Artists, singer-songwriters, and novelists have all gained inspiration from California’s treasures. Whether it be the busy streets of Hollywood, the blue waves crashing down in Santa Monica, or the massive redwoods of Sequoia, it’s always something, so it’s about time that automotive engineers follow suit.

Here at the Jeep® brand we’ve pulled our inspiration for the 2011 Jeep Wrangler Blue Crush from the deserts of California, home to the King of Hammers desert race. This Wrangler combines high-speed off-road racing and rock-crawling capability into one killer package. It’s powered by a Mopar 426 cubic-inch HEMI with 540 horsepower. The beefed up V-8 comes paired with a 545RFE performance transmission and a gear-drive transfer case.

Mopar threw in a high-speed performance off-road suspension system with internal bypass shocks, a front stabilizer bar and full hydro-steering. The Blue Crush sits up on 39-inch tires, which are tuned to work with the help of custom driveshafts. For extra protection, the Crush features a baja-style full cage and race seats. We think our engineers did a pretty amazing job of putting the Blue Crush together, so she’s joining us in Moab this week to test out all of her capabilities. Some of her best friends will be there as well: the Cherokee Overland and Jeep Compass Canyon, and we’re excited to see how they all handle the heat. Keep checking back throughout the week for exciting news from Moab.