The current Wrangler has been in production for nearly a decade, which means Jeep is now regularly rolling out new special edition trims to keep America’s most famous off-road SUV fresh. The company’s latest attempt to bring in buyers, a trim called the Rewind, is essentially just retro-inspired stickers inspired by ’80s and ’90s multi-color patterns.
Normally, I’d dismiss this sort of news because trims like this don’t actually add anything new to the driving experience. But the Rewind Wrangler and its sister car, the Gladiator Rewind, pull my heartstrings at just the right angles. Finished in a deep purple as standard and covered in funky light-blue and orange stripes, it’s probably my new favorite of the two trucks – except for one big issue: it’s not available with a stick.
Anyone who’s been following Jeep lore for the past year will know the Rewind is not an entirely new car. It originally appeared as a concept at last year’s Easter Jeep Safari as a two-door Wrangler with a similar paint job and hood stickers, plus a lovely multi-color pattern from your favorite ’90s city bus seats.
Jeep says the Rewind proved so popular that the company turned it into a production trim for the Wrangler and the Gladiator. If the press release is to be believed, it’s proof that voicing your opinion on what you like and what you don’t like might actually drive executive decisions. So that’s nice.
Okay, back to the Jeep. Whether you go for the standard Wrangler version or the pickup-bed-equipped Gladiator variant, you’ll be getting something akin to a Willys trim, albeit with a handful of aesthetic changes. There are LED headlights and taillights, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, a trailer hitch, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and remote start. Those who plan to actually off-road will be pleased with the rear locking differential, the steel rock rails, and the off-road tires.
Aside from the exterior graphics, which Jeep describes as “inspired by the bold hues and patterns of the mixtape and roller skate era,” Rewind-trimmed trucks get gold-accented wheels and tow hooks, as well as body color-painted fender flares. Wranglers get a specific spare tire cover. In addition to purple, you can also get the Rewind in Bright White, Granite Crystal (dark grey), Anvil (grey), Gloss Black, Hydro Blue, Joose (orange), and Earl (lighter grey).
While the inside of the production Rewind isn’t nearly as cool as the concept, there are still some neat touches. The most interesting have to be the seats, which are covered in Nappa leather that’s embossed with 8-bit arcade graphic patterns. There are also a handful of smaller changes, like color-matching interior trim pieces and contrast stitching.
A Jeep spokesperson told me via email that, like the Willys trim, the Rewind will be available with either the standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 or the optional 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four. If you choose the V6 on the Willys, you can option a manual transmission. Sadly, that’s not the case with the Rewind. The Jeep rep confirmed to me that no version of the Rewind will be available with the stick shift. Seeing as how the manual transmission carries its own kind of nostalgia, it feels weird to exclude it here, in a car dripping with nostalgia.
Either way, interested buyers won’t have to wait long. Jeep says both versions of the Rewind will be available to order starting next month. They’ll be priced at $1,900 more than a similarly equipped Willys trim. That means it’ll come in around $48,245, including destination, for the Wrangler, and $50,415 for the Gladiator.
Is this just a blatant nostalgia play to drum up a bit of sales late in the Wrangler’s and Gladiator’s product cycle? Almost certainly. It is, in essence, a $1,900 sticker package with some different leather and stitching. While I greatly enjoy the design, I feel like a manual would’ve been the cherry on top. Still, I think a fun ’90s-themed Jeep without a stick is more fun than no ’90s-themed Jeep at all. So I’m not mad.
Top graphic image: Jeep
Nothing against the colour scheme, but it’s kind of anachronistic when it wasn’t available on a new YJ (this is way more Geo Tracker, even if in a good way). If they did a reboot of the original Islander graphics (the sunset ones, not the Tiki Bob ones) and slapped it on something teal, it’d still get the general “I LOVE THE 80S!” vibe they want.
I would support this. On a positive note, a quick eBay search will yield pretty convincing Islander reproduction decal packages designed for the current Wrangler.
