Third-generation GM small blocks may have come along 50 years too late to join the war effort, but even still, a twin-turbocharged LS3 seems like the perfect mill to motivate this awe-inspiring, painstaking WWII-tribute 2010 Jeep Unlimited.
This WWII Fighter Jeep was present at SEMA 2014, the creation of a company called Hauk Designs, which specializes in armor for Jeeps. But I wouldn’t anticipate being able to purchase this example’s cosmetic looks; the steering wheels come straight from the cockpit of a B-24 Liberator; the shifter is the machine gun-charging handle from a B-17 Flying Fortress. Even the radio and fuel pump/ignition/power switches come from vintage aircraft.
Of course, the most obvious touch – and perhaps the most menacing – is the two 6 mm turbochargers sticking out of the hood, with the filters fitted to look like forward-facing machine gun barrels. Tailgate whomever you want. Both the turbos, and the machine gun filters, were custom-made for this build.
Those turbos feed into the beating heart of this WWII Fighter Jeep: the LS3 motor. This particular mill is actually a derivative dubbed the “LQ9,” used in large GM vehicles. The aluminum cylinder heads are unchanged, while the block in this application is iron. This makes the engine incredibly strong – perfect for a rugged twin-turbo project.
In fact, Hauk Designs’ goal is to produce around 800 horsepower with this setup when the tuning is finished. That, reader, is a lot of freedom.
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Besides my C6, I have a CJ5 and that’s about the coolest thing I’ve seen this week! Alas, my CJ is only fitted with a snow plow.