience I'd love to hear from you is this the future of Jeep don't know guys let's keep going cuz as you know on this channel we have a lot of fun looking at some of these things together on the episode and then talking about them in the comments let's keep going what are we looking at here guys look at this Beast this Beast is the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon High toop concept vehicle this thin
g right now is being showcased at the 58th annual Jeep Easter Safari and Moab Utah uh what are we looking at here guys look at the flat fender flares look at the Retro paint job this thing's powered by a 3.8 L pentastar V6 okay this thing rides on 40in tires with a custom air suspension that you can control from your mobile phone which I think is kind of interesting and cool it's got sort of a sunbonnet top on it you know I think what they went for here was a highly modified Gladiator and candid
ly I what do I think look I think Jeep's going to sell a lot of bolt-on parts with something like this I think they are brilliant in showcasing this Gladiator rub con High toop out there in Moab this week uh I think some of these parts you know the flares Etc you know all these things are available many of these things are available as Jeep parts that you can add and bolt on and I think this kind of gives Jeep guys Jeep girls offroaders ideas for how they may want to modify their Gladiator or th
eir rag unlimited so there's Brilliance in that and I really love the fact that jeep is engaging with its customer base out there at an awesome off-road event in Utah they getting dirty they got the engineers they got the designers out there they're building cool Concepts listen it's 2024 sometimes we complain about the industry going EV and restrictions and EPA and all these things having said that here we are and Jeep is out there in the dirt in Moab Utah with the off-roaders engaging with you
as hobbyists I think that's awesome getting your reaction to these cool concept vehicles hopefully giving us ideas and Inspirations as enthusiasts to keep going in the hobby we'll see what happens uh and what's next for Jeep as a brand and whether or not any of these Innovations customizations actually manifest themselves in production Jeeps guys let's keep going uh let's take a look at the fourth concept vehicle that jeep is showcasing this week out in Moab Utah this is a big one take a look a
t this thing Jeep Grand Wagoner but this one's been modified as a concept bit of a demonstrator from Jeep this one's called the vacationer how do you like that the Jeep vacationer instead of the grand Wagoner look at that skyloft they call that a skyloft okay it's environmentally controlled temperature and climate controlled okay so you can really go Overland in this thing you can live in this thing off-road in the desert in your Jeep Grand Wagoner customized with the sky Loft are you kidding me
so cool apparently they had to remove the second and third row from this vehicle in order to retrofitted if you will uh with that what's known as the red tail Overland skyloft okay kind of cool this thing's running on 35 in tires in terms of power plant the Jeep vacationer concept is actually powered by the 3.0 L hurricane twin turbo inline 6 engine this thing's putting out 510 horsepower 500 lb feet of torque in this inline six which has been a preferred platform of Jeep across the decades uh
multiple iterations kind of cool to see this thing come to fruition putting out some big Power uh now this is a big vehicle candidly your buddy CJ is not a big fan of the grand Wagoner I think this concept vehicle is cool the vacation here I think that Sky loft is wild now you'd have to be sort of an extreme Outdoors person who Embraces camping hunting that whole Adventure lifestyle to actually use this thing again I believe that's available as an aftermarket bolt-on if you will with some custom
ization that red tail Overland skyloft this one had to have the second and third row removed to have it fitted you can see the ladder to get up there what do you guys think but I just think it's super cool uh to see Jeep out there producing these cool Concepts and I know all my off-road buddies out there in Moab Utah this week uh for the 58th annual Easter Jeep Safari event Moab Utah I'm sure you're all going wild seeing these really cool uh concept vehicles leave me comments if you're out there
uh but you know I love to see the engagement I love to see Jeep doing their thing a couple of thoughts on this guys I do think as I mentioned before it is refreshing to see a manufacturer in 2024 in the era of moving towards you know all cars looking alike moving towards you know EVS in general you guys know where the narrative is where the regulatory pressure is being exerted right now we'll see what happen happens but having said that in this Brave New Era where EV and hybrid is in some cases
being kind of forced on some of us slowly but surely it's refreshing to see the Jeep is out there with legit off-road vehicles highly customized that will appeal to the off-road Enthusiast that have these styling cubes and these Vibes that go back decades and generations I think it's really awesome uh it definitely fuels the fire of the off-road Enthusiast I think listen there's Brilliance in this as well now let's talk about the business implications number one Jeep's got some stiff competitio
n they're not just about the hobby they're not just purists okay as much as we'd like to believe that ideal let's be blunt it's business they're part of stellantis okay and they've got stiff competition from the Ford Bronco the Ford bronos Sport for the full siiz Ford Bronco if you don't think that's taken away from Jeep market share you're crazy now I know Jeep people out there shout out to those living that jeep life let me tell you something of course if you're a Jeep loyalist you're a d on t
he die on the hill Jeep person and you're all about it of course you're going to continue to go with your Wrangler your Wrangler Unlimited your rubicons your vintage Jeeps your CJs whatever they might be okay having said that you know not everybody has that extreme brand loyalty you know when you look at the Ford Bronco that's a comparable vehicle love it or hate it let me know what you guys think anybody out there own a Ford Bronco has anybody out there owned both Jeep Wrangler Jeep Wrangler Un
