Still bummed Chrysler decided civilians in the U.S. weren't ready for the Jeep J8? Good news, then. American Expedition Vehicles – normally purveyors of American-made aftermarket off-road parts and equipment – has entered into an agreement with Chrysler that will allow AEV to sell fully assembled J8 kits right here in the United States, complete with leaf springs and military-spec tow hooks that are capable of lifting a helicopter. Yes, this machine is exactly as awesome as it sounds.

Each vehicle will be sold without a powertrain, which will allow AEV to bypass all kinds of sticky red tape with the federal government. As such, the J8 MILSPEC will be sold as an off-road vehicle only. Want one for street use? Better get real familiar with the laws governing such things in your particular state. The buyer will have a choice of either a VM 2.8-liter diesel engine rated at 174 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque or a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 from Chrysler rated at 330 hp and 375 lb-ft of torque. All that power will be sent through a five-speed automatic transmission on its way to a Dana 44 axle up front and a stout Dana 60 in the rear.

Options? A few, including air conditioning and your choice of either Desert Sand or Military Green paint, but the toughest part will be deciding between the five-door Unlimited body or the truck-like three-door model. AEV only has rights to sell 120 J8 MILSPEC vehicles per year, and they won't come cheap. Expect to dole out about $50K to bring one home. If that sounds like a lot for a vehicle that can't legally be driven on the street, keep in mind that it's probably well below what it would cost to otherwise replicate a machine with these kinds of capabilities. Click past the break for the official press release.

Click above to enlarge this picture of the Jeep J8

Who doesn't get the Jeep J8? Um, that would be the United States, Home of Jeep. Hardly seems fair... considering that pretty much every other country in the world gets a crack at the ultra-Wrangler, which comes equipped with a 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel with 158-horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. Memo to Chrysler: The Wranger is screaming out for a small displacement diesel engine. No? Fine. We can understand the fact that this engine isn't certified for sale in the States and it would be expensive to make happen. At least the Pentastar brand could offer the J8's nearly 3,000-pound payload capacity via rear leaf springs and reinforced frame in its home market. Still no dice? Could we at least get the pickup bed as an option on the Unlimited chassis? Not likely, would be our best guess. Oh well, we can wish.


[Source: Allpar]

Click image for photo gallery

Chrysler's unveiling of the government/military-issue Jeep J8 struck a chord in Jeep aficionados. Whether it was the Wrangler Unlimited-based vehicle's added payload, beefed-up suspension, or available 2-door pickup bodystyle, many of you responded by screaming for a civilian version. The Chrysler Blog has posted a conversation with Dave Cushing, manager of complete knockdown projects, and Jack Robinson, international market manager for the Middle East and Africa, in which the pair talk specifically about the J8.

Though it was developed for non-US military and government agencies (hence the diesel), it became clear along the way that the American military operating overseas would be able to use the J8 as well. Suited for a variety of light-duty applications, the J8's 3,000-lb payload also gives it flexibility that's simply unavailable in the consumer-grade Wrangler (whose payload, by comparison, is 1,000 lbs). The J8 is able to haul more people and/or equipment, and can be armored without a problem. Cushing and Robinson state that there are "no definite plans" to sell the J8 in the US, as the diesel it uses doesn't meet US emissions standards and there is no gasoline version available. Let's hope that changes. Even if the J8 itself can't be sold, we're sure Jeep could score another hit by dropping the new 2-door pickup body on the existing Wrangler's mechanicals and putting it in showrooms at some point in the future. For now, however, the J8 might as well be called the Jeep Unicorn, as far as the North American consumer is concerned. You can read the Chrysler Blog post in its entirety by clicking the "Read" link below.

[Source: Chrysler Blog]

Click image for high-res gallery of the Jeep J8

Remember those Jeep Wrangler pickup spy shots? Now we know the details. That vehicle was one of the variants of the new Jeep J8. The J8 is based on the Wrangler Unlimited and has been designed for military and civilian government use. It sports a reinforced frame and upgraded suspension that includes the much-discussed rear leaf springs that were pointed out in the earlier spy photos. Maximum payload is 2,952 lbs. as a result.

It'll be offered as both a four-door that looks mostly like the civilian Wrangler Unlimited and a 2-door pickup. Jeep sneakily showed off the pickup body on the very awesome SEMA-bound JT Concept earlier this year. The J8 is designed to be very flexible, and will be available in a variety of seating/cargo configurations in both left- and right-hand drive (again, this explains the RHD version captured in spy photos).

Power comes from a 158-horsepower / 295 lb-ft 2.8L 4-cylinder turbodiesel mated to a 5-speed automatic and Jeep's Command-Trac 4WD system. The powertrain affords the J8 a maximum towing capacity of 7,716 lbs. Another feature unique to the J8 is its air-intake system, which uses a hood-mounted snorkel that lets it ford bodies of water up to 30 inches deep and operate in sandstorm conditions up to five hours.

For full information on the J8, follow the jump for the official press release from Jeep. The truck made its debut today at the DSEi trade show in London, and it will be produced in Cairo, Egypt at a Chrysler LLC joint-venture facility. It will officially become available next Spring, though only for military and civilian government use. Sorry, no civilian sales will be offered.

[Source: Chrysler]