OX5 by Lockheed Martin
> Reader's Photo
OX5 by Lockheed Martin
 
Jeep Photo Gallery
 
• ADVERTISE WITH US
• WHO IS MOAB JEEPER?
 
Leave this field empty



 

Home
> Jeep Articles > General - Trip Reports > SEMA 2012 - Day 2

MoabJeeper Magazine Article


General Articles - Trip Reports


SEMA 2012 - Day 2

Article written by MOABJEEPER Staff

Date Added: 11/01/2012

High-speed winches, redesigned winches, Sand Troopers and more.

Superwinch - SEMA is the single biggest event for anything automotive. Consequently, every manufacturer wants their crown jewel on display. But what do you do when all you can show of your best and brightest is a really grainy folded up picture?
Well, if you?re Superwinch, you chose to put on your best smile? and beat the crud out of UPS and U.K. customs. All this screaming and rush delivery seemed to have paid off as a package showed up in time for day 2 of the SEMA show.
Photo courtesy of Superwinch
Here it is, the Superwinch Performance XXtreme 18 or as we call it, the Superwinch NO COMPROMISES 18! This winch is cut from a large block of billet aluminum. Did we mention large? This winch is no buggy-style compact - it's a monster.
In addition to BIG, this winch is fast. Very fast. A no-load speed of 200 feet per minute fast. This insane speed was born from off road racing in Croatia where sheer speed is everything. This lighting speed is in no small part due to the dual motors.

First motor is located behind the control box and the second is below the control box.

With great speed comes great heat, so the oil reservoir is ventilated to keep it all under control.
The drum floats upon its own high-grade bearings, and in free spool a toddler could literally unspool this winch. No other winch we've ever laid hands on, and we?ve handled a lot, was half as easy to unspool.

Production? All indicators are positive. This is a working prototype as Superwinch continues to explore marketability, gearing options (XXtreme high speed versus low geared super endurance, and/or maybe both), and other super-secret stuff. In MOABJEEPER?S opinion, that other super-secret stuff should really include our suggested name change, Superwinch NO COMPROMISES 18.klock kopior

Many don't know it, but Superwinch is a global company and supplies winches to the U.S. military and our allies. This winch, Talon Defender 18.0, started out as a traditional Talon (kind of like our Jeeps) and with a whole slew of modifications grew up into this military brute (again, just like our Jeeps).
Warn Zeon - This fresh new offering from Warn gives a bit of a cleaner look. The control box sits neatly upon the top of the winch giving it a one piece integrated look.
In spite of an integrated look, the control box can be removed and remotely mounted with this sharp looking bridge replacing traditional bars. Our opinion - we really like the structure of a bridge to bars.
While this may seem insignificant to those that have not used a winch in cold weather conditions, the large easy to grip handle is a very welcome addition and we think should be industry standard.
Jeep Sand Trooper Concept - Of course it's not going to happen, but neither did the super model pin-up girl that hung on many of our walls during our adolescence. That fact didn't stop us from ogling then, and it's not going to stop us now. Most obvious on this vehicle is the 42" tires.
As if the monster 42" tires weren't enough for ground clearance, Jeep threw on a set of portal axles for straight on boulder clearance.

Don't miss the Mopar belly skid plating.

Keeping all the action under the Jeep controlled are co-branded Mopar/Fox shocks.
Motivating this entire package is a 5.7L Hemi. Trimming out the package is a whole slew of Mopar accessories that are, unlike that silly marketing "Trail Rated" sticker (is that still around?), actually trail worthy and on par with most aftermarket products.

Final Thoughts

Jeep really seems to be stepping up with solid in-house products able to handle hardcore wheeling. The question that gives us pause is the future of Jeep. Fiat, current owner of Jeep, has been in the news for wanting to shut down production of Jeep in the U.S. and move it to China or Italy. The move has been reported and disputed. Whatever the truth is, something is causing smoke.

Our Thank You's!

Thank you for reading MOABJEEPER Magazine. More to come on SEMA 2012.
 


Print Article Email Article
ALL Trip Reports :

 
Home | Articles | Forums | About Us | Store | Contact Us | Links

© 2003-2008 Moab Jeeper Magazine. All rights reserved. Disclaimer and Privacy Policy apply to this site.View our RSS Feed
Jeep®, Wrangler, Cherokee, and Grand Cherokee are copyrighted and trademarked to Daimler-Chrysler Corporation. MoabJeeper Magazine is not in any way associated with the Daimler-Chrysler Corp.