All posts in “Concept Rides”

2019 Jeep Gladiator “Wayout” Concept

Here’s the perfect overlanding ride. Jeep and Mopar just unveiled a bevy of new concept cars, one of which is the above, called the Jeep Gladiator Wayout. It’s of course a modified Jeep Gladiator, set to be a part of Jeep’s Easter Safari off-roading excursion.

Sure, it’s essentially a Gladiator pickup at its core. But it’s got some notable upgrades plus an intense roof rack that can support a built-in two-person tent and canopy. The pop-tent rests on a rack at the top of the bed, and it comes with a ladder for more efficient access.

For those truly aching for the overlanding experience, Jeep’s got you covered. It put two extra tanks in the bedsides, an onboard air-supply line, and even drawers in the bed. There’s also a custom roof rack over the cab for extra storage. As on other off-roaders, there’s a winch and snorkel on-hand just in case.

Underneath, you’ll find a lift kit sourced from Jeep Performance Parts, 17-inch steel wheels, and 37-inch mud tires. They come together in this gorgeous Gator Green paint, which looks gorgeous, if a bit too on the nose. Inside, the seats are made of brown leather and feature stitched topographical maps. A nice, unexpected touch. And in case you ever need more illumination, there are LED lights onboard.

Unfortunately, the Jeep Gladiator Wayout doesn’t come with powertrain adjustments. Which means it’s got the same 3.6-liter V-6 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. But that’s no cause for concern, as the production Gladiator doesn’t disappoint, anyway.

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Photos courtesy of Jeep and Mopar

Patrone Police Drone

Korea-based designer Jin-jung Young offers a glimpse at the future of surveillance with this latest concept. Called the Patrone Police Drone, the future of law enforcement is, according to him, up above — and care of Audi. It aims to equip police officers with the advantage of virtual visibility via drone technology. And they don’t even need to be on the road; they can just chill at the department and let this bad boy do all the surveillance work.

Thankfully, this is just a mere concept for now, as the notion of an all-seeing drone observing from high above seems a little bit Black Mirror-ish, to be honest. Potential security violations aside, this design features a four-rotor system and a jet propulsion for flying about town to investigate emergencies or hover over urban misdemeanors then report back to the station.

The body is supposedly more stable than rival drones. There’s also an onboard camera that’ll enable officers to control the thing via virtual reality remotely. It allows them to observe communities without needing to go all the way there for everyday patrol work. Pretty neat.

It’s hard to imagine any regular civilian would be okay with this idea, of course, although you’d have to wonder whether we already have the technology to make this into a reality. If the latter point of is true, then that’s the bigger fish we need to fry — are we really making police patrolling efficient, or are we just setting a precedent on how little we value privacy? You tell us.

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