This Jeep Wrangler Truck Is A Corvette Killer
Read the full story on Backfire News
When you think of rides that can smoke a Corvette, the Jeep Wrangler is about the last thing on your mind. But SoFlo Customs' newly revealed Speedster is designed to leave America's sports car eating its dust, or so the Florida company claims. It says the Jeep can also gap Ford Mustangs and other performance cars, thanks to its unique design.At the heart of the SoFlo Speedster is a 392 Hemi V8 with 575-horsepower, but this build goes so much further. SoFlo in fact says it's 'the way the Jeep Rubicon 392 should have been built.' The Wrangler sits low but has 40-inch Nitto tires mounted on 22-inch wheels.
Both axles are 44-inch Danas with electronic locking differentials, so this thing can still venture off the paved pathway. But we wouldn't take it rock crawling, thanks to the lower ground clearance and lofty price tag of $99,999 to $129,000.
The aggressive exterior design was created to mimic the Stealth Bomber, says SoFlo. That means plenty of angular pieces SoFlo's Apocalypse brand has popularized. While it has an 'Angry Eyes Jeep' vibe, that's dialed up to a ten.
Plus, the SoFlo Speedster is bathed in an armored coating you can get in a matte or gloss finish as well as in a variety of colors, including Pepsi Blue.
You'll also note gone is the backseat, replaced by a 5-foot pickup bed that has a 2x2-foot hidden storage compartment. A steel roll cage is also back there, adding some structure as well as some utilitarian flair.
This '4x4 rocket ship' will surely turn a lot of heads, even among other tricked-out Jeeps at any gathering. It's a statement vehicle and a flex we expect will only appeal to a few well-heeled shoppers, which will include celebrities, business owners, etc.
Images via SoFlo Customs
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
a day ago
- CNBC
China extends an olive branch to Western auto giants over rare earth shortage
China appears to have offered U.S. and European auto giants something of a reprieve after industry groups warned of increasing production threats over a rare earth shortage. China's Ministry of Commerce on Saturday said it was willing to establish a so-called "green channel" for eligible export license applications to expedite the approval process to European Union firms. A Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Wang expressed hope that the EU would take "reciprocal steps" and adopt measures to promote compliant trade of high-tech products with China. The breakthrough comes after trade talks between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic met in Paris, France last week. Beijing also granted rare earth licenses to suppliers of U.S. auto giants General Motors, Ford and Jeep-maker Stellantis, Reuters reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources. The report said China's Ministry of Commerce did not respond to a faxed request for comment. CNBC has contacted GM, Ford and Stellantis. China's Ministry of Commerce in early April imposed export restrictions on several rare earth elements and magnets widely used in the automotive, defense and energy sectors. The curbs were part of a response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff increase on Beijing's products. Some of the affected rare earth elements were critical components to the production of both combustion engines and electric vehicles. Maximilian Butek, an executive director and board member of the German Chamber of Commerce in China, said the weekend announcement was certainly good news for European businesses, but noted that it remains unclear whether the fast-track channel applies to large-scale firms or to sectors more broadly. "It is a huge bureaucratic monster that they've created and I'm not sure if they really can now speed up the process and give the licenses to those who need them," Butek told CNBC's "Europe Early Edition" on Monday. Europe's top automakers will welcome the diplomatic breakthrough, Butek said, while stressing the European bloc's need to improve supply chain diversification. "It all hit us quite by surprise that China is even willing to draw this card because this is a retaliation measurement towards the tariffs the U.S. implemented, right? And we, as European companies, we are now in the crossfire of this trade escalation, and this is really not where we want to be," Butek said. "It is not enough just to announce it but they have to show it," he added. China is the undisputed leader of the critical minerals supply chain, accounting for roughly 60% of the world's production of rare earth minerals and materials. U.S. officials have previously warned that this dominance poses a strategic challenge amid the pivot to more sustainable energy sources. Some analysts have compared the industry-wide squeeze on supplies of rare earth magnets to the global semiconductor crisis that disrupted automotive production during the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to CNBC before China announced plans to expedite the approval process of rare earth exports to the EU, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) said some of its members were at risk of production outages starting as soon as next month. The car lobby group, which represents the likes of Stellantis, Renault, Ferrari, Volkswagen and Volvo, said rare earth export licenses by China's Ministry of Commerce had been taking a "significant" amount of time to process since the April restrictions came into force. "Generally, global stocks of these magnets are quite low. And, given that China is the bulk global supplier, it has meant that, in the absence of these export licenses, those stocks have been depleting progressively since the start of April," Jonathan O'Riordan, international trade director at ACEA, told CNBC by phone. "We're gradually coming into a very, very critical moment whereby those stocks are now being exhausted, and we are potentially going to see production stoppages," he added. ACEA's warning followed a separate ominous update from the European Association of Automotive Suppliers. Last week, the group said that several auto supplier plants and production lines had already been shut down due to Beijing's recent export restrictions, with further outages expected as rare earth inventories deplete over the coming weeks. Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor, however, suspended production of its Swift car due to China's rare earth curbs, Reuters reported Thursday, citing two unnamed sources. A Suzuki Motor spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by CNBC. Demand for rare earths and critical minerals is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years as the clean energy transition picks up pace.
