My One Question for Mark Allen: Why No V8?

[enright]

So the JL will eventually have 4 powertrain options, and none of them are a V8. And this from the same company that has a penchant for jamming 700 horsepower engines in everything from sedans to SUVs.

I'm sure there's a good reason - just curious what that reason is. Was it logistics? Engine bay too small? Isn't that something that could be addressed during a full vehicle redesign? A sense that speed and power are not in keeping with the wranglers ID? Did they attempt it at some point? Was it crossed off the wish-list?

Were CAFE standards the show stopper? If that's the case, why not pull V8s as options from Chargers then? To me, the plug-in hybrid is the most bizarre option - especially for a 4,000lb bread box. Maybe that option exists to offset the low mileage from a V8 option that will be introduced at the same time, but not yet announced so they don't tank 2018 / 2019 sales. Wishful thinking!

Has anyone seen an interview where this question is addressed?

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[Billy]

Cafe standards is the one they'll admit to. Lawsuits from death are the other, bigger reason. Wranglers aren't made for speed, they're made to crawl.

 

[kiwi]

Because their's no market for a V8 other than a few die hards.

 

[AZCrawl]

Because their's no market for a V8 other than a few die hards.

You base this on what? I would love the Hemi option that the Grand Cherokee has. I would venture to guess that there is a bigger market for a Hemi than the diesel.

 

[jkrod]

"that thing gotta hemi" ?!??!?! (moab EJS 2016)

 

[Spank]

"that thing gotta semi" ?!??!?! (moab EJS 2016)

That Jeep is giving me a semi.

 

[BillyHW]

That Jeep is giving me a semi.

If they build it, I will come.

 

[MotorMan]

The “Wranglers aren’t build for speed” argument doesn’t make much sense. I could give you a nice list of dedicated off roaders with V8 engines. It doesn’t have to be a 707 HP beast. Just something with extra grunt, and the hemi is perfect for just that.

 

[Billy]

The “Wranglers aren’t build for speed” argument doesn’t make much sense. I could give you a nice list of dedicated off roaders with V8 engines. It doesn’t have to be a 707 HP beast. Just something with extra grunt, and the hemi is perfect for just that.

Fair enough. I was mostly referring to the Hellcat/Demon Hemi V8.

 

[Armycop]

The 5.7L Hemi is rumored to slowly die off in the next few years. I think twin turbos are going to be the future and more manufacturers are going to follow the Ecoboost and start boosting the smaller 6s for V8 replacements. V8s are heavy and suck down gas so they are really starting to disappear.

 

[Jeepsterfreak]

I would opt for a V8 if it increased towing capacity, but it won't. The towing capacity is limited by the frame/suspension design of the Wrangler....not the engine...correct?

 

[Billy]

I would opt for a V8 if it increased towing capacity, but it won't. The towing capacity is limited by the frame/suspension design of the Wrangler....not the engine...correct?

Correct. If you want to tow, get the JT with diesel.

 

[The Great Grape Ape]

Because their's no market for a V8 other than a few die hards.

Same could be said about diesel, and there are,likely more Hemi conversions already paying exorbitant amounts of money compared to diesel converts.

I think you underestimate the number of potential Qrangler owners with a Hemi should the option be offered for even double the current GC premium, whereas much of the diesel crowd want a discount vs the other FCA diesel premium to justify one.

 

[The Great Grape Ape]

Cafe standards is the one they'll admit to. Lawsuits from death are the other, bigger reason. Wranglers aren't made for speed, they're made to crawl.

However the V8 impact on CAFE would be easily made up had FCA not tried to bring a tiny boost to torque with a Turbo4 and instead offered an NA 4 and the diesel, they would’ve still had room for the 5.7L for CAFE, especially if offered as an upper trim option. And it would provide true differentiation across the powertrains, unlike the current gassers being right next to each other.

As for lawsuits, if that was the major motivator then there wouldn’t be a host of over-powered muscle cars in their line-up.

Plus a 5.7 Hemi can crawl just fine, with nearly as much torque as the current EcoDiesel and a few pounds less it would be fine at crawling, and likely much better than that tinyturbo4 again.

Correct. If you want to tow, get the JT with diesel.

With the new EcoDiesel that will likely still be the better line of approach, but on the current RAM the 5.7L Hemi out-tows and out-payloads the current EcoDiesel across the board, even with the same transmission, and the Pentastar isn’t too far off either with the same axle, as surprising as that may seem.

https://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/towing_guide/pdf/2017_ram_1500_towing_charts.pdf

 

[The Great Grape Ape]

I would opt for a V8 if it increased towing capacity, but it won't. The towing capacity is limited by the frame/suspension design of the Wrangler....not the engine...correct?

Exactly, which is why the EcoDiesel will tow just as much in a JL or a JT as a Pentastar, the difference will likely be how effortless on those platforms, and again a Hemi would make that role about as effortless as the EcoDiesel when comparing to the other gasoline options.

Interestingly on the JL(U) the highest GCVWR is for the export Pentastar not the EcoDiesel, although the NAFTA EcoDiesel has a higher GCVWR. For the JT the EcoDiesel barely edges it out in both.

As much as people say the Wrangler isn’t made for speed, it’s also not made for towing either, hence the conservative numbers not aided by a torquey diesel.

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