Auto Industry News: EJS 2019 Hits Moab, Jeep Gladiator Hits Dealer Lots, and C8 Corvette Finally Hits the Schedule

EJS 2019 is officially underway in Moab, Utah and this year’s off-road festivities are shaping up to be the best yet. After waiting for what feels like ages, the all-new Jeep Gladiator begins landing on dealer lots across America. Chevy’s C8 Corvette FINALLY gets a due date—and some paternal acknowledgment. And Fab Fours has a little something in store for your summer party scene this year.

All that and more in this week’s Auto News roundup.

EJS 2019 Hits Moab Trails

Preeminent off-roading event—the Easter Jeep Safari—kicked off this weekend in Moab, Utah. Now in its 53rd year, EJS 2019 is off to a great start as thousands of enthusiasts descend upon the Western desert for nine days of rock crawling fun and epic sight-seeing. In addition to the usual entertainment, creative problem-solving, and off-road camaraderie is a new Level 3 Difficulty trail called “Buttes and Towers” as well as three “Skills Days,” featuring spotting and recovery tips.

And while the enthusiast rigs never cease to impress, big name automakers and aftermarket companies are in high attendance with camouflaged prototypes, custom rigs, and sweet, sweet concept vehicles.

Case in point? These six Gladiators Jeep unleashed on the rugged Moab trails.

Building hype and showcasing the model’s versatility, these concepts also have us really hoping FCA reconsiders offering a 2-door model.

Speaking of 2-doors, Land Rover was spied testing new prototypes at EJS 2019 as well. And, what do I spy with my little eye?? A stubby off-roader noticeably lacking some rear doors.

Suppliers like Fab Fours, WARN, and Skyjacker Suspensions are also making a splash, with custom rigs decked out in aftermarket goodies.

First Round of Jeep Gladiators Land on Lots

While Jeep’s Moab trucks may only live as an off-roader’s pipe dream, the badge’s much-anticipated production-ready Gladiator pickup is officially heading to a dealer near you. With a starting price of $35,040, the all-new Jeep Gladiator shipped out from the Toledo Assembly plant in Ohio to dealerships around America.

MotorTrend reported that the special Launch Edition, limited to 4,190 units, sold out in a single day. The fully-loaded Rubicons with cosmetic goodies and one-off badging sold for more than $60k a pop—indicating that things look, uh, *pretty, pretty, pretty good* for Jeep’s first truck in two decades.

Mid-Engine C8 Corvette Finally Gets Due Date

Things are also looking up for GM, whose long-awaited C8 Corvette finally gets a scheduled debut. While we’ve seen several spy shots of the next-gen ‘Vette, GM has kept mum about the vehicle’s release. In fact, it wasn’t until this past week that the automaker even acknowledged the existence of the vehicle.

Plagued by rumored electrical issues, the 2020 Corvette has seen its due date pushed back several times already. But Chevy has now confirmed a special unveiling on July 18, 2019.

Car and Driver speculates that the first model we’ll see is the base Stingray, featuring an upgraded 500+hp version of the Corvette’s current 6.2-liter V8, for a sticker tag around $62,000. Several high-performance variants are expected as well, raising the power rating and asking price respectively.

Additionally, the last outgoing seventh-gen Corvette will head to auction on June 28 at Barrett-Jackson’s Northeast sale, killing any rumors that it would be sold alongside the new model. According to press releases, the farewell C7 is a black 2019 Z06, sporting a supercharged V8 producing 650 hp and 650 lb.-ft. of torque. All proceeds from the sale benefit the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, named in honor of a fallen 9/11 firefighter. The foundation assists injured service members, first responders, and their families by paying off mortgages and building accessible homes.

Aftermarket Mergers Mean More Options For Enthusiasts

Aftermarket accessories producer, Daystar Products International recently purchased Tuff Country Suspension, a manufacturer of suspension lift and level kits. Founded in 1977, Daystar teamed up with a private equity firm in 2017 to help grow its brand. Since then, the Pheonix-based company has made targeted acquisitions such as VooDoo Offroad, MCE Fenders, and HCR Racing, greatly expanding its offering of US-made, high-quality performance products.

Expect to see more big things from this supplier, and keep an eye out for Daystar swag at EJS 2019. The company announced on social media that it will be on site and ready-to-go with great deals on great gear.

Fab Fours Brings the Heat

Speaking of great gear… Have you been searching for the perfect fire pit to really round out the fresh summer vibe at your house? Allow us to show you the only home improvement project you need to consider this season: The Fab Fours’ Jeep Fire Pit.

YEA. WE KNOW. IT’S AWESOME.

True-to-scale, built of quality U.S. steel, and sporting a design that will attract neighbors to your patio like moths to a bug zapper, this might just be the yard accessory we never knew we needed. (Guys, it even has simulated 40” tires and an integrated bottle opener!)

Wacky? Yes. Weird? A Little. Sure to make you the official party house on the block? Absofreakinglutely.

At $365, this is the steal of the summer!

Around the Circuit

Formula One

Lewis Hamilton beat out teammate Valtteri Bottas yesterday in Shanghai to take his 75th F1 victory at the institution’s 1000th World Championship race.

While Ferrari was the favorite in pre-season testing, they sit firmly behind the Silver Arrows who now hold three consecutive one-twos for the 2019 season—a first since Williams in 1992. F1 stats point out, “It was also Mercedes 47th one-two in F1, tying them with McLaren for second on the all-time list, 36 behind table-toppers Ferrari, while so good is their reliability, their drivers share the longest active finishing streak with 15 Grands Prix in a row.”

Behind the pair sits the Scuderia’s Sebastian Vettel in third, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in fourth, and Ferrari’s young ingenue Charles Leclerc in a frustrating fifth after he was ordered to move over for teammate Vettel early in the race.

The next race is at the fan-favorite Baku City Circuit for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a little less than two weeks. Last year’s event was chock full of nail-biting drama. We’ll have to wait and see if the tension is as high this time around.

IndyCar

Sunday’s 45th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach saw Alexander Rossi take victory by more than 20 seconds, leading 80 of the race’s 85 laps. His domination over second place’s Josef Newgarden is the biggest margin of victory at the event since 1995. This is Rossi’s sixth career IndyCar victory, placing him second in the championship standings, 28 points behind 2017’s champion Newgarden.

However, any real drama occurred between third and fourth finishers, Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal. While Rahal’s Honda technically crossed the finish line, taking third place, IndyCar officials decided to reverse his finish with five-time IndyCar Series champion, Scott Dixon, arguing that Rahal threw an illegal block as Dixon attempted to pass him on the final lap.

Rahal defended his action to TV crews saying, “You can make that move, and it is 100 percent legal. I’m not going to lose sleep over this. We move on. If it was like a win, then maybe, but we move on. It was a good day for us, a good weekend for us. You go forward. But it was not an illegal block.”