‘Terrifyingly Quick’: Fearless Individual Launches a V8 Jeep Wrangler 392 Through a Snow Rally Course
YouTube | Team O'Neil
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With 470 horsepower and large tires, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Xtreme Recon is ideal for swift, direct travel. When there's ample space to unleash that Hemi, it’s an awe-inspiring experience. However, how does this long-wheelbase, solid-axle vehicle perform in the tighter confines of a rally stage?
That’s the question Wyatt Knox of Team O'Neil set out to answer. He took one of these V8 Wranglers around a technical rally course that was also blanketed in snow. Fortunately, this specific Wrangler 392 was fitted with studded Nokian Hakkapeliittas—among the best winter tires available. In 4-Hi and Off-Road Plus mode, Knox mentioned that it was still possible to spin all four tires at will in the video.
The Jeep Rubicon 392: Can It Rally?
On the snow, the biggest drawback for the Wrangler wasn’t its size or elevated center of gravity, but rather that its ABS couldn’t be turned off. This made it challenging to manage the vehicle’s natural understeer, a result of the four-door Unlimited's length and its solid front axle. While using the throttle to slide the rear helped somewhat, braking and downshifting in a straight line, which is typical in track driving, were still necessary instead of traditional rally maneuvers.
The Wrangler 392 doesn’t strike me as outlandish as some of the other vehicles Team O'Neil has taken to its rally course. Unlike the Ford F-450 Super Duty or Kia Sedona, the V8 version was designed for quick straight-line performance. It also looks impressive drifting through the snow. Knox noted that driving it was enjoyable… but he wouldn’t want to repeat the experience.
YouTube | Team O'Neil
That feedback isn’t exactly what promotional materials are made of, but the Wrangler clocked a respectable time of 2:26.34 over the 1.25-mile course. That’s slower than the Super Duty in dry conditions, but good relative to other times achieved during winter.
It's also uncommon to witness the Wrangler 392’s power being effectively utilized, even as the V8 option grows more common. In just a year, Jeep transitioned from signaling the end of the Wrangler 392 to launching new Moab and Willys versions alongside the Rubicon for 2026—the latter priced $30,000 less than the 2025 Wrangler 392.
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