You gotta love the Chrysler Group. Er, the Chrysler arm of the Stellantis Group. Or whatever… you know what I mean. Anyway, you gotta love ‘em because of the way they approach new model development. And it’s pretty simple. Their new-product logic tree goes a little something like this:

Step 1: Does the vehicle exist? If yes, go to Step 2.
Step 2: Does it have a HEMI? If yes, go to Step 3a. If no, go to Step 3b.
Step 3a. Sell that mofo.
Step 3b. Put a HEMI in it. Sell that mofo.

Such is the logic that has given us this: the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392.

If you’ve driven a Jeep Wrangler of any sort, you’re likely not thinking it needs any extra power. After all, it is a dirt-simple, highly unrefined machine. It’s great at crawling over stuff, yes. But five minutes behind the wheel will tell you that any attempt to add more power will simply twist the body off the frame.

But Jeep doesn’t care about doing things sensibly. So they crammed a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 into a Wrangler. And then they decided to sell it. And if the supply chain gods are smiling upon ye, you can go out and buy one right now.

The Wrangler Rubicon 392 is so much more than a Jeep-shaped package around a HEMI engine, though. Jeep (the company) did a ton of engineering work to ensure that the engine doesn’t tear the vehicle apart. The frame rails have been upgraded to withstand the extra power, as have the upper control arms. Steering knuckles are constructed of cast iron, for added strength and durability. And to help ensure that the HEMI’s power translates to forward motion, rather then disappear into tire smoke, the Selec-Trac full-time active transfer case keeps this Jeep in 4WD at all times.

That’s not all. Stock wheels come in at 17-inch beadlock rims with 33-inch tires. Or you can go bigger – like my press loan – and get a version with even beefier 35-inch tires. Just as beefy: the suspension. This Jeep features heavy-duty Fox shocks, wide-track Dana 44 axles with electronic locking differentials and electronic front sway-bar disconnect. Those beefier frame rails I mentioned earlier? They were also designed to help give this Jeep an additional two inches of ground clearance, giving the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 a total of 10.3-inches of ground clearance.

Jeep says that its Wrangler Rubicon 392 is its most capable Jeep, ever. And while there are others who will wax rhapsodic about said capabilities, all one really needs to know is that this thing is stupid fast.

I never thought I’d want a Jeep Wrangler with 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. I also never thought I’d want a Jeep that can sprint from 0-60 in just 4.5 seconds. Or run the quarter mile in 13 seconds flat. But after five minutes in this Jeep, I deeply, deeply want a fast Jeep. I want this fast Jeep.

The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 delivers stupid amounts of fun in just about every situation. Running stop light to stop light? Press that “loud” button for the exhaust, mash that gas, and watch as your fuel gauge drops in real time. Also watch how little you care about fuel prices, because anything is worth the cost of entry for the riotous, visceral experience that this Jeep provides.

See potholes, train tracks or the Pacific Ocean directly in your path of travel? Ignore them, stab that gas and enjoy as the heavy-duty suspension comfortably soaks up those bumps, while the water channels keep the wet stuff away from the engine. This Jeep goes anywhere and everywhere, and it gets there quickly.

That’s not to say it’s all flawless. At the end of the day, this is still a Jeep, so it’s got all the flaws (or “charm”) as the standard Wrangler. It goes just fine. Stopping is good thanks to upgraded brakes. Steering is, well… it steers. It’s not terrible, but it’s not accurate. Most of the time, it’s fine. But when the road had even the slightest bit of a crown, it just won’t track straight, feeling as if it’s in desperate need of an alignment. Given the sheer amount of steering correction needed to keep this Jeep tracking straight on a straight road, I can only imagine the tire wear – and the associated costs of replacing those 35-inch tires.

If you care about luxury – skip this cabin. But if you care about having a Jeep, it’s fine. The design is simple and workman-like, the traits one expects from a Jeep. Seats are wrapped in a leather, look properly nice, and there’s a multimedia infotainment system. But it’s hard to hear anything over the wind, tire and engine noise. But if you want quiet, go buy an EV or something. That said, I would welcome a dead pedal. The Jeep’s flat, squared-off footwell left my left foot looking for a home.

And if any of these minor complaints resonate with you, well, you just don’t want a Jeep. And you certainly don’t want this Jeep. The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is eight cylinders of rowdy, always ready to go full send, fuel costs be damned. It’s absolutely delightful in its excessiveness, and I’m absolutely grateful that something like this exists. This is pure fun in car form. This is Jeep perfection. And Jeep will sell every one it can build.