Cruising along Pacific Coast Highway on a hot summer afternoon with the power soft top pulled back and the windows down, we instinctively reached for a button on the center console. After just a few days with the Wrangler Rubicon 392, its location and the associated function had already become muscle memory.

After pressing it, thoughts suddenly turned to the Chrysler Air Raid Siren. Put into production just as the Cold War was really ramping up back in the early 1950s, it came as a result of a collaboration between the automaker and Bell Laboratories. Bell had been developing a new way to generate sound that used a direct flow of pressurized air through a chopper rotor, but they needed a portable means of powering it, and Chrysler offered a solution in the form of a 331 cubic-inch FirePower Hemi V8. The result was the loudest air raid siren ever made; a device that could be heard from as far as 25 miles away.

Along with the bigger tires, raised stance, and the unique hood, the Wrangler Rubicon 392 is visually differentiated from the rest of the pack by the bronze accents on the tow hooks, badging, and decals.

The Performance Exhaust feature on this Jeep isn’t quite as overwhelming, but the concept is amusingly similar. In a production first for the U.S. arm of Stellantis vehicles, the Wrangler Rubicon 392 has a “loud” button. It exists for no other reason than to make a racket. And considering the fact that this Wrangler is also the first factory-produced convertible with a Gen III Hemi under the hood, we’re especially thankful for it. The Wrangler Rubicon 392 has more going for it than just the 470hp 6.4-liter V8 that motivates it, but we’d be lying if we said it wasn’t a big part of the appeal here.

After getting some seat time in the concept truck last summer, we wondered if the idea of merging high-speed horsepower and low-speed rock crawling capability wasn’t a bit incongruous, and the production version’s tire-limited top speed of just 99 MPH doesn’t do much to dispel that notion. But over the course of a week of street driving, off-roading, and open-top cruising, the Wrangler Rubicon 392 proved to be a potent reminder of a fundamental gearhead ethos: Fun doesn’t always have to be logical.

Inside And Out

It’s been four decades since an eight cylinder mill powered a Wrangler equivalent from the factory, but plenty of enterprising folks have taken it upon themselves to shoehorn V8s into them in the years since. One can’t help but wonder if the looming specter of real competition from the upcoming Ford Bronco finally pushed them to make the engineering investment that enthusiasts have long begged for, but regardless of rationale, it’s clear that the demand for a V8 Wrangler did not go wholly unnoticed by the folks at Jeep.

As the name implies, this new top-spec Wrangler gets its copious grunt from a 392 cubic-inch Gen III Hemi V8 that’s shared with the likes of the SRT Grand Cherokee, the Ram Power Wagon, and Dodge’s Challenger and Charger Scat Pack models. Here it dishes out 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, and that translates to monumental gains of 185hp and 210 lb-ft over the 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6 that’s available in the standard Wrangler. The 392 is paired exclusively with an eight-speed automatic here, though a manual shifting mode and steering wheel-mounted shift paddles allow for full control over the gear changes when needed.

The 6.4-liter Hemi V8 makes 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque in the Rubicon 392. It’s paired exclusively with an upgraded version of the eight-speed automatic transmission.

And as you’d expect from a Wrangler Rubicon, there’s no shortage of off-road capability to go around. A two-speed transfer case, full-time four-wheel drive, heavy-duty wide track Dana 44 axles with electronic locking differentials, and electronic front sway-bar disconnect help the 392 achieve Jeep’s Trail Rated certification. Its capability is also further enhanced thanks to upgraded frame rails, a two-inch lift, unique suspension geometry, heavy-duty brakes, and new Fox high-performance shocks.

33-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain tires and beadlock-capable 17-inch wheels are standard, as is the unique hood. Along with the more aggressive look that’s afforded by its functional air scoop, the new hood features Jeep’s new Hydro-Guide intake system, which is designed to divert up to 15 gallons of water away from the engine per minute to prevent the Hemi from accidentally ingesting H2O while wading through ponds and the like.

33-inch all-terrain tires on 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels come standard on the Wrangler Rubicon 392.

All in, it results in what can only be described as the most off-road capable production Wrangler to date, boasting 10.3 inches of ground clearance, more suspension articulation, better approach, breakover, and departure angles (44.5, 22.6, and 37.5 degrees, respectively) and the ability to power through up to 32.5 inches of water.

While the interior of the Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392 isn’t a dramatic departure from the standard Rubicon, it does come loaded with standard features that are normally optional on Rubicon models, like leather seating, the 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system, and Alpine premium audio. And as with the exterior, the Rubicon 392’s cabin features bronze accents to denote its position at the top of the Wrangler totem pole.

