Each spring, hundreds of Jeep enthusiasts head for Moab, Utah for nine days of trail rides hosted by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers club. Now it its 49th year, the annual Easter Jeep Safari allows rare access to trails stretching across federal and Utah state lands, including many left over from the area's mining boom of the 1950s.
Each event also features a two-day vendor show and this year, Jeep has gone all out with plans to unveil seven new concept rides.
"We go to this legendary event each year to showcase our latest Jeep production vehicles, as well as a variety of new ideas in our concept vehicles," said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand. "In doing so, we receive a tremendous amount of valuable feedback, while interacting with our customers in the Jeep brand's natural environment. We're especially looking forward to this year's Jeep Safari, as Renegade makes its official public debut on Moab's demanding trails."
Here at E3 Spark Plugs, our favorite is the Jeep Chief. A tribute to the classic 1970s era full-size Jeep Cherokee, this Wrangler-based concept is a nod to the West Coast surfer lifestyle. It sports an Ocean Blue exterior color scheme with a white, French Bread roof; a custom modified razor grill; halogen headlamps; removable sides for an open-air feel and flexible hauling; chrome front and rear bumpers and classic, 17-inch slotted mag wheels. The Hawaiian-themed interior features pink, blue and white floral cloth and leather-trimmed seats, vintage-style surf stickers on the center console and door handles; a Rosewood front-passenger grab handle and tiki-style shifter handle. It's not all vintage, though. The Chief also features a Uconnect 8.4-inch touchscreen media center.
Also set for release:
- Jeep Staff Car, built as a salute to legendary Jeep military service vehicles.
- Jeep Wrangler Africa, designed for back-country and overland expeditions.
- Jeep Grand Cherokee Overlander, also built for overland and camping expeditions.
- Jeep Renegade Desert Hawk, the ultimate desert adventure vehicle.
- Jeep Cherokee Canyon Trail, named Four Wheeler Magazine's "2015 Four Wheeler of the Year."
- Jeep Wrangler Red Rock Responder, a support vehicle purpose-built to traverse even the harshest terrain and outfitted with off-road equipment to respond to vehicle emergencies with spare parts and tools stored in the built-in drawers and compartments of the cargo box.
Which would you most like to drive across the Moab desert trails? Post your thoughts on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.
