Two Souls, One Freedom
I love taking winding mountain roads in a light roadster – gliding through valley after valley, where every bend reveals a new view, or darting through a forest with the tree canopy brushing overhead, enjoying the flickers of sunlight breaking through the branches. On mountain routes, I sometimes catch myself thinking: what would it be like to drive all the way up there – and even more so, what would it be like to do it in a topless car? To conquer that route through the heart of nature and then stand on one of those summits, looking down at everything below – the winding roads, the valleys, the entire landscape spread out like a map.
The question is whether an open-top off-roader is a compromise or simply a different dimension of driving. To me, it’s the next stage of an off-road experience with nature. And that’s exactly where Jeep enters the picture with a concept car that takes the scenario I just described and injects it with an unhealthy dose of horsepower.
The Birth of a Concept Legend
The Jeep Trailcat – the Open-top off-road Jeep – is, in my opinion, one of the most insane concept cars ever to roll out of the Jeep workshops. It was built in 2016 for the 50th edition of the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, and also celebrated the brand’s 75th anniversary. The base was a two-door Wrangler JK, into which engineers dropped the engine from a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.
A Spec Sheet That Terrifies
Under the hood beats a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 HEMI Hellcat producing 707 hp. To fit the engine at all, the engineers had to stretch the wheelbase by a full 30 cm. Power is sent to all four wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox and Dana 60 front and rear axles. The tyres are massive BFGoodrich Krawler T/A units measuring 39.5 inches, mounted on Fox shocks with a 2-inch lift. Dodge Viper seats keep the driver planted through the inevitable mayhem. The Trailcat sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in around 3.9 seconds, and the top speed is more of a theoretical figure than a practical one – hard to hit when you have rock under the wheels instead of tarmac, but in theory it could exceed 250 km/h.
Unfortunately – Concept Only
The Trailcat never entered series production and, in all likelihood, never will. Jeep builds concept vehicles like this solely as a demonstration of engineering capability and a marketing spectacle, with no intention of commercialising the project. Which is a shame – journalists who had the chance to drive it describe the experience as absolutely extraordinary.
What to Buy Instead – Open-Top Jeeps
Let’s come back down to earth. If you dream of a Jeep without a roof – or with one you can take off – there are several great options at different price points.
Affordable, Older Models
- Jeep CJ-5 / CJ-7 (1955–1986) – a classic with a soft top or no roof at all, an icon of the brand. On European used-car markets, prices start at around €8,000–15,000 for project cars, while solid examples go for €18,000–30,000.
- Jeep Wrangler YJ (1987–1995) – more modern and easier to maintain, with a soft top as standard; used prices in Europe from €5,000–15,000
- Jeep Wrangler TJ (1997–2006) – solid and popular, prices from €10,000–20,000 depending on condition
The Most Expensive, Latest Models
If you’re looking for the most capable open-top Jeep available today, that’s the Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon X – a plug-in hybrid delivering 375 HP.
| Model | Starting Price (EUR) |
|---|---|
| Wrangler 4xe Sport S | from ~€43,350 |
| Wrangler 4xe Sahara | from ~€55,000 |
| Wrangler 4xe Rubicon | from ~€65,500 |
| Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition | from ~€85,000 |
Freedom Is Within Reach
The good news is that you don’t need to wait for a production version of the Trailcat – or spend a fortune. For as little as €10,000 you can already own a used Jeep CJ or Wrangler YJ that offers exactly that combination everyone dreams of – off-road capability and open sky above your head at the same time. Importantly, the philosophy of the roofless off-road Jeep is very much alive: current Wrangler 4xe models are still being produced and sold worldwide, so this tradition isn’t going anywhere.
And if anyone wants to feel what it’s like to sit behind the wheel of the Trailcat itself – there’s always Forza Horizon 4, where this iconic concept car is available and you can push it to the limit, with zero risk to your spine.
I wonder if the Germans, when they were designing their crazy Mercedes G-class, had Jeep’s monster in mind…