By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law SEMA-supported legislation (SB 112) that immediately restores “fix-it” tickets for cars suspected of violating the state’s exhaust noise limit and allows car owners 30 days to correct violations.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law SEMA-supported legislation (SB 112) that immediately restores “fix-it” tickets for cars suspected of violating the state’s exhaust noise limit and allows car owners 30 days to correct violations. SB 112 amends a 2018 law (AB 1824), which removed this ability and generated significant concern within the specialty automotive aftermarket industry and enthusiast community.

“On behalf of the more than 1,700 SEMA-member companies in California, SEMA thanks Gov. Newsom for signing this critical legislation into law,” said Daniel Ingber, SEMA’s vice president for legal and government affairs. “With his signature, Gov. Newsom restored due process for motorists in the Golden State.”

SB 112, a budget implementation (trailer) bill, includes text drawn from SEMA-sponsored AB 390, which was authored by Assembly Members Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) and Tim Grayson (D-Concord) in early 2019. Under normal legislative procedure, AB 390 would not have been implemented until January 2020. SB 112 is effective immediately.

SB 112 was championed in the legislature by Assembly Members Grayson, Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Oceanside), Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Phil Chen (R-Diamond Bar) and Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles).

Since 2003, exhaust systems installed on motor vehicles in California with a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of less than 6,000 lbs., other than motorcycles, may not exceed a sound level of 95 decibels when tested under a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) procedure. SB 112 does not change this.  

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law SEMA-supported legislation (SB 112) that immediately restores “fix-it” tickets for cars suspected of violating the state’s exhaust noise limit and allows car owners 30 days to correct violations.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law SEMA-supported legislation (SB 112) that immediately restores “fix-it” tickets for cars suspected of violating the state’s exhaust noise limit and allows car owners 30 days to correct violations. SB 112 amends a 2018 law (AB 1824), which removed this ability and generated significant concern within the specialty automotive aftermarket industry and enthusiast community.

“On behalf of the more than 1,700 SEMA-member companies in California, SEMA thanks Gov. Newsom for signing this critical legislation into law,” said Daniel Ingber, SEMA’s vice president for legal and government affairs. “With his signature, Gov. Newsom restored due process for motorists in the Golden State.”

SB 112, a budget implementation (trailer) bill, includes text drawn from SEMA-sponsored AB 390, which was authored by Assembly Members Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) and Tim Grayson (D-Concord) in early 2019. Under normal legislative procedure, AB 390 would not have been implemented until January 2020. SB 112 is effective immediately.

SB 112 was championed in the legislature by Assembly Members Grayson, Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Oceanside), Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Phil Chen (R-Diamond Bar) and Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles).

Since 2003, exhaust systems installed on motor vehicles in California with a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of less than 6,000 lbs., other than motorcycles, may not exceed a sound level of 95 decibels when tested under a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) procedure. SB 112 does not change this.  

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Tanner Foust had a perfect weekend, taking his Andretti Rallycross Beetle to wins in every heat race at the ARX of Austin at the Circuit of the Americas.

Tanner Foust Wins at Circuit of the Americas to Take Championship Lead in ARX Series

Tanner Foust had a perfect weekend at the ARX of Austin at the Circuit of the Americas, taking his Andretti Rallycross Beetle to wins in every heat race, the semifinal and final of the event. In the final, Foust took the lead on the third lap and then withstood extreme pressure from a trio of Subarus. Foust now leads the championship by 17 points from Patrik Sandell going into the last round of the year, at Mid-Ohio, October 5–6. Sandell’s teammate Chris Atkinson is just two further points adrift.

NMRA Announces 2020 Ford Nationals Event Schedule

The NMRA Ford Nationals has released its 2020 all-Ford event schedule. New for 2020 are compact race schedules for the NMRA Gateway Rumble, held at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (Madison, Illinois) and the NMRA Ford Motorsport National, which takes place at Maple Grove Raceway (Mohnton, Pennsylvania). The season opener is once again at Bradenton Motorsports Park with the NMRA Spring Break Shootout. The season concludes at Beech Bend Raceway with the largest Ford high-performance event of the year known as the NMRA World Finals + Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival.

February 27– March 1
26th Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout
Bradenton Motorsports Park (Bradenton, Florida)

April 2–5
12th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals
Atlanta Dragway (Commerce, Georgia)

May 14–16
2nd Annual NMRA Gateway Rumble
World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (Madison, Illinois)

June 25–27
20th Annual NMRA Ford Motorsport Nationals
Maple Grove Raceway (Mohnton, Pennsylvania)

July 30-August 2
15th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing
Route 66 Raceway (Joliet, Illinois)

October 1–4
22nd Annual NMRA World Finals + Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival
Beech Bend Raceway (Bowling Green, Kentucky)

Shawn Langdon beat teammate J.R. Todd in the Funny Car finals last Sunday during the eighth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Langdon, B. Torrence, Enders and Stoffer Come Through With Countdown Wins at AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals

In an all-Kalitta Motorsports final round, Shawn Langdon beat teammate J.R. Todd in the Funny Car finals last Sunday during the eighth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. Billy Torrence (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won in their respective categories at the second of six races in the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs. It is also the 20th of 24 events during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Langdon, a former Top Fuel world champ, became just the second driver in NHRA history to win in both nitro classes at St. Louis, going 4.068 seconds at 310.41 mph in his Global Electronic Technology Toyota Camry to beat Todd, the defending world champ. Torrence beat his son Steve in an all-Torrence final round, going 3.835 at 319.67 in his Capco Contractors dragster. Enders snapped a winless drought that stretched back to early last year by going 6.598 at 208.36 in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro to slip past Matt Hartford’s 6.621 at 207.30 in the final round. Stoffer picked up her first win in four years in Pro Stock Motorcycle after going 6.869 at 197.74 on her Stoffer Enterprises/Big St. Charles Suzuki to beat points leader Andrew Hines’ 6.871 at 196.59 in the finals. It is Stoffer’s ninth career win as she also jumped to second in points behind Hines. The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues October 11–13 with the third of six races in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs—the NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

Falken Tires scored first in the 7F Class with SAVVY Off-Road and its new Jeep Gladiator in SCORE International’s first-ever Lucerna Baja 400.

SAVVY Off-Road’s Jeep Gladiator Takes the Win at Baja 400

Falken Tires scored first in the 7F Class with SAVVY Off-Road and its new Jeep Gladiator in SCORE International’s first-ever Lucerna Baja 400. Participating in the 7F Class requires the engine and body manufacturer to be the same. SAVVY fielded two teams of drivers: Dan Fresh and co-driver Mike Kim and Dave Cole and co-driver Matt Fallis. The 52nd Annual SCORE Baja 1000 is the final event on the race series 2019 schedule. It runs November 19–24.

Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Event to Honor 2019 Inductees in Las Vegas

The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame will welcome its class of 2019, Sunday, November 3, at the South Point Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas. Inductees include Frank "Butch" Arciero Jr., Lynn Chenowth, Bobby Ferro, Robby Gordon, David Higgins and Steve Morris.

In NMRA Edelbrock Renegade, Tim Knieriem pitted his ’95 Mustang against Alton Clements’ ’89 Mustang, and the men fought all the way to the finish, but Knieriem was the one to get there first and put a 4.754 at 152.68 mph in the books to make his win official.

Race Wrap: 21st Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals and Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival

The 21st Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, was run in conjunction with the Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival last weekend.

VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw: Domenic DiDonato and Phil Hines met in the finals, and while Hines had a slight holeshot advantage, his ProCharged ’01 Mustang spun and couldn’t hold off DiDonato’s turbocharged surge in the opposing lane. When the men crossed the stripe, it was Delaware’s DiDonato and his C&D Autotech ’08 Shelby GT500 who finished first and snatched up the win with a 4.482 at 164.09 mph final run of the weekend.

