A custom Jeep Wrangler swapped to a supercar engine hit the block last week and sold for more than a new Wrangler would – not surprisingly, given its mods.
Burnsville Auto Body and Off-Road took a 2005 Wrangler Unlimited as the starting point, extending the wheelbase by approximately 250 mm (10 inches) to let the humongous 8.3-liter Viper V10 slot in the engine bay. For the record, the engine was taken from an equally unhinged limited-edition Ram SRT-10 pickup, rather than the Viper. In any case, the Wrangler should be able to hit its wheels with something like 658 PS (649 hp / 484 kW) and 814 Nm (600 lb-ft) of torque now.
Purists might take issue with the four-speed automatic transmission that drives the wheels, but the car is not exactly a garage queen. With a transfer case, reinforced axles and a whopping 200mm (8-inch) suspension lift, it should feel equally at home on the highway and in the wild.
The winning bidder parted with $47,250 USD to get the unique SUV.