Motor 1
2 days ago
- Motor 1
‘This Should Be Illegal': Customer Gets Approved for 2024 Jeep Wrangler. Then An Expert Exposes the Reality of Financing
Some people buy a house. Others, apparently, buy a Jeep Wrangler with a seven-year loan and enough interest to make an accountant run screaming for the hills. A TikTok clip from the descriptively named creator I'm Just A Finance Guy (@imtheautofinanceguy) shows how outrageous financing deals can get these days, especially for those with bad credit scores. The video, which has been watched more than 290,000 times, zooms-in on the paperwork of a Truth in Lending Disclosure for a 2024 Jeep Wrangler that might just be the most expensive base model in recent memory. The financing terms feel more like a cautionary tale than a dealership win: Loan amount: $74,599 Finance charge (interest): $56,931.56 APR: 17.69 percent Term: 84 months (that's 7 years) Monthly payment: $1,565.84 Odometer reading: 860 miles The paperwork shows a total repayment of $131,530.56, or the cost of a house in small-town Ohio, all for a Jeep with less than 1,000 miles on the odometer. If that's not gruesome enough, let's break it down further: $1,565.84/month × 84 months = $131,530.56. That's over $56,000 in interest paid over the life of the loan. At 17.69% APR, the buyer ends up shelling out nearly double the Jeep's sticker price by the time it's paid off. You could make the same payments on a 15-year mortgage in parts of the country. According to Zillow, the median home price in Toledo, Ohio is just under $130,000 . More Jeep Stories From Motor1 The Jeep Cherokee Is Back The Best Performance Cars of 2025 (So Far) The New Gas Jeep Compass Is Strictly Front-Wheel Drive The Recon Will Be Jeep's 'New Defender,' Says Exec Every Three-Row SUV You Can Buy in 2025 Here's Your First Look at the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee The Jeep Wrangler Willys 41 Edition Rules. But There's One Big Catch 2026 Jeep Compass Unveiled: Hybrid or EV With Up to 375 HP While it's tempting to treat this loan as an outlier, it's more of a warning sign. In 2025, the average APR for a new car loan in the U.S. sits between 7 and 9 percent, depending on the borrower's credit score. A 17.69-percent rate suggests a borrower in a deep subprime category or someone who secured financing through a 'Buy Here, Pay Here' dealer known for predatory terms. And then there's the matter of the loan amount itself. A base model 2024 Jeep Wrangler typically starts around $35,000. Higher trims like the Rubicon can edge toward the $55,000 range with options. So, How Do We Get to Nearly $75,000? There are a few possibilities. The dealer may have loaded the vehicle with costly add-ons like extended warranties, off-road packages, or appearance upgrades that look good on paper and pad profit margins. It's also possible the buyer traded in a previous vehicle with negative equity, rolling the unpaid balance into the new loan. And in many cases, high-interest loans like this are pitched to buyers who are told it's their 'only option,' a favorite tactic of high-risk financing outfits. Whatever the case, it's a tough look. Seven years is a long time to pay off a car, especially one that may see some serious depreciation before it's halfway through the loan term. The Rise in Long-Term, High-Interest Auto Loans Is Becoming a Serious Financial Concern According to the CFPB, Americans now carry over $1.6 trillion in auto loan debt, and loan terms of 72 to 84 months are increasingly common, even though they often leave buyers "underwater" on their loans for most of the repayment period. Financial advisors generally recommend: Keeping loan terms under 60 months, avoiding APRs over 6–7 percent unless necessary, and never financing add-ons or extended warranties unless you've calculated the long-term cost. There's no indication on the term sheet of who the dealer or financier was for the proposed loan, but commenters on the clip were ready to grab their pitchforks and torches in outrage. 'This should be illegal. Someone tag the repo man!' one of them wrote. Another offered that the proposed deal is another example of buyers being preyed upon: 'In case anyone wondered why we need a consumer protection agency. These loans should be criminal.' And another wasn't feeling great about the idea of making a mortgage payment for a depreciating asset on wheels, writing, 'I'm not paying $131k for anything except a house and I'd do that extremely reluctantly.' Motor1 reached out to the creator via direct message and to Jeep/Stellantis via email. If we hear back, we'll be sure to update this article. Now Trending 'Missed My Bonus By One': Dodge Salesman Says May Was Terrible For Sales. Here's Why Kia Mechanic Says Even a 5-Year-Old Can Fix This Common Issue Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Drag racer survives frightening airborne crash at World Wide Technology Raceway
