Want a 2,500 lb-ft Jeep Wrangler? Try a train engine swap [Video]
Forget Hellcat swaps. Forget 1000-horsepower dyno queens. A Jeep builder in Pennsylvania took one look at all that and said, “Nah—let’s do steam.” The result? A six-ton, smoke-belching, gear-clanking throwback called the Loco Hauk. It’s a 6×6 Jeep Wrangler powered by a 100ci steam engine and fueled by kerosene. Basically, it’s as if Thomas the Tank Engine hit leg day.
A fire-breathing steam Jeep with 2,500 lb-ft of torque
Built by Hauk Designs and featured on Road Hauks, the Loco Hauk isn’t just a wild concept—it runs. Barely. “This faux locomotive weighs in at six tons—a mere 12,000 pounds of smoke-and-steam-belching Jeep Wrangler,” MotorTrend reported.
Under the hood? A “100ci V-4 single-acting, trunk-piston, poppet-valve uniflow steam engine.” It delivers only 130–140 horsepower. But the torque? A mind-bending “2,500 foot-pounds.” That’s more than a Ram TRX and a freight train. Combined.
Kenny Hauk, the madman behind it, didn’t build this to win races. He built it to blow minds. “It’s the most insane thing we could come up with,” he said. And it shows—from the 55-gallon boiler to the kerosene burner that gets the whole thing hissing and chuffing.
This steam Jeep burns water faster than a sauna on steroids
Don’t expect long road trips. “While at 500 psi and speeds of 30 to 35 mph, 55 gallons of water will only transport you 1 to 1.5 miles,” said MotorTrend. Yeah, you’ll want to plan gas—or steam—stops early and often.
The powertrain retains a factory NSG370 6-speed manual and NP241 transfer case. But the engine setup allows only “one high forward, one low forward, and one reverse gear.”
The design isn’t just about muscle—it’s about style. This steam Jeep rolls on 41.5-inch Pit Bull Rockers and looks like it got rear-ended by a train. “At first glance, some might think this 2008 Wrangler Unlimited may have been rear ended by a steam engine,” joked MotorTrend.
The Loco Hauk doesn’t make sense—and that’s the point. It’s absurd, inefficient, and totally impractical. But it’s also a masterpiece of mechanical imagination. While the rest of the world debates over EV chargers and ADAS, Hauk Designs reminds us what raw, useless fun looks like. And sometimes, that’s enough. See the Loco Hauk yourself in the video embedded below:
