For every Jeep vehicle on the road or trail, there are countless stories and memories related to that rig. A Jeep’s memories can span multiples families and generations. For Mark Allen, Head of Jeep Design, the Shortcut Concept pays homage to what is one of the most iconic and memorable Jeeps to him, the CJ-5.

“This is the 50th running of the Easter Jeep Safari, and when I think of the event and the most classic vehicle, my favorite Jeep of all time is the CJ-5. I have a real affection for it, and I have a personal story about a particular red CJ-5, and beyond that the idea for the Shortcut was, ‘How close can I get a current-production JK to a CJ?’”

The Shortcut Concept started out as one of those ideas that only Jeep engineers seemingly get to explore–can we make this modern Jeep look like this classic? Allen detailed how this vehicle started out as a two-door JK and ended up as the Shortcut.

“What we did was take the body itself and we reduced the length of it by 26 inches, and that’s through bumper, sheet metal, everything,” he said. “The nose, the length of the hood, is about 4 inches shorter than a stock vehicle, and the grille has been re-crafted in a more vertical format. You’ll see the headlights even invade into that outer slot like a CJ should. How did we crunch all of that? Simply lots of efficiencies under the hood. These don’t have engine-driven fans anymore, so you can get the radiator closer to the engine block.”

Given its snub-nose look, it appears as if this retro JK has a slightly shorter wheelbase, but apparently looks can be deceiving.

“The wheelbase is still a stock JK two-door,” Allen said. “It looks shorter but it’s really not.”

The shorter length doesn’t hinder the JKs handling by any means, and although it’s meant to harken back to a simpler classic Jeep, the Shortcut doesn’t handle like any CJ we’ve driven. The weight loss, although not dramatic, is actually noticeable on the trail, as the Shortcut has just a slightly lighter feel when navigating slickrock ledges and small obstacles.

Carrying out the minimalist theme open-air feel, the Shortcut features no doors, no roof, no rear seat, no headrests, and it even has basic steel wheels. On the other hand, the Shortcut features a host of modern upgrades that make it handle the moderate trails we drove with ease, such as a Jeep Performance Parts 2-inch lift, JPP front and rear Dana 44 axles, a modified cold air intake, cat-back exhaust, and a set of aggressive 35-inch BFGoodrich KM2 muds.

Modern upgrades aside, there’s plenty of old-school found on the Shortcut as well. CJ-5 front and rear bumpers are installed, and even though the Shortcut is powered by the modern Pentastar 3.6L V6, Heritage V6 badges adorn each side of the red Wrangler.

In spite of the modern upgrades and amenities, the interior and red theme is meant to be minimalist, with low-back red leather seats with plaid inserts accenting the vintage look of the vehicle. A red spray-in bedliner is found on the floor.

“The whole vibe of the vehicle is very retro, throwback CJ, and that has attracted so many people to it, saying, ‘I like that it’s just basic,’” Allen said. “They feel that maybe Wrangler has gotten a bit complicated, and in some ways it has, but that’s customer driven, and really they say they want basic but they really want all of the amenities.”

The bold red paintjob makes the Shortcut Concept stand out as well in town and on the trail.

“The inside is just red, red, red, red,” Allen said. “Why red? When I was a kid my dad had a red CJ that I was just convinced he was going to give to me when I turned 16. He didn’t, but it was a V6 car, probably a ’71 I think, and it was just … that was the hook. I shouldn’t make these personal like this, but this one is.”

Actually, the fact that this vehicle is a little more personal is exactly why it works, and it’s exactly why Jeep is so well in tune with its customer base. Like the rest of us who enjoy the outdoors and off-roading, Allen couldn’t help but bring some of his own experience with Jeep into this rig, and that’s why it resonates so well… and it’s probably part of the reason the Jeep brand, in spite of all of its modern advancements, still has its soul.

It also shows that the man atop the Jeep design department is just like the rest of us.