I have zero nostalgia for the ’80s (this sticker package and color combination seems more ’80s than ’90s based on what I remember – maybe early ’90s?) so this vehicle is not of interest to me.
Still, it is nice that someone still makes cars that aren’t white, black, or a grey. All vehicles should at least be available in fun colors like this.
Yeah, I’d say your average Wrangler is much more likely to be a fun color than your average car in general. Gotta give them credit for that.
There are tons of fun colored wranglers in my area but for every pink or purple one i see there are 4 black/grey ones with angry eyes, giant steel bumpers and a punisher sticker in the back window.
That was my experience when I lived in Florida. But hey, that ratio still outpaces most!
Auto, Manual, self driving, flying carpet etc… No matter what transmission or stickers you put on this truck, it still sucks.
With that colour and font it looks kinda like a Raptors edition
I’d prefer the Laredo style hockey stick stripes, but its still pretty cool.
why would you want a manual wrangler? They’re pretty much guaranteed to blow up
If you’re just going to drive it around town, sure, a manual is great.
But if you’re going offroading, an automatic is almost always better.
Happy to see any sort of striping etc available on trucks as they once were in the days of yore, but why in the world add the word “rewind”, or any word for that matter. seems lame, even geeky. How about a “Rerun” package based on the What’s Happening TV show character?
Manual snobs are so much worse than Tesla snobs, EV snobs or automotive snobs of any variety. I will die on this hill. You people are just awful.
Do you even shift bro?
Not interested. Learned once 20 years ago and don’t get the hype. Just seems like unnecessary work.
Eh, I like being able to put my car into neutral whenever, much better engine braking control, and much better specific gear control.
That being said e-CVTs and BEVs are much better.
Learning how to do something and learning how to do something WELL are two different things and once you can do it well it becomes clear. Manuals aren’t necessary or even desirable in SOME or even many vehicles but in others (Miata? 911? M3?) it’s literally more than half the total experience and choosing otherwise when available is to completely miss the point and others cars have become complete no-go’s without it as an available option (GTI?).
Manual transmission fanatics are terrible.
i cant hear you over ma grinding gears! for real tho, im by no means a manual gatekeeper. i’d never owned a manual until my JK unlimited. it just felt sacrilegious to get an auto. also with the 6sp you got better mileage. now theres 10spd autos so that points moot. it was still fun rowing your own while wheeling. for me it just gives more connection to the vehicle. unfortunately my jeep was totaled and now i daily a 2015 ATS and if im not bumping the shifts myself it just feels like something is missing. the worst thing for me driving a stick was all the people in automatics that just make split second decisions that meant i’d have to gear down for no reason.
Generally, manuals used to be less expensive than automatics, more efficient as well as far more reliable. For me a well sorted manual, gear shifter, and clutch were always fun to drive, while keeping me much more engaged while driving, as you must actively observe, think, and plan ahead if you are going to shift smoothly. Bought a Fiesta in 2014 with a manual, the price delete on the window sticker was about $1k, which was ironic as the full price transmission was the POS 6 speed dry dual clutch thing a ma bob. Now I drive an auto CVT in a Subaru because manuals are now only available as an extra cost option in uploaded versions of certain vehicles. Took me almost a year to no longer look for a clutch pedal with my left foot, or try to find first gear at a stoplight. I like driving it too, fingers crossed on the CVT.
I’m not going to say all cars need a manual or benefit from one at all. But small economy cars like your Fiesta are a great example of it completely changing the personality of a car for the better.
In a Jeep? I’d certainly get it if it was available. But I’m not buying a Wrangler regardless of engine or transmission options so my opinion doesn’t matter.
My first six cars were 4 cylinder, 5 speed manuals. 2 Hondas, 1 Saturn, 1 Dodge, 2 Fords. The 7th is the cvt Subaru. For the 7th I had hoped for a base Maverick Hybrid or Prius (rolling sculpture), but both brands restricted supply while their dealers gouged, so nope.
