Lighting Up EJS: Welcome to The Echo Show!

We recently returned from Easter Jeep Safari 2022 in Moab, Utah, where attendees used their Jeeps and similarly capable rigs of all kinds to tackle the legendary local trails, testing both their mettle, and, frankly, metal, in order to determine if their beloved vehicles were up for the challenge. This year’s event was made extra special thanks to the presence of a particularly intriguing Jeep: friend of MagnaFlow Tony Carvallo’s thoroughly customized Wrangler 4xe, dubbed “Echo.”

Let There Be Light!

You may remember Echo from the first time we featured it at SEMA last year, which you can read about here. The fairly new Wrangler 4xe model is interesting enough on its own thanks to its plug-in hybrid powertrain, but as the builder and designer, Tony really wanted to “highlight and glorify the theme of electrification” to make the Jeep stand out from the crowd, and in our opinion: mission accomplished. This celebration of electrification is epitomized by the rig’s showstopping paint job, which utilizes an electroluminescent kit from Lumilor to highlight itself in a vibrant striped pattern at the flip of a switch. In addition to the vibrant stripes, the Bestop logo also appears on the sides of the vehicle when it lights up.

The logo is utterly appropriate, given Tony’s position as Category Manager at Bestop, whose products are also heavily featured throughout the build. These upgrades include the company’s Sunrider for Hardtop, roof rack, front and rear bumpers, fender flares, Baja Design lights, PRP seats and s-pod switch system (which is also used to control the awesome paintjob). In addition to these Bestop-sourced enhancements, the rig is also one of the first 4xe Wranglers to feature 1-ton axles and big 42” tires.

Of course, given our close relationship with Tony over the years, Echo is also rocking a MagnaFlow Street Series performance exhaust system. He loves the way it cleanly integrates into the rear bumper and says it sounds “fantastic” when the 2.0L engine kicks in. His plan is to eventually upgrade it to our Overland Series exhaust system for even better ground clearance.

Like it did at its SEMA debut, the blue Wrangler seemed to fascinate everyone who laid eyes on it in Moab. Tony has been attending EJS since the mid-2000s, yet he’s never garnered more attention than he did this year at the helm of Echo. Put simply: people loved it and couldn’t stop asking questions about, particularly when it came to the Jeep’s all-electric mode. Tony had similar questions, which is why he decided to see what the semi-electric 4xe was made of while out on the trails.

Above & Beyond Expectations

In fact, he initially suspected the experience would be rather underwhelming. Tony was excited to be proven wrong, as the revolutionary Wrangler offered previously unseen advantages when it came to tackling particularly difficult obstacles. This was largely thanks to the superior situational awareness that the rig offered in “e-mode” as a result of its silent operation compared to a conventional Jeep.

Echo’s quiet powertrain allowed Tony to “stay tuned to the tire action” more than any other vehicle he’s taken to EJS in the past. He was even able to use the all-electric mode for half of Poison Spider Trail thanks to Echo’s ability to recharge its hybrid system through engine braking. From Tony’s perspective, there doesn’t really seem to be any downsides when it comes to utilizing a hybrid as an off-road vehicle.

After its flawless performance at EJS, Tony’s next test for the Wrangler is a road trip to Jeep Beach 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida, where Echo’s fantastic light show and electric street cred will be sure to make a splash. If you’d like to follow Tony’s adventures on the beach, be sure to follow him on Instagram (Ig: @t_carvallo). Interested in upgrading your Jeep with some of the Bestop products found on Echo? Look no further than Bestop.com. Of course, for all your exhaust needs there’s no need to search further than MagnaFlow.com. Stay tuned to this blog and our Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter feeds for more awesome stories like these.

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