SEMA 2009: Jeep Lower Forty a favorite in the Mopar display

Our SEMA coverage generally doesn't include too much from the off-road segment, but the Jeep Lower Forty concept in the Mopar booth was too good to pass up. Sporting 40-inch Mickey Thompson tires, this Jeep can pretty much go wherever it wants without the help of a suspension lift. Granted, plenty of bodywork was removed to make the new rubber fit, but impressive nonetheless. A 5.7-liter Hemi V8 sends grunt to a six-speed manual transmission before hitting all four wheels via a Dana 44 front axle and a Dana 60 rear axle fitted with 5.38 gears.

Additional features include a carbon fiber hood, custom bikini top, a chopped windshield, and a color-matched interior with Katzkin leather seating. You can read more details after the jump, and we have plenty of high-res photos in the gallery below.

Photos Copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

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The Jeep "Lower Forty" takes the Jeep Wrangler platform to a new extreme. The vehicle is equipped with massive 40-inch x 13.5-inch tires mounted on Mopar's 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels. Mopar added aggressive wheels and tires to a stock, two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon without the use of a suspension lift. The team's goal was to achieve added ground clearance without dramatically altering the vehicle's center of gravity. The team removed copious amounts of body metal in order to provide room for 40-inch meats. Three inches are chopped from the windshield frame and a 10-degree rake is added.

Custom front and rear fender flares are 1-inch wider and are located 4 inches higher than a stock Jeep Wrangler. A new one-piece carbon-fiber hood with a Jeep CJ-like power dome and an all-new drop-down tailgate stamped with the "Jeep" logo are added to complete the exterior design.

On the interior, an all-new roll cage is neatly integrated into the body tub and tied directly into the frame rails. A custom made bikini top from Bestop keeps drivers in the shade. The spare tire is relocated to the cargo floor and a custom cargo rack, supplied by Poly Performance, holds extra gear. Once all body modifications were completed, the exterior received a fresh coat of Red Eye No. 3 paint, a custom color developed by Mopar.

Custom touches throughout the interior include a color-matched center console and instrument panel. Seats are re-covered with Mopar's Katzkin leather package in a two-tone scheme. Replacing the carpet is a durable, spray-in truck-bed liner. Rugged Mopar floor mats complete the theme.

Mechanical upgrades came directly out of the Mopar catalog. The Jeep "Lower Forty" features an all-new 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engine and a Getrag 238 six-speed manual transmission. Powertrain installations were handled by Burnsville Off-Road using an AEV 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 conversion kit.

The Mopar-supplied Dana 44 front axle and a Dana 60 rear axle, fitted with 5.38 gears and ARB air lockers, were assembled by Dynatrac and revalved Bilstein shocks maintain vehicle stability on rough terrain.