Our friends at Extreme Terrain, an advertiser here on JK-Forum that sells aftermarket Wrangler parts, have taken the bits and pieces revealed about the 2018 JL Jeep Wrangler and combined them into a rendering of how it might look.
As you can imagine, the JL probably won’t be a radical visual departure from the JK and Extreme Terrain’s pictures are in line with that way of thinking. The grille on the ’18 model is more leaned back than the one on the current Wrangler. Above that, the vented hood is more sculpted and aggressive, more Rubicon Hard Rock-like. The fender flares seem a little crisper, sharper – especially the ones up front.
Perhaps the most noticeable difference between the present and future Wranglers is the greenhouse area. Extreme Terrain’s prediction shows a pronounced dip in the front doors and a sharp, geometric up-kick in the bodywork in the rear doors.
If the official JL looks exactly like this when it comes out, it’ll definitely still be recognizable as a Wrangler, except more clean-cut. No matter how the JL eventually turns out visually, its lighter aluminum doors and other hanging parts, as well potentially lighter axles, more fuel-efficient powertrain options, the possibility of increased legroom, and different top offerings will make it more appealing in other ways.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
