DCD Customs & Maria Menounos Win Jeep Wrangler Celebrity Customs

Tough Competition

The first vehicle to roll on up to the stage was The Infatuation’s icy-blue and cooler-than-ice cream Jeep Wrangler, which was brilliantly emblazoned with a sharp-looking dye-cut of the company name on each side of the front hood, and its logo is etched on the side rear windows. To assist the busy entrepreneurs in handling business on the road, the Wrangler features an iPad streamlined into the passenger-side visor. It’s a simple but incredibly practical and creative addition that will likely get a lot of use, and when not, it ingeniously hides away from prying eyes when the vehicle is unattended.

The coolest–both literally and figuratively–feature of The Infatuation Wrangler is the ice cream machine that slides out with the touch of a button and includes a butcher block top for multitasking. Your average neighborhood ice cream truck never looked anywhere near this awesome. The overall package melds simplicity with a bit of envelope-pushing design for a balanced build that has this ride looking like a vibrant but unassuming Jeep that secretly hides a high-tech mini-Dairy Queen inside. The vehicle won over the judges, but it was only the first reveal.

Menounos was immediately wowed when her vibrant Jeep Wrangler was brought out and parked center stage. Perfectly proportioned from the wheel size to the strategically-placed additional front lights, the Wrangler certainly made an impact. The way the fender flares were slightly minimized and then equipped with unique, ultra-modern-looking turn signals is just one aspect of the design that shows just how much thought and effort was put into this complex build. The polished aluminum bumper is another nice touch, as is the doggie compartment that will allow Menounos to travel with her three dogs. And a portable makeup table that adheres to the steering wheel for quick touch ups is something that she really seemed to appreciate.

However, the piece de resistance is the intricate pinstriping that appears in various places on the exterior and interior of the Wrangler, including Menounos’ name written above the glove box. Tonapetyan reminded the judges that the custom job “has no decals. It’s all hand-painted.”

Rodriguez’s “mean” Wrangler hit the stage next, and it certainly made a presence that was difficult to ignore. Looking like something out of a Mad Max movie, and with its many high-tech LED and other lighting elements that look like they could light up Yankee Stadium, the wicked-looking Wrangler redefines the word “badass.” One of the most creative elements on a custom Jeep with many is the edgy windshield frame with its cool jagged design and attached LEDs, which competes with the attention-grabbing wheels as being among the most original and impressive mods we’d ever seen. However, winning over the judges with a beastly Wrangler with a sinister style would prove to be easier said than done.

DCD Customs & Maria Menounos Win Jeep Wrangler Celebrity Customs continued…

David Ciminelli

Los Angeles-based journalist David Ciminelli has covered everything from high-profile Lexus and Toyota reveals to reality TV show competitions focusing on custom automotive mods. He considers the "Droptops & Dirt" event in Malibu, “Luftgekühlt” and Sunset GT among his favorite automotive events to cover.

He has also interviewed artists like Megadeth and Jennifer Lopez, handled red carpet interviews at the MTV VMAs, and covered rock icons Rush getting a star on Hollywood Boulevard for media including The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Variety, Out Magazine, IN Los Angeles and more. His byline has also appeared in Billboard, Ad Week, Backstage and Art Voice.

Currently, David contributes to over a dozen automotive websites, including Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Club Lexus, Rennlist, Chevrolet Forum, Corvette Forum, Team Speed and Harley-Davidson Forums.