On The Road

Between the lift, hood scoop, and big all-terrain tires, the Wrangler 392 definitely looks beefier than a standard Rubicon, but Jeep was admirably restrained with the design otherwise. Its curb appeal is only bolstered by the absence of superfluous add-ons and lends credence to the function-over-form vibe.

With a solid front axle and a suspension tuned for rock crawling, the Wrangler Rubicon has never been known for its great on-road manners, and with its chassis upgrades, one could rightfully expect more of the same from the Rubicon 392. Surprisingly, though, the 392’s ride quality and overall composure are noticeably improved over the standard Wrangler Rubicon.

The interior of the Rubicon 392 is filled with all of the upper-end pleasantries that a Wrangler can be optioned with. Jeep’s 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system comes standard here, as does an Alpine premium audio system.

Jeep engineers chose 10% stiffer springs up front, but they also they softened the rear springs by 20 percent and swapped out the Tenneco monotube dampers for Fox units. This, along with the additional sidewall cushioning provided by the 33-inch BFGs, results in a suspension that is more compliant over bad pavement. As with other Wranglers, the Rubicon 392 has a tendency to wander in its lane a bit, but if anything, the 392 seems less wayward than its siblings overall.

Although the suspension earns a nod of approval, the Hemi is clearly the star of the show here. A press of the ignition button brings the V8 to life with an authoritive bark, but its dual-mode active exhaust system quickly steps in to corral the decibels. Plodding town with all the settings in their default states, the 392 actually isn’t much louder than a standard Rubicon, but dipping into the throttle changes the situation dramatically. Doing so reroutes exhaust gases through a less-restrictive (and much louder) secondary path, and pressing the aforementioned exhaust button keeps the system in that mode regardless of throttle input or driving situation. There’s some pretty noticeable resonance at lower speeds when using the louder exhaust setting, though, so it’s nice to have the option to settle things back down when you want a break.

The Wrangler Rubicon 392 is the first vehicle from the American side of Stellantis to be outfitted with an exhaust mode button. Here’s hoping this feature soon makes its way to the Dodge and Ram brands as well.

Even though it now weighs in at over 5000 pounds, any issues the Wrangler Rubicon formerly had with power delivery have been comprehensively addressed with the 392. It’s downright rowdy.

Floor it from a standstill and the Jeep leaps off the line with a roar that would make Vin Diesel proud. Jeep officially quotes a 4.5-second sprint to 60 MPH and that’s definitely conservative – I have no doubt that one could shame some fairly precious metal at the stoplight drags with this thing. You just have to keep in mind that 99 MPH comes up pretty quickly and, more importantly, it’s still a 5000 pound Jeep with all-terrain tires and a suspension that’s dialed in for Moab. Although it accelerates like a sports car, it doesn’t stop or turn like one.

In The Dirt

To put the Wrangler Rubicon 392 through its paces in its natural environment, we headed up to Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area, a veritable playground of off-road delights located about an hour north of Los Angeles. Spanning 19,000 acres with more than 130 miles of terrain to explore, Hungry Valley has something for everyone.

Out on the trails, the Rubicon’s newfound power is especially useful for kicking up rooster tails and muscling through low-speed climbs, and the ability to lock the automatic transmission in a specific gear and control shifts with the paddles proved useful for some of the moderately fast sections.

New Fox shocks are paired with revised spring rates and reworked suspension geometry to provide more off-road capability as well as better on-road ride quality.

But while the engine is happy to provide more pace whenever you ask for it, the Rubicon 392’s suspension tune is still aimed at the low-speed technical stuff rather than high-speed Baja runs. Fast whoop sections that I blasted through a few months ago in the Ram 1500 TRX without concern require more care in the Wrangler in order to prevent the suspension from having an unscheduled meeting with the bump stops. Still, even in the most demanding terrain, the Wrangler Rubicon 392 feels legitimately unstoppable. Between the suspension articulation, ground clearance, the grip provided by the big BFGs, and the massive amount of power at the beck and call of your right foot, it’s genuinely tough to find trails, hill climbs, or rock crawls that will cause this thing to break a sweat. And yet, despite all of its charisma and capability, there’s still one substantial caveat that threatens the Rubicon 392.

Getting behind the wheel will cost you $73,500 before destination (or $78,545 as-tested, with destination). Considering how much you get – and how much an aftermarket V8 conversion would cost you with a standard Wrangler – one could certainly argue that there’s value to be had here even though this is the most expensive Wrangler available by a wide margin. But when you take into consideration the fact that the high-flying, 702 horsepower Ram 1500 TRX starts at nearly four thousand dollars less ($69,995 before destination), the picture gets murkier.

Still, for the rock-crawling Jeep diehards among us, the takeaway is obvious: This is, without a doubt, the best factory-produced Wrangler that money can buy. And if that’s not enough to convince you that it’s worthy of your hard-earned cash, the exhaust button probably will be.