limited Andor a Ford Bronco a modern Ford Bronco or an older one and then what about the Ford Bronco sport which is really not the equivalent but again Ford capitalizing on that off-road Adventure appearance package at least for the Ford Broncos Sport and of course the the extremely capable Ford Bronco as an off-road vehicle itself direct competitor with the Wrangler the Wrangler Unlimited the Rubicon so there's that also what about Scout we know that Volkswagen Volkswagen is bringing back the S
cout brand as an EV that's coming that's potentially going to take some market share away from Jeep it's at least a competitor what about rivan again the brave new eror the again the Brave New Era of EV and hybrid Jeep is making some moves stellantis is making some moves but they've got others moving against them in the industry okay including the rivan rivan producing something really cool in some of its you know uh as you know another EV alternative for the off-road Enthusiast or the adventure
r so if you're in the market you're going to spend a premium for something like a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon fully goosed out with all the mods you might consider if you're open to the concept of an EV a rivan or maybe you're holding out to check out a scout okay at a minimum you know anyone who's in the market for these vehicles unless you're wildly loyal to the G brand why not look at an explor I'm sorry why not look at a Bronco or a Bronco sport guys I'll tell you something else your buddy CJ here
for years I always wanted to have a Jeep again I grew up as more of a car guy a lot of exposure to heavy trucks and Equipment that's a whole other story but I was never really you know nuts about the whole off-roading life and and Adventure life with a with a vehicle that could go deep and far into into the woods or into the desert having said that I always wanted to own a Jeep Wrangler you know I grew up as a fan of those Jeep CJs and and and certainly the old military Jeeps and everything els
e so I ended up what was it 2016 2015 or 2016 I bought a brand new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited anniversary edition let me say this I enjoyed owning that vehicle I didn't love it quality was not great it had both the hard top and the soft top soft top started coming apart after the first season I mean the stitching you know was was coming apart uh I found the whole thing to be sort of less lower lower level of quality than I would expect or desire for you know an off-road utility vehicle okay sold at
somewhat of a premium you know Jeep Jeeps are not cheap vehicles by any strength you know I bought my Jeep Wrangler Unlimited to use more as an SUV alternative you know I used it as a daily and it was okay as daily Transportation uh back seats were not terribly comfortable rear storage you know was okay the main reason that I wanted to own a jeep was to kind of get that jeep experience I'll be honest with you was never planning on going Overland with it or anything like that I've I've had uh yo
u know a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the past and that that was a that was a pretty darn good traditional SUV but the Wrangler the Wrangler Unlimited we're talking about you know that utility vehicle that off-road utility vehicle style and aesthetic I think that's why you buy a Jeep because your buddy CJ's opinion you guys leave me comments there are better SUVs if you're buying a Jeep Wrangler or a Wrangler Unlimited as a daily as a mall crawler as sort of the SUV alternative if you actually go out
there independently and objectively and drive different SUVs at the same price point if you're being really honest with yourself real talk tonight there are better SUVs better handling okay better features better quality Interiors infotainment everything now if you want Jeep life drive around your Jeep you know give the the P symbol to everybody else go to your Jeep events whatever you want to duck each other who knows about the Ducks oh my God that's a whole other topic leave me comments if if
you're a Jeep Enthusiast and you leave ducks on people's jeeps and if you don't know what I'm talking about look it up Google it Jeep life Jeep culture is a thing and listen if that's your jam go with it and if that's part of your hobby and what brings you Joy do it all I'm saying is indep dependently objectively if you're looking at performance handling you know comfort features gas mileage you name it price point value Jeep is not going to win in any of those categories where Jeep wins I'll be
honest with you and let me know what you think in the comments for your buddy CJ where Jeep wins is Jeep life Jeep culture Jeep lifestyle you got have a Jeep you going to buy jeep well listen fill in the blank the Tacoma's a a better vehicle I don't know the Highlander the Nissan Pathfinder Ford Explorer you know maybe they score higher maybe they don't but if you want a Jeep you are going to buy a Jeep you know it's a it's a cultural thing it's a hobby thing and it's a beautiful thing I love t
hat this whole brand has survived the decades and continues to evolve I love that jeep is out there right now in Moab Utah at the 58th annual Easter Jeep Safari with these four hyper cool Concepts go do it I think it's awesome but make no mistake Jeep is facing some stiff competition whether it's from the Ford Bronco whether it's from Scout whether it's from rivan you name it you know Jeep's got to keep keep pounding that rock to get in front of enthusiasts to continue to innovate you know and a
nd I applaud them for making the effort and I think it's kind of interesting guys what do you think I'd love to hear your thoughts leave me those comments what do you think about these four cool Jeep concept vehicles what's been your ownership experience have you owned a Jeep if so which one and what's been your ownership experience my other question for you tonight have you gone Ford Bronco new Ford Bronco if so what was it like transitioning from Jeep to Ford Bronco good bad and ugly and uh gu
ys just share share your thoughts if you're out there in Moab Utah I'd love to hear from you how's the event going uh what do you think about these Concepts uh is it all that who knows maybe your buddy CJ a be out there in Moab Utah write it down take it to the bank if that's the scene if that's the jam for Easter weekend 2025 your buddy CJ be out there am I going to be in a jeep well that's to be seen who knows I might pull up in a cyber truck oh no Jeep people come on don't come down on your b
uddy CJ guys just having a little bit of fun give me a like And subscribe hopefully you're enjoying the channel as much as I'm enjoying bringing it to you your buddy CJ is going to sign out for now and I'll see you on the next one [Music] peace
Comments
Jeep is clearly not my thing.