We aren’t awful. You’re just incompetent and INFERIOR compared to us!!!
LOL
As a manual evangelist (all 3 of my cars are manual) and a former AX15 equipped Jeep owner, I would get the auto in the wrangler. The current manual sucks, clutch is springy with no feel. The shifter is cable actuated and has as much life in it as your dead grandmother. The auto is just better in the current JL/JT generation. The JK stick at least had some feel and enjoyment while using it.
honestly, at this point i think i could make a better special edition jeep out of a jc whitney catalogue and it look more cohesive and complete.
Well yeah, if you tried to hook those stickers up to a manual transmission the ECU would just explode! Makes perfect sense if you know your tech.
Not surprising that they’re doing this since retro sticker kits have been available third-party for the Wrangler since at least the start of the JL, and a fair number of Broncos I see have a factory retro trim.
Baffling that on the truck thing they follow the wheel arch with the stripes, but on the Wranger they couldn’t give a bother and just pretend there is no wheel there at all…
I find the same thing completely distracting.
Everything about the Wrangler screams retro. This seems such a nobrainer.
I can take or leave the manual transmission – the market has spoken on that. But why such a lame interior? Fun upholstery colors or patterns were a hallmark of the era and would not cost much to implement. Hell, just use the same fabric from city bus seats.
I honestly don’t get the fascination with manuals. The offroad crowd loves automatics, those that live in cities with stop and go traffic love autos, I mean are you planning on heel toe shifting this thing, are you worried about gas mileage?
an auto is fine
Some of us just love to row gears. They’re also fantastic in the snow compared to an auto.
They need excuses other than they can’t afford it.
As a 4Runner and Fiesta ST owner, I agree with this take. I don’t really like manuals in rougher off road situations, truck manuals are a bit vague and clunky and unsatisfying in my experience, but a small car rocks with a good manual.
Jeep, we hardly knew ye.
In the motorcycle business, we called this “NEG”. It stood for New & Exciting Graphics
Huh… Without the second sentence I would have thought Never Ending Garbage. heheheh
The WHOLE vehicle sort of “ruined it for me”… because they look STUPID. They took a Jeep and slapped a short bed on the back.
Yeah, having no manual option is a pretty low blow.
What I’m wondering is if one of their remaining special variants will be a stripped down Wrangler.
Take a Wrangler Sport, doors off kit from the factory, no top, a fully waterproof interior, etc.
Let the customer buy the aftermarket doors, top, etc. they want, or let them leave it open air.
I’ve been of the opinion ALL convertibles should have fully waterproof interiors for a long time, and 4WD convertibles especially.
And NGL I want to see a new Dispatcher Jeep version of the Wrangler.
RWD base with better steering angle for a tighter turning radius (with optional 4WD)
RHD optional
Lunchbox locker optional
Maybe even a high roof hardtop option
Sadly most of the people who would want a striped down wrangler all bought side by sides
I’d argue they did so because if they wanted a waterproof wrangler they’d have to buy a Wrangler Sport, buy Dana 44s front and rear, waterproof the interior themselves, remove the doors they didn’t want, the top they didn’t want, and then they’re in UTV price territory.
True for some, but not for others. UTVs are cheap and capable, but they’re also slow (well, not counting racing models), noisy, and they feel even cheaper than they are. Also, in most places they aren’t road legal, and they aren’t highway legal anywhere.
Some are cheap other are as expensive as new jeeps.
*for the stripped down wrangler variant it should have Dana 44s front and rear and the Rubicon transfer case.
This is one of the reasons the manual is dying, automakers won’t let you pair it with any desirable options. You want a stick? You get the base engine, the cheapest seats, and the worst greyscale paint options. This is literally a paint & stickers package! How could that possibly clash with the transmission option?
Or worse-the manual is behind a paywall like in the Integra or 911.
