Jeep "Call of Duty Special Ops Edition" ...

Also known as the "Jeep Wrangler I have no social life edition"

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/19/2011-jeep-wrangler-call-of-duty-black-ops-edition/

I would love to see some actual substantive improvements in the new Wranglers (suspension in particular). Aside from harcore off-road, an independent-suspension Wrangler would revitalize the brand to 90% of its target consumers. Better ride, better street handling, and IFS 4x4s can still tackle most of the off-road terrain that a current wrangler can.

(edited to clarify that my complaint is the lack of substantive improvement in the vehicle, not some assumed hate of American vehicles.....)

Well, to be fair, the Wrangler is not worn out and doesnt really need upgrades. There are many Wrangler owners and fans out there who will tell you their favorite Wrangler is not the current one. The Wrangler ideal is sort of immune to fashion. If you look at a jeep and any other car from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and compare which one has the most similarities to the modern equivalent, i think you'll find that the wrangler's basic design/premise is the LEAST played out of pretty much ANY automotive concept. Even tractor trailers and dump trucks have had to change more than the Jeep ideal has.

I think it's pretty cool. I wouldnt buy it, but im glad it exists.

Hell, i still have a dream of doing up a Wrangler like the Wild Goose hovercraft from SNES F-Zero. I need a wrangler..

You know the king ranch has some pretty sweet leather seats compared to any of the other F series trucks right? That's an actual upgrade, not big but actual. If you are calling American car companies "stupid" "dumb" or so on because they do this, you're wrong, it's the consumers that are dumb for not recognizing that it's simply the same thing. It's brilliant on the companies part for being able to market something like that to boost sales. So instead of bashing the car companies because you probably think VW makes something better, bash the consumers or general public for buying into the shenanigans.

For about 2 years, I worked part-time at the airport for a valet service. I drove a bus, picked people up and their luggage. I would ask the customer what vehicle they had so I could take them right to it. Usually people would say, "Blue Chevy Malibu" or "White Taurus".

When I asked this one cranky guy what vehicle he had, he responded by saying "Kings Ranch". I never heard of it. I thought he was being a clown. So I told him I was not familiar with that and I asked him again, "Sir, I'm sorry, I didn't catch that, what vehicle do you have?" He again blurts out in an angry tone "KINGS RANCH!" He apparently was pissed that I didn't recognize that he had splurged for a rebadged ford pickup. I ended up having to get on the Radio to inform the office that the customer keeps repeating "Kings Ranch" and I added that I had no idea what he meant which only enraged the guy further.

The girl on the radio responded by saying "Ford Pickup" which completely put him over the top. When I pulled around, "I said, oh, there's your ford pickup right over there...".

Some people take such pride in the badges on their car that they think everyone else should appreciate how special they are.

Same with this jeep...if you buy it and someone asks what do you drive, would you respond by saying "special opps" or would you say "black jeep?"

DirtyBird222 wrote: You know the king ranch has some pretty sweet leather seats compared to any of the other F series trucks right? That's an actual upgrade, not big but actual.

My uncle actually has a king ranch edition and yes, it is very nice. But by "upgrade" I was referring to mechanical/performance. Nice leather seats are an available upgrade on many many cars from Hyundais to Rav4s.....

DirtyBird222 wrote: If you are calling American car companies "stupid" "dumb" or so on because they do this, you're wrong, it's the consumers that are dumb for not recognizing that it's simply the same thing. It's brilliant on the companies part for being able to market something like that to boost sales.

From a marketing standpoint, maybe (though how many people out there are going to be so openly nerdy to buy a COD-edition Jeep is questionable). But forgive me if I prefer that a car company spends its resources actually improving the vehicle rather than coming up with gimmicky trim packages.

I don't see how it would boost sales though.....If you weren't going to buy a jeep before, you probably won't now. And if you were going to buy a Jeep before and happen to play COD, you'll probably still not get the COD edition.