NMRA Edelbrock Renegade: Tim Knieriem pitted his ’95 Mustang against Alton Clements’ ’89 Mustang, and the men fought all the way to the finish, but Knieriem was the one to get there first and put a 4.754 at 152.68 mph in the books to make his win official.

ProCharger Modified Street: In eliminations, Brad Schehr and his ’89 Mustang met with the number-two qualifier Martin Connelley and his ’86 Mustang for a battle of the ProCharged Fox Mustangs in a close final. Connelley was 0.006 on the tree to Schehr’s 0.014-second light, but Schehr picked up the pace and crossed the finish going 7.740 at 177.59 mph over Connelley’s 7.750 at 176.939 mph effort to capture the win and lock up the championship title as well.

Advanced Fuel Dynamics Limited Street: Bill Putnam in his UPR Products ’94 Mustang met Mike Ciborowski in the final, where Putnam motored past and posted an 8.674 at 158.32 mph, while Ciborowski slowed a touch to 9.358 at 127.50 mph and added a runner-up bonus.

Richmond Gear Factory Stock: Charlie Booze Jr. driving Justin Fogelsonger’s Fox Mustang met Fogelsonger himself in the finals, where Fogelsonger edged Booze with a winning 10.356 at 128.05 mph pass and doubled up on the celebrations due to the all-Fogelsonger final.

G-Force Racing Transmissions Coyote Stock: Nathan Stymiest in his ’92 Mustang met Jacob Lamb in the finals, where Stymiest crossed the finish first. The overall championship, however, went to Clair Stewart II who met his match in the second round but had accrued enough points along the way to get the job done.

Exedy Racing Clutch Modular Muscle: Charlie McCulloch took his ’04 Mustang home with both the event win and the season championship safe and secure in his possession while Jason Henson had to face the harsh reality of going out on a -0.001-second redlight.

ROUSH Performance Super Stang: Larry Firestone piloted his ’08 Mustang into the finals where his perfect 0.000-second light and nearly dead-on 11.251 at 123.62 mph pass on his 11.25 dial-in translated to a win over Robert Ball, whose ’15 Mustang ran 10.763 at 129.68 mph on a 10.79 dial. Along the way, Firestone was also named the season champion.

ARP Open Comp: Elmer Long’s ’91 Mustang stayed right on the money six times in a row and the final 11.336 at 113.84 mph pass on an 11.30 dial-in did the job to get the win while Dennis Corn came up short for the runner-up rights, although Corn’s season had been strong enough to christen him the overall champion.

Detroit Locker Truck & Lightning: Mike Motycka’s ’79 F-100 ran 12.186 at 103.30 mph on a 12.13 dial-in and defeated Amanda Saad in the finals, while Randy Conway upstaged everyone by collecting his fourth consecutive season championship for the class.

Race Star Wheels Ford Muscle: When Jeremy Smith left before the tree activated, the win light lit in Lloyd Mikeska’s lane and he cruised to a clean victory while Smith was defaulted to the runner-up spot and Jon Butsko was deemed the champion for the 2019 season.

McLeod by Raybestos 10R80 Throwdown: Terry “Beefcake” Reeves was top dog for the day when he defeated Heinz Stock in the Throwdown finals, going 9.183 at 126.55 mph in his ’18 Mustang over Stock’s 10.532 at 92.57 mph trip in his ’19 model.

Hellion Turbo Battle: Keith Rhea was on top, having run 7.1965 at 195.00 mph in his ’04 Mustang in the finals, while Justin Jordan had an uncharacteristic red light in the other lane and took himself out of the competition.

Mickey Thompson Cobra/Terminator vs. GT500 Shootout: The final showcased two GT500s that are both owned by Dwayne Hickman. Hickman drove his white ’10, while London Chassis Dyno’s Chad Epperson drove his new ’10 “Blacksnake” ride. Epperson had the advantage at the stripe and his 7.694 at 181.15 mph gave him the win.

