by Matt Konkle
Torque Editor-in-Chief
We all buy our Jeeps for a certain reason, right? For some, that may mean owning a fun daily driver that has top removal ability and a rugged look. For others, it may be the easy modification route, and some off-road ability. Another group may say the thing was meant to live off-road, and so off-road it lives.
There is no right or wrong answer.
And then there is Brett Guarnieri from Phoenix, Arizona. With his Hydro Blue Wrangler Rubicon 392. With dirt and mud marking the tires, fender flares and Rock Slide Engineering Sliders. As well as a few nicks on those wheels and AEV rear bumper.
Guarnieri recently was parked at the Hells Revenge trailhead, waiting for friends, and couldn't say enough about his high-performance vehicle.
"It is a totally capable vehicle and extremely powerful," he said. "How could I not take this out and see what it can accomplish."
We've met a ton of 392 owners over the past year, and the answer to the off-road question has always been the same. Their Jeep will never leave the pavement.
Which is fine. It is the most expensive Jeep Wrangler in Stellantis’ arsenal right now, so why expose the thing to potential danger for anything lurking on a trail.
Guarnieri’s answer is simple – he loves to off-road and the 392 is an amazing vehicle to enhance that enjoyment.
And why not. With a 6.4L Hemi engine, he has tremendous power to attack anything. The vehicle has 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque which gives it a zero to 60 time of four seconds. Of course, that speed really means nothing off-road, but the 470 lb-ft of torque really does mean something.
It means the 392 can walk up almost anything behind that powerful torque, and make most stuff off-road look like a simple drive down the street.
Like many Jeep enthusiasts, Guarnieri has done some important modifications to his vehicle to make it even more off-road capable. He’s added an AEV spacer lift for extra clearance, as well as those Rock Slide Engineering bars for excellent side protection.
He has also bulked up the vehicle’s rubber by adding BFGoodrich 37-inch KM3 tires.
Guarnieri has only had the 392 for a few months, but it has already made a significant impression when it comes to off-roading.
”This thing is a beast,” he says.
