Jeep News: Rumorpile: Jeep May Be Working On A High-Performance Gladiator

[William Maley]

While the Jeep Gladiator hasn't arrived at dealers yet (due in the second quarter), there is already talk about what could be in store. The Jeep Gladiator Forum has learned from a source that the brand is considering building a high-performance variant known as "Hercules". According to the source, the vehicle "is currently being evaluated for market viability" and has not been given the green light. There are some prototypes being built but only as "one-offs for testing purposes."

Jeep has hinted at doing a high-performance off-road model. Mark Allen, head of Jeep design recently mentioned a high-speed off-road vehicle is on the agenda for Jeep’s expansion on an episode of Autoline After Hours (video below). It doesn't mean that the Gladiator is the vehicle in question, however.

If we were to hazard a guess as to what a high-performance Gladiator may look like, we would guess that a V8 engine would be under the hood, possibly the 6.4L HEMI V8. A number of parts from the Rubicon model such as differential locks and anti-roll bar disconnects could appear.

Source: Jeep Gladiator Forum

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[smk4565]

They should make a Gladiator with the Demon engine, rear drive only and drag radials.  Seems like something FCA would invest money in.