DirtyBird222 wrote: So instead of bashing the car companies because you probably think VW makes something better, bash the consumers or general public for buying into the shenanigans.

lol at you thinking that I am a fan of VW, having owned two early-2000s Jettas (wife's). I think not.

But again, marketing is nice. BUt how about offer this edition with some actual upgrades other than tires and interior. Stronger axles, lockers, whatever....even a trainable machine gun mount on the roof.

Vigo wrote: Well, to be fair, the Wrangler is not worn out and doesnt really need upgrades.

The wrangler is awesome for the things it was meant to do....offroad, country, beach with the softttop open, etc. For that it is still one of the best vehicles out there. Most people who buy 4-door wranglers, especially blinged-out special editions like this, will likely never see more than a mud puddle with them and spend more time cruising the mall parking lot.

And as a suburban/urban vehicle, the wranger (and other SFA Jeeps) pretty much sucks. It's not a ding against the vehicle, it's a ding against the customers.

Vigo wrote: There are many Wrangler owners and fans out there who will tell you their favorite Wrangler is not the current one. The Wrangler ideal is sort of immune to fashion. If you look at a jeep and any other car from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and compare which one has the most similarities to the modern equivalent, i think you'll find that the wrangler's basic design/premise is the LEAST played out of pretty much ANY automotive concept. Even tractor trailers and dump trucks have had to change more than the Jeep ideal has..

Fully agree. I'm a prior Jeep owner and know many more. Like I said, for people who use Jeeps for what they're meant for, the consistency in design is great - why mess with a good thing? But for the great proportion of people who live in the city/burbs, and NEVER offroad or need solid axles, etc.....I've never understood why Jeep doesn't build a Wrangler body style (e.g. drop-top) with independent suspension, which would improve its handling and ride quality. It could be built to be virtually identical on the outside, and they could charge more for it. And when 17-year old girl-who-wants-a-jeep drives it vs. a traditional wrangler, she'd be willing to pay the extra price.

That's what I mean about upgrade vs. marketing. The Liberty is nice for that kind of stuff, but alot of Jeep owners just want the open roof and roll bars and the look. DO it with a more street-worthy platform and you creat a whole new customer base - the ones that want a jeep, but can't put up with the idiosyncracies of the standard wrangler suspension/drivetrain design. One of the big jokes with the Jeep guys I used to hang out with is that if you go to a junkyard that has alot of wrecked Wranglers and XJs and look around, about 98% of them are from front-end damage, becuase a Wrangler or XJ can neither avoid trouble on the road nor stop short of it :)

Hence why most "real" Jeepers do major brake upgrades from the start - something that Jeep itself has rarely bothered with!

Basically, just drop a wrangler body look-alike onto a Liberty chassis, or something like that.

btw, I hardly think I am a Jeep-hater....but I do think that they could be a bit more creative in what they are doing...

my old, crappy XJ that was tons of fun off-road and to wrench on.... but really the worst on-road vehicle I've ever owned. Only marginally safe to other drivers, and that's when it was in good shape :) I loved owning it for some reason, but every time I drove it to work or something, I always thought "why the berkeley do I drive this thing" lol...

besides, mine would kick the COD wrangler's ass in special ops missions...

"Special Edition" usually means different wheels, stickers, fake air inlets, and a silly price premium. It seemed to have started with the Mustang II... remember that piece of marketing excellence?

we used to joke in the early 90s that a high school buddy's old Chevy Monza was the "Dungeons & Dragons Special Edition" because we knew at least 3 hardcore D&D players that drove them

I would say do it more like the 4Runner does it with the "trail edition" which has beefier suspension, rear locker, and some other off-road goodies.....or various companies' "track edition" cars that usually have stiffer suspensions, better brakes, etc....make it more than just a gimmick.

