Rubicon Ready

When the man asked if we'd like to drive the new Jeep J8 Mark and I ran for it. Mark got there first, but it didn't matter too much since that gave me a chance to film the car in action.
Not that there was much action - we'd hoped to get the J8 airborne over some humps so we could get a better look at the uprated chassis and suspension, but the Jeep guys insisted that we stick to the Tread Lightly ethos, even if only to stop us breaking what were obviously precious pre-production versions of the new military-specification evolution of the Wrangler.
The terrain wasn't that demanding, either, just a flat mowed-grass field, but at least they'd dug a few holes in the ground, built up a few big humps, scattered some rocks about and assembled one of those log see-saws and a big log bridge to add some interest to our drive.

The J8 performed admirably; the VM Panther turbodiesel rattles rather a lot, but it pulls extremely well, using its torque made much easier by driving it through a five-speed automatic transmission. The interior proved just as comfortable as a civilian Wrangler - though one Jeep spokesman did admit that versions built for military use probably wouldn't feature the leather seat upholstery.
The J8 is based on the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, but with a stack of modifications to give it big payload and towing capability. The chassis frame has been reinforced for increased ruggedness and to allow a payload of up to 1,250 kg. The rear axle is similarly beefed up - it's a Dana 60 with disc brakes engineered specifically for more demanding use, hung on leaf springs; the front suspension remains coil-sprung but with a Dana 44 axle. The J8 has selectable Command-Trac four-wheel-drive.