Jeep's Quicksand concept scorcher

When is a Jeep not really a Jeep? When it doesn’t have low range or live axles? When it isn’t a Wrangler? Or when it thinks it’s a hot rod?

Jeep’s Quicksand concept for next week’s Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, fusions Jeep style with elements of a vintage gasser from the drag strips of the ‘60s. The body is from a chopped up Wrangler but cool things like the Warn winch concealed in the ‘Moon’ tank at the front are pure hot rod. We’re not sure how those mounts would hold up to any real winching though.

The Quicksand concept is powered by a 392 Crate Hemi V8 engine from Mopar with retro eight-stack EFI, backed by a six-speed Getrag manual transmission and Dynatrac axles.

The lower ground clearance might not be great for rock crawling but as the name suggest, the Quicksand would make a wild sand buggy. Its staggered tyre setup features 32-inch BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain KM2 tyres in the front and 37-inch KM2s on the rear all on 18-inch vintage alloy wheels with knock-off centers.

Inside, the minimalist interior features red accents, two front low-back bucket seats, flat aluminium door panels, tilt-out windshield glass and a chrome roll bar for a custom street rod style while a parachute at the back harks back to the Gasser look.

The Quicksand concept will be among the other wild concepts from Mopar when thousands of Jeeps from all over the USA converge on the off road Mecca that is Moab, over the Easter long weekend.