MADISON, Ill. – A Corvette goes airborne. Nearly flips mid-air. Slams down and tumbles over a guardrail. And somehow, the driver walks away unscathed. It all happened at World Wide Technology Raceway last weekend – all captured in a shocking video that's quickly gone viral. Advertisement According to a WWT Raceway spokesperson, drag racer Jason Hoard survived the frightening crash during a high-speed test run on May 31 in preparation for the VP Racing Fuels Heads-Up Shootout Series. Extreme 660 Drag Racing, a media outlet that specializes in US drag racing coverage, captured the video and described it simply as 'the worst wreck we've ever filmed.' In the video, as Hoard's white Corvette near tops speed alongside another driver, it suddenly launches off the ground, takes flight and nearly flips mid-air before slamming down hard on its rear end. The impact sent the Corvette tumbling over a guardrail into a grassy area with smoke billowing from the car and debris flying across the racetrack. 'Everything was fine absolutely until the second that it wasn't,' recalled Hoard in a YouTube interview on The Wes Buck Show via Drag Illustrated on June 4. 'I was fine, then it literally felt like the car was going backwards.' Advertisement Hoard narrowly missed crashing on top of another drag-racing test-run vehicle to his left. 'I very could have easily landed on his car,' he added. Fortunately, Hoard said he only ended up with some bruising and minor symptoms of post-concussive syndrome, ultimately avoiding life-threatening injuries. Since the crash, WWT Raceway staff and the the National Hot Rod Association have launched a thorough investigation of the car and safety equipment before what remains of the car is returned to Hoard. The investigation aims to provide the NHRA with additional information for the continued development of racecar safety. A WWT Raceway spokesperson tells FOX 2 that temperature and air conditions were optimal for racing and that, based on initial findings, no other environmental circumstances or raceway conditions played a factor. Advertisement As for protocols when responding to such crashes, WWT Raceway released this statement: 'As an NHRA sanctioned racetrack, WWT Raceway and our participants follow the guidelines established by the NHRA rulebook and Operational Guidelines. Each WWT Raceway event features fully equipped safety response trucks operated by Emergency Staff who have been trained by NHRA, NASCAR, INDYCAR and SCCA and the trucks feature the latest in life saving emergency response equipment. 'In addition, each WWT Raceway drag racing event features an ALS (Advance Life Support) Ambulance Unit staffed by paramedics specially trained in responding to racing crashes. The WWT Raceway Safety teams were rolling to the crash site while Jason was still rolling and were at the scene of the crash less than 30 seconds after it occurred.' The spokesperson added that Hoard's car was 'extremely well-built' and all of its safety functions performed properly during the crash. Advertisement As the car went airborne, Hoard said he tucked into his seat. He remembered the impact of the left rear hitting the ground, but not much else from the collision. Crews estimated he was unconscious for about five minutes after the car rolled over. Hoard credits his team for their fast response to the crash and prior evaluations of the car. Hoard added om the experience, 'I have had the front-end come up before on other cars. I pride myself on my reaction times and ability to get out of things if they feel like they are getting too far. This one didn't show any signs of that.' 'I don't think there's anything I would have done differently, unfortunately.' Hoard's expected return date to drag racing remains to be determined. He is from St. Charles, Missouri and has been involved in auto racing for at least 10 years, according to professional profile pages. Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
