392 Gladiator V8 Hemi confirmed by Jeep CEO!

[ecidiego]

Muh tow. Sure SOME PEOPLE TOW. Buy a Sport Max Tow. Acting like the Gladiator is some premier towing vehicle and that is why there is no V8 is idiotic.

Stellantis isn't thinking ' we'd love to offer a V8 Gladiator but man we can't control the heat when towing... ' lmfao

Bottom line is the Gladiator can easily have a V8 and control the heat properly. End of story. Stellantis just doesn't care to offer it. The several hundred of extra pounds a Gladiator weighs versus a Wrangler 392 is not the problem

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[ecidiego]

Do people buy a Raptor to tow? They buy it because it's rad and for 1 purpose. Hauling ass. Severely reduced F150 tow rating. Ford didn't say ' omg but muh F150 tow rating.... '

 

[ChrisNLA]

This is insane. There's no 392 JT because Stellantis is lazy and uninspired. JLU 392 proves this. Muh tow ratings. JT manuals prove that isn't the reason, regardless of no manual JT for 2026. The engine works fine in the platform. No muh heat. The engine works fine in our platform. No 'but what if someone tries to tow 10k lbs.....'. They already do that with the 3.6. I have no idea why people are arguing that our platform cannot support a V8 when a Wrangler is the exact same platform. As with all trucks most people do not tow with them.

JT Mojave 392. No one who will buy a 392 cares about 3500lb...or less..tow. Do Wrangler buyers pass on the 392 because of muh tow ratings?

It would cost nothing for Stellantis to put a 392 into a Gladiator and rip us off for it. All the engineering is done. Muh crash testing maybe? Muh tow testing? Don't put a hitch on it then. Whatever somebody wants to do with aftermarket isn't their problem.

I think it's entirely plausible that the explanation really is....well they just don't want to. I'm not entirely convinced that the JT is terribly important to Jeep / Stellantis.

Which is fine because if they did, it would be a unicorn truck likely priced at north of $70K and while it seems that's normal new vehicle price for a lot of folks - my pockets aren't shaped like and I wouldn't be in the market anyway

 

[BillyP]

Here….The Jeep Convoy concept. I love this concept vehicle. I think the front end looks great! Old Gladiator styling modernized. Make this happen, and you have plenty of room for cooling. Make the slots taller going down and you have even more cooling capacity. Hell, you could even make it more like the new grills on the JT’s with more air flow. This is what I meant with do SOMETHING to make it work. This could also help usher in another diesel without cooling problems. Things to ponder.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I had no problem cooling a healthy AMC360 in my 79 CJ5 with the original 304 radiator. Never dynoed, but should of been 300+ hp.

My JTRD has a tow rating of 6000 and payload of just shy of 1000 pounds.
I knew I was getting a lower rating than the Max Tow and was fine with it.
My trailer loaded is around 4k or so. I doubt I could load it to 4500 pounds. So, a low tow rating would be fine by me.

Honestly though, I doubt I'd buy a Gladiator with any hemi in it. Why would I when I have my ecodiesel???

Frankly, I'd keep the diesel. Absolutely

 

[ChrisNLA]

Here….The Jeep Convoy concept. I love this concept vehicle. I think the front end looks great! Old Gladiator styling modernized. Make this happen, and you have plenty of room for cooling. Make the slots taller going down and you have even more cooling capacity. Hell, you could even make it more like the new grills on the JT’s with more air flow. This is what I meant with do SOMETHING to make it work. This could also help usher in another diesel without cooling problems. Things to ponder.

That's really cool looking. The nose is still tapered though. I think if it was widened up a little more, make the front fenders more like the back, and rework a bumper designed for that front end and really lean into the look - that would make for a sweet looking Gen 2 Gladiator.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I think it's entirely plausible that the explanation really is....well they just don't want to. I'm not entirely convinced that the JT is terribly important to Jeep / Stellantis.

Which is fine because if they did, it would be a unicorn truck likely priced at north of $70K and while it seems that's normal new vehicle price for a lot of folks - my pockets aren't shaped like and I wouldn't be in the market anyway

Earlier on one of the execs suggested there wasn't a market for it, not worth the effort and outlay.
Wrangler is their flagship. Will always get first attention. JT is an 'Oh, by the way' sort of thing.

 

[MaximusTX]

Do people buy a Raptor to tow? They buy it because it's rad and for 1 purpose. Hauling ass. Severely reduced F150 tow rating. Ford didn't say ' omg but muh F150 tow rating.... '

Well, I bought my Raptor because it is Rad and to tow my Gladiator.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Well, I bought my Raptor because it is Rad and to tow my Gladiator.

On this note, I do know a fella that has used his 392 Wrangler to drag a car on a car trailer on several occasions.

He says it doesn't LOVE it - but it works in a pinch

 

[ChrisNLA]

Well, I bought my Raptor because it is Rad and to tow my Gladiator.

Also, first gen Raptors are so cool.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

That's really cool looking. The nose is still tapered though. I think if it was widened up a little more, make the front fenders more like the back, and rework a bumper designed for that front end and really lean into the look - that would make for a sweet looking Gen 2 Gladiator.

I would like something like the 1956-61 or so look, or the J series truck.
My fear would be making it a stand alone design, not sharing Wrangler parts and making cost jump while less incentive for FCA to keep producing a now new design, no sharing bumpers and other accessories. The JT survives low sales numbers because they have so little in it. But I'd have loved one with the old jeep truck retro look and would likely still have bought one.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Also, first gen Raptors are so cool.

The old IRT shows in Canada and AK - more than one time a semi tractor was stuck and they used a Raptor to pull it either into a shop or out of the snow.
It was a heck of a smart move on Ford's part if they were the ones that influenced those scenes.
It was enough to make me actually look at those trucks. I bet they sold a couple just because of those scenes. They looked sharp and were pulling hard - but not sweating, either.

 

[ChrisNLA]

The old IRT shows in Canada and AK - more than one time a semi tractor was stuck and they used a Raptor to pull it either into a shop or out of the snow.
It was a heck of a smart move on Ford's part if they were the ones that influenced those scenes.
It was enough to make me actually look at those trucks. I bet they sold a couple just because of those scenes. They looked sharp and were pulling hard - but not sweating, either.

I'm a big fan of that generation of F150 in general, so I'm already drawn to them.

My cousin (unfortunately passed away a few years ago) had a 2013 or so with the 3.5L Ecoboost. I borrowed it to drive up to Missouri in 2015 to move my then girlfriend down (bed full with a UHaul trailer). Loved it. Lots of room, pulled like a mule. Handsome trucks too. My coworker has a 2011 with the 5.0L. 357,000 miles on a factory sealed motor and transmission. Still nice to ride in.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I'm a big fan of that generation of F150 in general, so I'm already drawn to them.

My cousin (unfortunately passed away a few years ago) had a 2013 or so with the 3.5L Ecoboost. I borrowed it to drive up to Missouri in 2015 to move my then girlfriend down (bed full with a UHaul trailer). Loved it. Lots of room, pulled like a mule. Handsome trucks too. My coworker has a 2011 with the 5.0L. 357,000 miles on a factory sealed motor and transmission. Still nice to ride in.

I once borrowed a 2010 F150 from my brother that he had for sale. I drove it for the weekend and never gave it back.

 

[Stan H]

I once borrowed a 2010 F150 from my brother that he had for sale. I drove it for the weekend and never gave it back.

1 once bought a Ford ..Just once . Everyone makes mistakes. Its Thanksgiving and I am giving Thanks that I now drive a Jeep.

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