Else we'll start having editions based on anything popular. The "black eyed peas edition" that comes with chrome wheels and a pair of 12" subs in the back and Louis Vuitton seats. Or the "Pittsburgh Steelers Edition" with Big Ben's face etched into the headlights and yellow-black striped roll bars....

irish44j wrote:

Oh, wow...I really like that!

carzan wrote:

irish44j wrote:

Oh, wow...I really like that!

It looked alot better on the outside than the inside. Plus the Renix engine management was a constant problem and never worked right, no matter what trick/fix I did. Was a 5-speed manual though!

Suspension/steering was well-sorted though. I put alot of work into it. But like I said ealier, I live 4 hours from the nearest wheeling spot, and the XJ was no fun at all to drive on the streets really, and got terrible mileage. Once we got the 4runner across the driveway, the XJ's utility aspect was gone as well, so I sold it to a guy out in W.Va. who could use it as intended....

Car companies do the "Special Editions" for the same reason the person at McDonalds wants you to super size you number 10. If I had to guess there is more profit in the upgrade than there is in the base vehicle. Up selling also helps the sales numbers look good at the end of the year. Realize it's a sales gimmick and move on. Car companies aren't the only people that do this. How many versions of the latest game system are there. Just a quick search shows probably 10 versions of the X-Box in assorted colors and stickers.

yeah I know...

This Call of Duty edition just strikes me as especially crass marketing, like when you watch a show and the product placement takes away from the actual acting/story. Like WTF does Jeep have to do with mlitary/special ops anyhow? The military doesn't used Jeeps, and back when they did they weren't Chrysler-based products anyways. IDK, just kind of rubs me the wrong way.

well, i never thought i'd see a Terminator 3 edition tundra on the road, but i've seen a few around town. i'd bet the presence of a call of duty special edition won't hurt wrangler sales

Strizzo wrote: well, i never thought i'd see a Terminator 3 edition tundra on the road, but i've seen a few around town. i'd bet the presence of a call of duty special edition won't hurt wrangler sales

there is a Terminator 3 edition tundra? Really???

In reply to irish44j:

was. i think it was to help push out the last of the first gens before the new one came out.

also saw a luchese edition sequoia, only bothered to look at the badge because i noticed the ostrich skin leather on the door panel when the lady was getting in

irish44j wrote:

Strizzo wrote: well, i never thought i'd see a Terminator 3 edition tundra on the road, but i've seen a few around town. i'd bet the presence of a call of duty special edition won't hurt wrangler sales

there is a Terminator 3 edition tundra? Really???

do they have a ramp that pops out of the side so a motorcycle can drive in at speed?

novaderrik wrote:

irish44j wrote:

Strizzo wrote: well, i never thought i'd see a Terminator 3 edition tundra on the road, but i've seen a few around town. i'd bet the presence of a call of duty special edition won't hurt wrangler sales

there is a Terminator 3 edition tundra? Really???

do they have a ramp that pops out of the side so a motorcycle can drive in at speed?

in keeping with the theme, its pretty much a stickers, scoops and wheels edition

I find the Terminator 3 Tundra to be kinda funny. The Tundra in Terminator 3 was a stripper model with a crappy camper shell.

http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/news/limited-edition-jeep-wrangler-rubicon-tomb-raider-model-available-29886.html

This isn't a first video game tie in for Jeep. I know the Tomb Raider version was a movie tie in, but it was a movie based on a video game.

my old, crappy XJ that was tons of fun off-road and to wrench on.... but really the worst on-road vehicle I've ever owned. Only marginally safe to other drivers, and that's when it was in good shape :) I loved owning it for some reason, but every time I drove it to work or something, I always thought "why the berkeley do I drive this thing" lol...

I AM SHOCKED! There is someone on this forum besides me who calls it straight regarding the cherokee! The damn thing is practically a deathtrap! Considered in a certain context, they are fantastic, and im a fellow XJ lover (had 3). But when i see people on car forums disagreeing that the cherokee has tiny brakes and is ridiculously unstable, it makes me wonder if they really DO own the sports cars they claim to..

