Florida Tuner Turns the Jeep Gladiator Into a 6x6 Beast, Is It the Craziest You've Seen?

10 months, 2 weeks ago - 15 June 2023, autocar
Florida Tuner Turns the Jeep Gladiator Into a 6x6 Beast, Is It the Craziest You've Seen?
Can you believe it's been four years since the production of the Jeep Gladiator started? The mid-size pickup has been around since the first half of 2019, and since then, it has proved its mettle countless times in numerous tests.

Be it at the drag strip boasting a potent engine under the hood, off the beaten path with the right mods, or simply as a daily driver, name it, and it's been done. Since it's a very popular model, tuners have also had their way with it. The most common upgrades are the wheels, different body kits, reupholstered interiors, and the occasional power boost.

Some of the craziest builds that we have seen boast an extra axle. The 6x6 conversion is more common than you think, as several companies have specialized in making such projects. One company that we haven't covered that much is called Esteem Custom. It's based in Florida, and if you take a look at its portfolio, it comprises many six-wheel drive machines from Jeep, Ford, Ram, and Toyota.

The pictured Gladiator, however, sits in a different league. It's an apocalypse-ready machine with a menacing face. The vehicle sports additional lighting in the new grille, above the front windscreen, and further back. It has different bumpers, side steps for easier ingress and egress, and a lift kit. Sporting a dual-tone look, the alloys were signed by Forgiato. The 14x24-inch set was wrapped in 44-inch ultra-fat tires that improve traction off the beaten path.

At the rear, the bed was elongated to make room for the extra axle. It has a custom rack for various gear hauling, and that piece at the top looks like a roof tent. This build is so monstrous that it looks ready for the end of days. You might be curious about the firepower, and the truth is that so are we. Esteem Custom hasn't said anything about it, which indirectly tells us they haven't messed around with the engine. We could be wrong, though, so if you know what powers it, drop a line and let us know.

The same goes for additional upgrades that are not visible in the images released on social media a few days ago. The Florida-based tuner usually lists such builds for grabs, but we couldn't find it in their online inventory at the time of writing. Thus, it was either built for a deep-pocketed enthusiast or was already sold. Mind you, six-wheel drive vehicles cost a lot of money, and we reckon this beastly Gladiator would be valued at roughly $200,000. Unless it sports a punchy motor under the redesigned hood, then it would be even pricier. So, is it the craziest Jeep truck you've ever seen?