Magneto, as everyone knows, is pretty much all-powerful. In fact, he's so powerful, and his control of metals is so strong, that really only Professor X, Charles Xavier himself, can possibly hope to... What? What do you mean this isn't about X-Men? Do you mean to say I dug my classic Chris Claremont issues out of the attic for nothing? Honestly...
Ahem. Let's start again. Magneto, as everyone knows, is a pretty big and obvious signpost to an electric future for Jeep's evergreen Wrangler 4x4 (it is MOST DEFINITELY NOT an SUV...). As is the annual tradition, Jeep will be bringing a bunch of new concept and modified cars to the annual Jeep Easter Safari, held in the wilds of Moab, Utah, and the electric Magneto will be the headline act. Nothing to do with Ian McKellen. Or Michael Fassbender. Apparently.
Electric future for the Wrangler
Describing the Magneto as "stealthy, quiet, quick and an unmistakable rock-climbing force" Jeep is clearly laying down a marker for an all-electric Wrangler, which is due to launch later this year. Uniquely among current electric cars, the Magneto actually has a conventional gearbox, a six-speed manual. Now, while it's likely that the production all-electric Wrangler will, as do all other EVs right now, have a single-speed reduction gear (some versions of the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-Tron GT do have a two-speed automatic transmission at the rear for maximum initial acceleration) there is the possibility that Jeep will offer a (less-efficient) manual as an option for more serious off-roaders.
The Magneto gets a custom-built axial flux electric motor that operates up to 6,000rpm and has outputs of 285hp and 370Nm of torque, both comparable to the standard Wrangler's 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine. Indeed, Jeep claims that if you're driving gently, "the performance difference between the V6 and the Magneto's unique manual-electric powertrain is negligible except for near-silent operation."
The Magneto gets not one but four battery packs. These are distributed around the Wrangler's chassis for optimum weight balance, as well as to ensure that if one is damaged while off-roading, you have the other three to get you home, Apollo-13-style. The combined power storage is 70kWh, and there's an ultra-rapid 800-volt charging system, although where you're going to find a rapid charger out in the woods is a good question.
The batteries are all protected by custom-made bash plates, and Jeep says that the Magneto can wade through as much as 760mm of standing water. There are also a pair of conventional 12-volt batteries, which power the car's lights, radio, and electric winch. Those 12-volt batteries can draw current from the main powertrain batteries so you can run lights for hours while camping out. Meanwhile, there's a 10kW high-voltage heater for keeping the passenger cabin warm.
The Jeep Magneto comes equipped with a JPP 2-inch lift kit, 17-inch 'Lights Out' black metallic wheels with 35-inch mud-terrain tires, custom roll cage, Mopar 'Rock Rails', steel bumpers with a that electric Warn winch and a steel belly pan for added off-road capability. The colour scheme is Bright White with Surf Blue accents, while inside there are Custom Royal Blue and Black leather seats with Sapphire-coloured inserts and straps.
Jeepster restomod
The Magneto isn't all that Jeep is bringing to Moab. There's also the Jeepster Beach - a restomod that harks back to the original 1960s Jeepster Commando, which Jeep claims was the first leisure 4x4 to come with such luxuries as an automatic transmission, a heater, and wind-up windows. The Beach concept started life as a 1968 Jeepster Commando C-101, and while the original-looking body gets a coat of gorgeous Hazy IPA and Zinc Oxide paint, underneath, it's basically a brand-new Wrangler, with a 270hp 2.0-litre turbo engine, and an eight-speed automatic.
The Jeepster Beach's custom interior features low-back bucket seats trimmed in red leather. The rear seat was replaced with a chrome, four-point safety cage and the carpets were removed to make cleaning out sand a breeze.
The ultimate hard-working Gladiator
On a more realistic note, and in keeping with Jeep's Moab Safari tradition of taking existing production models, covering them in jam, and dipping them deep into the Mopar options and customisation catalogue, there's the Jeep Red Bare Gladiator Rubicon. Based on the Gladiator pickup (itself based on the Wrangler) the Red Bare is, says Jeep, "part of a long-standing heritage of hard-working trucks, with ultimate performance, fuel efficiency and driving range."
So, it gets a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine, with 260hp and a whopping 600Nm of torque. There's an eight-speed auto with low ratios for off-road control, plus heavy-duty front and rear axles by Dana. That 'crawl ratio' in the lowest of the Red Bare's low gears is a 91:1 ratio, compared to the standard Wrangler's low-range gear setting of 84:1. In other words, it creeps forward verrrrry slowly so that you have maximum off-roading control.
On the outside is lots of red paint and matt-black details, while inside there are genuine lumberjack skin seats (kidding - they're leather seats with custom tartan flannel-shirt-style detailing, kind of like a back-woods Golf GTI).
Or you could have the Jeep Orange Peelz concept, Wrangler-based again, which Jeep says "pays tribute to the long-standing, open-air, fun-and-freedom lifestyle that makes the Jeep Wrangler a global icon." Basically, this means eye-searing orange paint, cut-down doors, a removable roof, massive 37-inch tyres, a heavy-duty winch, all of the LED lights you could possibly need, and even an almost-indestructible Corning Gorilla Glass windscreen.
Jeep will also bring the Gladiator Farout concept, the Gladiator Top Dog, and the V8-powered Wrangler Rubicon 392 to Moab, all of which were created last year, but which missed the Moab festival because - for obvious reasons - there wasn't one last year.