Gladiator

Make
Jeep
Segment
Sports Car

You never know what car is going to show up at Jay Leno's Garage. A few weeks ago, Leno got behind the wheel of the new Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. In the latest episode, Leno introduces us to a heavily modified Jeep Gladiator so extreme it looks like it was built to survive the apocalypse: meet the 2021 Apocalypse Hellfire 6X6. To find out more about this beast, Leno invited the man who built it to share his insight. Joseph Ghattas, the owner of Apocalypse Manufacturing, reveals that 78 Hellfire 6X6 have already been built and the off-roader featured in Jay Leno's Garage is number 79.

To transform it into the Hellfire 6x6, Apocalypse Manufacturing adds custom fenders, a bespoke hood, a third axle accommodating two extra giant wheels for true six-wheel drive, and a custom fabricated bed built in-house.

Under the hood, there are three engine options available including a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 from a Corvette rated at 500 horsepower or a 3.0-liter twin-turbo diesel. Unsurprisingly, the most popular engine option is also the loudest and most powerful - most buyers opt for a Hellcat engine producing 707 hp. The Hellfire 6x6 is the definition of excess, so it makes sense to stuff it with the most powerful engine available.

With its massive 40-inch tires, the Apocalypse Hellfire 6x6 is going to attract a lot of attention wherever you go. Just a few weeks ago, Ghattas was pulled over by police in Beverly Hills because they thought he needed a special license to drive it on the road.

While the Hellfire 6x6 is clearly a very capable off-roader that can go anywhere, Ghattas admits that most owners probably won't venture off the beaten track in this behemoth very often. While talking through the design, Ghattas confesses that the folding bed cover was directly inspired by the Tesla Cybertruck.

Towards the end of the video, Leno takes the Hellfire 6x6 for a spin, and its sheer size makes it instantly stand out when you see it drive past other cars on the road. Finding an SUV that looks too large for US roads is no small feat. If Leno's video has persuaded you to place an order, this mean machine starts at $150,000. Alternatively, Apocalyse Manufacturing also builds something called the Warlord, which is based on the Ram 1500 TRX.