QA1 True Street: Mike Jovanis’ three-run average of 8.280 seconds was followed by Troy Eaton’s average of 8.614 seconds to round out the runner-up spot. The quickest of the 9-second group was Alex Corella, while Jason Wagoner was the winner for the 10-second category. Meanwhile, it was Jeff Cottrill who found success in the 11-second section, while Mike Moistner, Greg Easrey, Chris Rusch, and Rodney Ward won the 12-second, 13-second, 14-second, and 15-second segments, respectively.

Bracket 3: Top honors went to Leticia Hughes, as she chased down Mike Moistener in her ’18 Mustang with an 11.396 at 123.34 mph pass on her 11.38 dial-in, while Moister went 12.024 at 100.85 mph on his 12.00 dial.

IDIDIT King of the Street: The battle for bragging rights came down to Jeff Bloem and Mike Jovanis. The two late-’80s Mustangs lined up and the men were neck and neck down the track, but Bloem got the win with a 7.659 at 182.35 mph time slip to Jovanis’s 7.754 at 180.77 mph retaliation.

TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout: Mike Niehaus got the overall win in a double-breakout scenario over Clint Derango in the finals of the “Chicago-style” eliminations.

Holley Grand Champion: Michael P Gallagher won the late-model class in his ’16 Focus RS. Meanwhile, John McKissack won the vintage class in his ’66 Ford Fairlane and nabbed top honors in the truck class.

For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.

By Zane Clark

The 4th Annual SEMA Show Student Career Day provides participating companies with the opportunity to connect with more than 700 high school, college and university students and faculty, representing a wide range of professional and technical degrees from all over the United States.

Taking place Monday, November 4, from 1:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, Paradise Event Center, the 4th Annual SEMA Show Student Career Day provides participating companies with the opportunity to connect with more than 700 high school, college and university students and faculty, representing a wide range of professional and technical degrees from all over the United States.

The program serves to address the talent pipeline by highlighting the diversity of career paths in the automotive aftermarket. Whether your company is currently hiring or looking to increase exposure with the next-generation workforce, the Student Career Day is a great platform to connect with students and enthusiasts.

Register your company. There is no cost to participate.

What’s included:

• One 10x10-ft. space with pipe and drape.
• One 6-ft. black draped table (three sides).
• Two chairs.
• Basic black-and-white signage placed on back drape.
• A list of school contacts in advance of the event.
• A list of student participants (opt-in only) in advance of the event.
• “Career Connections” add-on with 30-day job posting on SEMA’s website.
• Direct message with job seekers who plan to attend the Show.
• SEMA members: Free 30-day job postings.

For more details, contact Juliet Marshall, SEMA’s student program manager.

By Zane Clark

The 4th Annual SEMA Show Student Career Day provides participating companies with the opportunity to connect with more than 700 high school, college and university students and faculty, representing a wide range of professional and technical degrees from all over the United States.

Taking place Monday, November 4, from 1:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, Paradise Event Center, the 4th Annual SEMA Show Student Career Day provides participating companies with the opportunity to connect with more than 700 high school, college and university students and faculty, representing a wide range of professional and technical degrees from all over the United States.

The program serves to address the talent pipeline by highlighting the diversity of career paths in the automotive aftermarket. Whether your company is currently hiring or looking to increase exposure with the next-generation workforce, the Student Career Day is a great platform to connect with students and enthusiasts.

Register your company. There is no cost to participate.

What’s included:

• One 10x10-ft. space with pipe and drape.
• One 6-ft. black draped table (three sides).
• Two chairs.
• Basic black-and-white signage placed on back drape.
• A list of school contacts in advance of the event.
• A list of student participants (opt-in only) in advance of the event.
• “Career Connections” add-on with 30-day job posting on SEMA’s website.
• Direct message with job seekers who plan to attend the Show.
• SEMA members: Free 30-day job postings.

For more details, contact Juliet Marshall, SEMA’s student program manager.

