The 6.4-liter V8 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is the one many Jeep fans would like to have in Europe. Unfortunately it is not. we have driven it
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is as follows: roaring high-volume V8, fat MT tires, and all the Rubicon off-road gear, which is a little scary and cozy at the same time.
Wrangler Rubicon Engine
Nothing comes closer to the legendary, but now often aging CJ-7 of the ’70s and ’80s, than this Jeep we bring to you. The number represents displacement in cubic inches and is reminiscent of the legendary eight-cylinder 392 Hemi with which Chrysler became the terror of the 1957 race track: we’re talking about a whopping 6.4 liters of displacement.
The Wrangler 392 is a Jeep model that is regularly offered in the US In Europe, the Stellantis brand does not offer the Wrangler V8 because it would pay carbon emissions penalties. And an electric one, which could reduce the emissions of the fleet, is not offered by this manufacturer, at the moment.
Ergo, the Wrangler is only available here with a 2.0-liter turbo hybrid petrol engine. The V6 diesel is only available in the expensive Gladiator pick-up. Do you want a V6 or V8 gasoline engine? Only available second hand in our market.
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The company that brought the V8 Wrangler we tested to Germany is called Palmo-Mobil-Performance. Founder Oliver Palmowski comes from a family business that grew out of motorhome dealerships in Bielefeld and Magdeburg. In 2010 he founded a branch for the sale and improvement of sports and exotic cars in Melle, where this Jeep is for sale.
BF Goodrich MT tires contribute significantly to the 262mm ground clearance. You can tell that they roll relatively quietly, they are not off-road tires that sound like a jet taking off at 100 km/h.
The Hemi engine sounds like a muscle car, overwhelming and ravenous. In truth, this naturally aspirated 6.4-liter is a classic American block with center cams, pushrods, and hydraulic valve adjusters, plus modern additions like variable valve timing (VVT).
Behaviour
The V8, which bubbles relaxed, has the expected punch, but invites you to enjoy a quiet ride. At 100 km/h it turns as if it were a diesel, at 2,000 revolutions.
When you press the right pedal, the unit reacts with a slight delay, but then revs up voluntarily, much more happily than the old AMC eight-cylinder in the CJ, and “beats” like a V2 sportbike.
Everything about this car feels heavy and substantial; it’s a kind of Harley-Davidson Electra Glide on four wheels. People who value vehicles with the catchy slogan “built to last” will love this off-roader.
Design
The Wrangler Rubicon 392 we drive costs a lot: about 130,000 euros base price with power sunroof. For the Palmo RockStar RSX special edition, there are additional finishing costs of 45,000 euros. Almost half of this corresponds to the tangerine leather work, including quilting and logos.
Plus, all parts that are unpainted on the standard model are painted in body color or two-tone, add 17-inch aluminum wheels from KMC with BF Goodrich 33×12.5 MT tires.
It also features illuminated power running boards from German supplier Bawarrion, a specially designed body-color roof spoiler, dark rear lights and turn signals, aluminum interior switches, aluminum speakers and air vent covers, and 100 parts with carbon look inside.
“The nappa leather used in this Wrangler comes from a source where Bentley gets its animal hides,” says Oliver Palmowski. “The leather work is done for us by a manufacturer in the Ruhr area. They specialize in exclusive vehicles: In the workshops you can always see vehicles from McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. They also make exclusive motorhomes for us .”
The “RockStar RSX” logo was not designed just for this Jeep; it can also be found in special Palmo motorhomes, i.e. those with four-wheel drive.
Our test unit costs 175,000 euros, and the official consumption is 16 liters. However, the two-liter turbocharged plug-in hybrid sold among us barely consumes less on the highway as soon as the battery runs out, that is: from 41 kilometers.