Regarding the JK sucking as an on-road vehicle.. I agree. I think they sold the Wrangler out to the bling crowd just like you're saying. Its too wide and too heavy by a lot, imo.

Honestly, im fine with the engine. I think people complain about the engine like the engine is the problem, when really if you put a 3.8 in a YJ or TJ it would do exactly what the 4.0 does while weighing less and being smaller and EVEN MORE RELIABLE. The problem is the weight gain.

For the record, i have some thoughts regarding Jeeps other stuff and the ideas you mentioned.

First off, the Commander was just dumb. Not because it existed but because it wasnt sufficiently delineated from a Grand Cherokee. All it had was 2 more crappy seats and boxier styling. They should have put the Commander on the Durango platform.

The Liberty should never have been RWD from the start. It was a timid first step into the present realm of selling jeeps as soft on-roaders, but i honestly think in the long run it was pointless. The Liberty should have been based off the PT cruiser and be the size of the patriot/compass. As it is, the liberty is stupidly overweight for what it is and doesnt even have the truck torque to go with the truck weight.

The Compass is a giant mistake and everyone knows it. The only way they could have saved that thing from utter misguided mediocrity is by making it the baby Jeep SRT. Caliber SRT-4 underpinnings, Rallye package outers, and MAYBE as an image car it would have been justifiable. Other than that, the compass was basically Jeep swinging and somehow hitting the catcher in the face.

The Patriot i actually like more than the liberty, commander, or compass. The styling is right. The price is right. The utilitarianism is right. The soft-road ability is right. If anything, i think it just needs torque, and more love from Jeep.. more marketing, more gimmicky trim packages, etc.

That dumbass Jeep is in the video game too. Funny thing is, its a band new Jeep showing up in a game set in the 60s-70s...

irish44j wrote: But again, marketing is nice. BUt how about offer this edition with some actual upgrades other than tires and interior. Stronger axles, lockers, whatever....even a trainable machine gun mount on the roof.

It's called the Rubicon. Stronger Dana44 axles, selectable lockers, 4:1 transfer case, 32" MT tires stock. It's a badass.

irish44j wrote: I would love to see some actual substantive improvements in the new Wranglers (suspension in particular). Aside from harcore off-road, an independent-suspension Wrangler would revitalize the brand to 90% of its target consumers. Better ride, better street handling, and IFS 4x4s can still tackle most of the off-road terrain that a current wrangler can.

You know how Honda had a hardcore following that loved them in an irrational way through the 90's and early 2000's? And you know how that VANISHED with the introduction of the McStrut laden 6th gen civic?

If the wrangler ever loses it's solid axles, I predict a similar deflation of the enthusiast support for the vehicle.

Of course a solid axle Jeep sucks on road. That's not what it's for. A Corvette sucks off road. That's not what it's for.

First of all I am shocked that an old Jeep guy would post this.

Second, it is people like you who water down the current car market. Hear me out:

SUV's were originally trucks with an enclosed bed and seats for four. Then yuppies started buying them for...who knows what reason...maybe they liked the upright stance...and they immediately started demanding the car manufactures change them. I want my solid axle truck I just CHOOSE to buy to be softer. OK easy, maybe the suspension lighter duty. Not enough, I want my softer riding SUV to handle better. OK let's ditch the solid front axle, most buyers don't need a heavy duty front end. Next, this truck still rides like a truck, what am I paying you for? OK let's ditch the solid rear axle, they don't take the softer SUV offroad anymore so we don't need a heavy duty rear axle. OK so it rides alot better but still transmits all this noise...oh and my truck still has a truck motor, WTF is up with that? OK let's put an upright body on our car platform and call it an SUV! Boy I love trucks, they ride just like cars...

So where have the real SUVs gone? Jeep Wrangler.

If you want an upright car go for it, but leave the Wranglers alone!