By Zane Clark

The 4th Annual SEMA Show Student Career Day provides participating companies with the opportunity to connect with more than 700 high school, college and university students and faculty, representing a wide range of professional and technical degrees from all over the United States.

Taking place Monday, November 4, from 1:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, Paradise Event Center, the 4th Annual SEMA Show Student Career Day provides participating companies with the opportunity to connect with more than 700 high school, college and university students and faculty, representing a wide range of professional and technical degrees from all over the United States.

The program serves to address the talent pipeline by highlighting the diversity of career paths in the automotive aftermarket. Whether your company is currently hiring or looking to increase exposure with the next-generation workforce, the Student Career Day is a great platform to connect with students and enthusiasts.

Register your company. There is no cost to participate.

What’s included:

• One 10x10-ft. space with pipe and drape.
• One 6-ft. black draped table (three sides).
• Two chairs.
• Basic black-and-white signage placed on back drape.
• A list of school contacts in advance of the event.
• A list of student participants (opt-in only) in advance of the event.
• “Career Connections” add-on with 30-day job posting on SEMA’s website.
• Direct message with job seekers who plan to attend the Show.
• SEMA members: Free 30-day job postings.

For more details, contact Juliet Marshall, SEMA’s student program manager.

The Jeep Gladiator has to be the most anticipated vehicle to come from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in the past decade. Now that it is here and in the hands of owners, people have been saying that the 3.6L Pentastar V6 is a lackluster powertrain for the new pickup. However, shooters recently caught this Gladiator prototype still heavily covered in vinyl camouflage, and one of many running around the streets of Metro Detroit. The ’20 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara with the new 3.0L EcoDiesel was caught on public roads without any camouflage whatsoever. At first it was thought that it might be the upcoming 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 model coming in early 2020, but upon closer inspection, there might be a lot more hidden.

The first thing that stands out is the different six-spoke aluminum wheels that are wrapped in Falken Wildpeak M/T tires from the Gladiator Rubicon. By now, FCA usually would test production-spec models carrying the production-spec wheel and tire combinations. Another thing that was eye-catching was the fact that Jeep had “unleaded fuel” written above the gas cap. Diesel prototypes usually have “diesel fuel only” stickers telling the development drivers which fuel to put in; however, being unleaded fuel, this is clearly not a diesel powertrain.

While the vehicle seems to be covered in vinyl stickers, only one part of it is covered in heavy vinyl. The hood looks to have foam underneath, trying to hide a new hood design. So what does this mean? Has Jeep listened to its customers?

According to the latest rumors, a so-called “Hercules” model was widely talked about across numerous sites. This model would be a high-performance Gladiator model to compete with the likes of the Ranger Raptor and Colorado ZR-2. While it is unlikely that the Hercules would be powered by a HEMI, there is the upcoming GME-T6 or Global Medium Engine Turbo Six Cylinder in the upcoming pipeline. Sources have said that high-output versions of that engine could have around 500 hp.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The Jeep Gladiator has to be the most anticipated vehicle to come from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in the past decade. Now that it is here and in the hands of owners, people have been saying that the 3.6L Pentastar V6 is a lackluster powertrain for the new pickup. However, shooters recently caught this Gladiator prototype still heavily covered in vinyl camouflage, and one of many running around the streets of Metro Detroit. The ’20 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara with the new 3.0L EcoDiesel was caught on public roads without any camouflage whatsoever. At first it was thought that it might be the upcoming 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 model coming in early 2020, but upon closer inspection, there might be a lot more hidden.

The first thing that stands out is the different six-spoke aluminum wheels that are wrapped in Falken Wildpeak M/T tires from the Gladiator Rubicon. By now, FCA usually would test production-spec models carrying the production-spec wheel and tire combinations. Another thing that was eye-catching was the fact that Jeep had “unleaded fuel” written above the gas cap. Diesel prototypes usually have “diesel fuel only” stickers telling the development drivers which fuel to put in; however, being unleaded fuel, this is clearly not a diesel powertrain.

