Hellcat all the things! The Jeep Gladiator has been at dealerships for mere weeks, but one company has already shortened the pickup, added a bed cap, and swapped in a Hellcat V-8 engine.
That company is Dynatrac Products, an axle and off-road products company that debuted its totally awesome creation at Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona over the weekend. Per the company's YouTube channel, which documented the build process, Dynatrac handed off most of the major work to Michigan-based Most Wanted 4x4. There, the four-door Gladiator was shortened by 20 inches, which turned the truck into a two-door. Frankly, it looks awesome. Jeep has toyed with the idea of a two-door Gladiator and showed off its J6 concept. Build it, Jeep. Just do it.
We digress. After cutting down the frame, the 3.6-liter V-6 was tossed out in favor of the increasingly popular Hellcat swap. FCA's supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 now resides under the hood in its full 707-horsepower glory.
From there, the truck made its way to California for a wrap job and an overlanding bed cap. The cap provides storage and a base for an elevated tent in which drivers can crash after a long day (and night) on the trail.
Speaking of nighttime, plenty of LED lights ensure the path is well lit, while custom bumpers help push shrubs and goats out of the way in treacherous areas.
Unfortunately, custom jobs like this one from Dynatrac are the only way we'll see the Hellcat engine in the Wrangler and Gladiator. Jeep clarified last month that the engine definitely fits in both models, but it's impossible to offer from the factory due to crash-test regulations. In the event of a crash, the big engine would leave no room to absorb energy (read: the vehicles wouldn't crash-test very well). Thus, such a vehicle is therefore dead on arrival.