Love it or hate it, it makes sense (well, for the Integra anyway, maybe not the 911).
While a manual is theoretically cheaper to make, you won’t sell them in particularly large numbers, so you don’t get the same economies of scale, and thus it actually costs more for them to make it. Not to mention the R&D time, which also would be spread out over a smaller number of vehicles.
Oh I get it. I hate it. But I get it….
100% Ford is/was notorious for this as well. For totally unrelated reasons, they will pull a manual from a trim package even though it has nothing to do with anything. Years back I was considering a Focus – I didn’t want a base model. I wanted one of the higher trim levels, but only the base came with a manual. Even though it was the same engine and the interior plastic trim pieces already existed from the lower trim, they wouldn’t give consumers what they wanted.
Left Ford, and haven’t really considered them since.
“There are LED headlights and taillights, keyless entry”
…are these things not standard? I get that Stellantis is cheap and that truck buyers love to just slurp up that slop but either of these things not being standard in 2026 is absurd to me. This shit was standard on Hyundais and Kias like 5 years ago at this point….
“…you can also get the Rewind in Bright White, Granite Crystal (dark grey), Anvil (grey), Gloss Black, Hydro Blue, Joose (orange), and Earl (lighter grey)”
Thank god, I was worried there wouldn’t be enough grays on offer. Imagine being such an unimaginative loser that you buy a 90s neon themed Jeep in fucking gray. This should literally only be offered in purple. If you aren’t going to fully embrace the a e s t h e t i c you should have to buy one of the approximately 20,000 other grayscale Wranglers that are languishing on lots as we speak. Swing and a miss….
Anyway, I do like the look of these. I’d never ever buy one because Wranglers suck at literally everything other than going off-road and having a roof that comes off, but if you’re going to do one this is the way. Also I’ve seen other blogs reporting that Jeep’s design brief for the next Wrangler is to make it significantly more aggressive, so if you want a playful one you should probably hop on it because I think the ANGRY MACHO JEEP aesthetic is going to be factory spec soon.
Not ONLY purple, yellow and Chief Blue should be full production colors.
Fine. I’ll allow obnoxious orange as well.
If you go back to AMC lineage it would be Big Bad Orange. My first car was an AMC Gremlin-X in that color with gold hockey stripes. Probably explains my equal parts love and hate for orange.
My default is to check if there is an orange version of anything I buy. Sometimes I find myself about to buy something for no reason, wonder why, then realize it’s orange. Unless it’s Black and Decker. Even the orangest of oranges won’t make me do that.
“Also I’ve seen other blogs reporting that Jeep’s design brief for the next Wrangler is to make it significantly more aggressive…” Really? I don’t know what they could do to make it more aggressive. Bigger tires? Maybe the revised seven slot grill will just be the stamped outline of seven dicks.
Right before the end of a trend you pull all barriers and throw it all at the wall. That triumphantly kills the trend and locks in the era. Current automotive obsession with aggressive styling is the flop… It’s the pinnacle of bigger bigger more power more loud more shout MAKE IT ANGRY… Flop. The companies see it as one last ride of the ice dragon, make it count! In their mind they’re Rick Owens… In reality they’re jnco. Locked in, end of era flop.
Indeed, why make a retro special edition but no retro transmission for the enthusiast buyers? But as a child of the 90s it’s both awesome and makes me feel super old, haha. Is there a word for “makes me feel old”? Probably in German….
Where is the purple dash? Full on trapper keeper exterior but then just black plastic on the inside. Bogus
Trapper Keeper! 🙂 Waiting for the stripped down dark yellow PeeChee Folder version. No AC, No doors, No automatic, No top, preferably in 2door pickup form…
No kidding. I was hoping for some Tracker style seat inserts to really make it all pop.
That’s because Jeeps are all about projection, because what’s on the inside is disappointing and terrible, but it looks cool from the outside. Stellantis knows Wrangler buyers are widely vain and obnoxious, so this will sell like hotcakes.