While the vehicle seems to be covered in vinyl stickers, only one part of it is covered in heavy vinyl. The hood looks to have foam underneath, trying to hide a new hood design. So what does this mean? Has Jeep listened to its customers?

According to the latest rumors, a so-called “Hercules” model was widely talked about across numerous sites. This model would be a high-performance Gladiator model to compete with the likes of the Ranger Raptor and Colorado ZR-2. While it is unlikely that the Hercules would be powered by a HEMI, there is the upcoming GME-T6 or Global Medium Engine Turbo Six Cylinder in the upcoming pipeline. Sources have said that high-output versions of that engine could have around 500 hp.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The Jeep Gladiator has to be the most anticipated vehicle to come from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in the past decade. Now that it is here and in the hands of owners, people have been saying that the 3.6L Pentastar V6 is a lackluster powertrain for the new pickup. However, shooters recently caught this Gladiator prototype still heavily covered in vinyl camouflage, and one of many running around the streets of Metro Detroit. The ’20 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara with the new 3.0L EcoDiesel was caught on public roads without any camouflage whatsoever. At first it was thought that it might be the upcoming 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 model coming in early 2020, but upon closer inspection, there might be a lot more hidden.

The first thing that stands out is the different six-spoke aluminum wheels that are wrapped in Falken Wildpeak M/T tires from the Gladiator Rubicon. By now, FCA usually would test production-spec models carrying the production-spec wheel and tire combinations. Another thing that was eye-catching was the fact that Jeep had “unleaded fuel” written above the gas cap. Diesel prototypes usually have “diesel fuel only” stickers telling the development drivers which fuel to put in; however, being unleaded fuel, this is clearly not a diesel powertrain.

While the vehicle seems to be covered in vinyl stickers, only one part of it is covered in heavy vinyl. The hood looks to have foam underneath, trying to hide a new hood design. So what does this mean? Has Jeep listened to its customers?

According to the latest rumors, a so-called “Hercules” model was widely talked about across numerous sites. This model would be a high-performance Gladiator model to compete with the likes of the Ranger Raptor and Colorado ZR-2. While it is unlikely that the Hercules would be powered by a HEMI, there is the upcoming GME-T6 or Global Medium Engine Turbo Six Cylinder in the upcoming pipeline. Sources have said that high-output versions of that engine could have around 500 hp.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The Jeep Gladiator has to be the most anticipated vehicle to come from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in the past decade. Now that it is here and in the hands of owners, people have been saying that the 3.6L Pentastar V6 is a lackluster powertrain for the new pickup. However, shooters recently caught this Gladiator prototype still heavily covered in vinyl camouflage, and one of many running around the streets of Metro Detroit. The ’20 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara with the new 3.0L EcoDiesel was caught on public roads without any camouflage whatsoever. At first it was thought that it might be the upcoming 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 model coming in early 2020, but upon closer inspection, there might be a lot more hidden.

The first thing that stands out is the different six-spoke aluminum wheels that are wrapped in Falken Wildpeak M/T tires from the Gladiator Rubicon. By now, FCA usually would test production-spec models carrying the production-spec wheel and tire combinations. Another thing that was eye-catching was the fact that Jeep had “unleaded fuel” written above the gas cap. Diesel prototypes usually have “diesel fuel only” stickers telling the development drivers which fuel to put in; however, being unleaded fuel, this is clearly not a diesel powertrain.

While the vehicle seems to be covered in vinyl stickers, only one part of it is covered in heavy vinyl. The hood looks to have foam underneath, trying to hide a new hood design. So what does this mean? Has Jeep listened to its customers?

According to the latest rumors, a so-called “Hercules” model was widely talked about across numerous sites. This model would be a high-performance Gladiator model to compete with the likes of the Ranger Raptor and Colorado ZR-2. While it is unlikely that the Hercules would be powered by a HEMI, there is the upcoming GME-T6 or Global Medium Engine Turbo Six Cylinder in the upcoming pipeline. Sources have said that high-output versions of that engine could have around 500 hp.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde