German Designer Transforms Jeep Wrangler into ‘Lifestyle SUV’

This overhauled last-generation, diesel-powered Jeep Wrangler looks nice. Too bad it’s not off-road capable.

Old habits die hard. Many companies modified the JK Jeep Wrangler during its 11-model run, offering a variety of grilles, wraps, auxiliary lights, wheels, storage solutions, and four-wheel-drive hardware upgrades. Even though the JK is on its way out, companies are still customizing it from the ground up.

It’s not just U.S. businesses that are doing it, though. Take a look at this custom JK from Hofele Design (based in Donzdorf, Germany) who decked out the two-door on the outside, inside, and under the hood. Up front, they fitted a shorter version of the Jeep seven-slot grille, a blocky bumper design with fog lights, bi-LED headlights with halo rings, and LED daytime running light strips between the fenders and bumper. Higher up, they installed a “roof shield” with LED lighting designed to look like the one on the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6X6.

Underneath Hofele Design’s proprietary fenders is a set of massive 20-inch alloy wheels. The matching spare in the rear sits above a pair of polished double-oval exhaust pipes. Those let out of the sound of the 2.8-liter diesel engine, which they tweaked to generate 222 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque. An optional remote-controlled gadget allows buyers to make the diesel sound like a V6 or a V8.

According to the translated text from the site, “The biggest change from the off-roader to the luxury SUV takes place in the interior, which smells of leather and is upgraded with a very high-quality luxury leather interior. The genuine leather is sewn, perforated and quilted in the style of the British luxury brand with the “B” in “Double Diamond Stitching” – available in the traditional British colors Rye-Beige, Nappa Nougat Brown and five other colors.”

It doesn’t seem as if Hofele Design has altered or enhanced the Wrangler’s off-road capabilities, but then again, it doesn’t look as if it’s marketing this conversion to appeal to off-roaders. Just read this (translated) description on the site:

“This luxury SUV now opens up new shoppers, such as amateur athletes, golfers, sailors and yachting friends, riders and polo players – or just take it for cruising and shopping on the magnificent boulevards of our cities.”

It’s already bad enough that there a large number of people who own Jeeps and never even put the wheels on dirt. As you can imagine, this doesn’t help the case but hey, we get it. Different strokes for different folks. So while a “luxury lifestyle” JK furrows our brows a bit, this is admittedly one rather slick looking Jeep, if we must say.

Photos: Hofele Design

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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