Wild JeepSpeed 3700 Race Truck Fresh off the Mint 400!
The guys at Hoonigan are back with a new Build Biology, this time taking a look at Ryan Kibbe’s JeepSpeed 3700 Race Truck. This Jeep-turned-truck is quite literally fresh out of the desert, coming to Hoonigan HQ after kicking it in the dust for a few days at the Mint 400. It’s still covered in dirt, even, as the guys hadn’t even unloaded it off the trailer until they got to HHQ for this episode. While there are some Jeep parts there, mainly the grille, hood, and fenders, it’s pretty obvious that this is a custom style build with a lot going on under the body panels. Speaking of body panels, the Jeep stuff up front gives way to custom truck bodywork out back, giving the truck a unique look that should give us a glimpse of what a customized Jeep Gladiator pickups might look like if they’re given the full-on Trophy Truck treatment. Inside is all business, with a fabricated dash serving as the home for a trio of switch panels, a Sparco wheel, and very little else.
The seats are built for safety and lightweight, not comfort, as you can see, and even the pedals are all-business. Of course, the name of the game is going fast in insanely rough conditions, so a beefy roll cage anchors the interior to provide protection for the driver in the event of a crash. A 454 CIX LSX engine cranks out 414 horsepower, which is impressive for an all-motor build with a slushbox and four-wheel drive. While the power number may seem low, once you send power through an automatic transmission and transfer case, you likely lose close to 40% of the power, so that means the engine itself is likely making closer to 800 before the driveline zaps it.
Underneath, most of the frame is factory Jeep as well, with some major upgrades being done to the suspension, of course, to help it survive in the harsh desert racing conditions. It’s been swapped to A-Arms on the front, which are more stable and offer better control in the insane conditions. This Jeep truck hybrid conglomeration is incredibly cool, and does exactly what it was built to do, and I’m glad we got to check it out on such an imitate level!
