Eight Was Great: Jeep plans final Wrangler Rubicon 392 (2024)

Any gearhead with their heads firmly not buried in the sand knew the eight-cylinder variant of Jeep’s venerable Wrangler wasn’t going to last forever. Whether it was felled by emissions regs, fuel-economy targets, oddball take rate, or Jason Bourne — most of us knew it wasn’t a long-term offering.

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First showing up in late 2020, the Wrangler Rubicon 392 quite literally burst onto the off-road scene packing a 6.4L Hemi V8 engine making 470 horsepower and a like amount of torque. Upgraded frame rails, a factory two-inch lift, unique suspension geometry, and heavy-duty brakes improved performance whilst attempting to handle this thing by the scruff of it neck.

For 2024, the Xtreme 35 Tire Package is standard on all Wrangler 392 models, featuring beadlock-capable wheels and BFGoodrich all-terrain tires of 35-inch flotation size.

If you’re thinking that nailing the throttle in a Wrangler 392 with the front wheels pointed anywhere else other that straight ahead is an act of sheer lunacy, our experience indicates you’re exactly right. Highway speeds come up in a jiffy (about 4.5 seconds from a dead stop) and nearly three-quarters of that torque is available just off idle. The latter is a boon for off-roading, by the way.

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These rigs have a high centre of gravity, exacerbated by the factory lift kit and knobby tires, so huge bootfuls of right foot with the steering wheel cranked is a bad idea. We should be glad for small wonders that more of these beasts haven’t entered YouTube infamy at the hands of dunderhead drivers. But they’re more fun than just about anything else on four wheels, which is exactly the point.

For this final model year, a 392 Rubicon Final Edition adds a Warn winch, a further half-inch of suspension lift, heavy-duty rock sliders, and that natty grille guard. Ground clearance now stands at 29.4 centimetres (11.6 inches) while water fording measures 87.6 cm (34.5 inches). Both of those specs are half an inch greater than stock.

Elsewhere, every 2024 Wrangler 392 earns the same refinements deigned to other trims, including the new-ish grille design and dandy 12.3-inch infotainment screen.

Final Edition production is limited to 3,700 units; 3,300 for Americans, 300 for us Canucks, and 100 for everyone else. Price is pegged at CDN$129,510, and assembly is scheduled to commenced in the second quarter of this year at the Toledo assembly plant.