TFLCar drives the retro-cool Jeep J-12 Concept

 

Jeep J-12 Concept takes on Colorado

Jeep J-12 Concept Names and labels can be confusing. Lady Antebellum means Lady pre-Civil War, Snoop Dog is now Snoop Lion and Snookie means Moron. Jeep wants to keep the confusion to a minimum when naming some of its most successful concept vehicles.

The J-12 Concept is just that – a concept. Something fun to play with and something cool for the fans to drool over. Not gonna’ build it… no way, no how.

There is a caveat folks… Jeep and Mopar already offer a kit to convert a Jeep Unlimited into a small pickup truck. The JK-8 kit costs about $5,500 and can only be snapped on to the long wheelbase Jeep Unlimited platform. So, if they already have that part of the equation – what’s stopping Jeep from building a front clip that looks like the J-12?

Isn’t that all you need to make your own J-12?

Uh, no… there’s a lot more to the Jeep J-12 Concept than a few pieces of fiberglass and a bed conversion. Jeep took a regular Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with the 285 hp 3.6-liter Pentastar engine and left the wheelbase length alone. They grafted extra steel on to the rear of the Jeep’s frame to extend it several inches. This in turn allowed for a spare tire to be mounted under the rear frame (like a conventional pick-em-up truck) and extended the bed’s length to a more useable overall length.

The J-12’s bed is several inches longer than the JK-8’s bed. Several pieces of Jeep were cut, resized and manipulated to extend the bed while making the overall design look rather production ready. That’s just good fabricating. This is not a production-ready vehicle.

As for the rest of the Jeep J-12 Concept, there are lots of cool tidbits that make it a seriously cool 4X4. ARB lockers, military-esque tires, hubcaps, bench seat and underbody armor are among a few goodies that sets the J-12 apart from regular Wranglers. It all works and it truly can off-road with the big boys. The only detractors are the limited interior space and the departure angle as the rear overhang is pretty long.

Roman and I first met the Jeep JK-8 Concept a few years back at the 44th annual Easter Jeep Safari and we all knew it would go into production. When it comes to the J-12 Concept, we’re not so sure. Jeep is keen to remind me that the naming of a vehicle with the word “concept” at the end of it is indicative of something that’s not slated for production.

I think it would be a great way for Chrysler Group LLC to get back into the small pickup truck game.

Check out the video and let us know what you think!

Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. His words, good humor and video antics are enjoyed worldwide.