To preface, the two of us are, at the time of writing this, admittedly cynical college assholes, high off our own internship fueled butt-fumes. Anyways, we toured a company that builds hellcat swapped, reskinned, 6×6 Jeep Gladiators. And then got to drive something!

Welcome Mis-Shifted consumers to the end times: SoFlo Jeeps and the Apocalypse.

A joke is normally funny because it’s something that doesn’t happen, otherwise it’s absurd for the normal world. That’s how this all began: as a joke between two writers. The goal was to make an article about an Apocalypse Jeep 6×6 being entered into the Baja 1000. Somehow, that snowballed into us taking a dive into their inventory, emailing about a test drive, and being met with something better: a full factory tour of the Apocalypse 6×6 and SoFlo Jeep compound (and also a test drive!).

So, without anymore beating around the Broward County bush, let’s get into south Florida’s finest! (No, not Mosler. No, not Rossion either).

Arriving in the parking lot of a local strip club, half convinced that we were going to be abducted, the experience had only just begun. Because behind that fine establishment, lurks a monolithic warehouse, with half assembled 6×6 tucks littering the back driveway. The scale of this testament to great American excess is what’s truly amazing. Walking down the back by what feels like an endless assortment of chaos and trucks. Like a NASCAR shop mid season, chassis and in-progress builds are being moved left and right, engines revving, movement everywhere. Two schmucks in a shed this wasn’t.

Wandering the backlot, we meet our contact, and for probably the first time in this website’s history that isn’t part of a joke. The brother-in-law to the big man himself, SoFlo/Apocalypse’s man of marketing stands waiting for us.

Ignoring the chaotic nature of our surroundings, figures start being thrown at us. 100 trucks get moved a month, new warehouses, consolidating manufacturing under one roof, new models, new swaps, it’s a barrage of information for the uninitiated.

Thirty car bays process around 100 trucks a month, in a vast expanse of a warehouse that would make a well funded race team blush. Apocalypse/SoFlo sit somewhere odd. They are not making a ground up vehicle, but still making major structural, powertrain, and aesthetic changes. It’s like coach building, but instead of an Alfa Romeo 8c turning into the elegant Disco Volante, it’s a new body on a Jeep Gladiator with a third axle, a hellcat swap, and a night vision camera. You don’t have to get why, you just have to whiteness it.

And that last part sticks. This whole operation is enigmatic of south Florida culture. These Jeeps aren’t anything special on their own. Fine off-roaders, sure, but pretty average to down right terrible at most other tasks. But something that blends into daily monotony is plucked from traffic and turned into this:

Or this:

Or eve- ok look y’all get the point. Sure you can tell there was a Jeep or Bronco or uh… Rivian what the hel- but the visual impact is completely changed. Any one of these monsters looks as if they should be parked next to a chrome Lamborghini Aventador outside a Supreme store ready to announce new merch. It’s south Florida hustle culture distilled into one, large, show-off-y “super truck”. A straight piped chromed Aventador with a liberty walk kit and an Apocalypse 6×6 fully spec’ed out from body to color to wheel count to night vision tracking cameras (look we’ll get to it and stop teasing I promise) fill the same goal at opposite ends of the automotive spectrum: Bear whiteness of my Baller-hood.

You aren’t setting track records in that lambo, although theoretically you could try. And you most likely aren’t going to drive this rig through the Everglades, although theoretically you could.

Anyways, back to that tour.

Apocalypse was started during the pandemic, fitting enough, located in south Florida, following the creation of SoFlo Jeeps. SoFlo is a lot more easily digestible. They’re your more “standard” flavor of Jeep tuner. And by that, I mean then have their own branded wheels, body parts, and propriety Kevlar based paint… body coating … uh.. thing called “SoFlo Armor”, as well as the usual lift kits, interior makeovers, and tuning packages. Hell, for quite a lot of money, they’ll turn your Jeep into a 6×6 using their in-house axle design.

And with SoFlo, you’ll get to spec these 90% of the way to an Apocalypse 6×6. Hell, talk to the folks and they can probably do almost whatever you want, for a price. But, it’s not an Apocalypse. No no, these are the “pedestrian” trucks. The Apocalypse trucks go further, with even more unique bodies, engine swaps with more power than god, unique names, badging, limited numbers, more unique interiors, roll cages, and the open floodgates to let the owners do whatever the fuck they want.

Any schmuck with enough cash can buy SoFlo bumpers and a shoddy lift kit. But in the world of the outrageous, in the money proceeds all microcosm that is South Florida, you ain’t a baller unless you’ve gone big.

House real big, car real big, dick real big.

You shouldn’t expect one of these to out handle a G wagon 6×6. If you want to bomb across Death Valley at 80 mph listening to classical music, then the Mercedes might be the truck for you. However, even the most outrageous from the AMG department seems plain next to one of these.

The lunacy doesn’t just stop at 6×6 conversions and engine swaps. You can genuinely have almost whatever you want. Custom badging and car names? Sure. You want the ability to tow a train car for fun? With the right winch that could be done. You desire a night vision camera that looks like it was yoinked off a predator drone and placed on your truck’s roof, feeding footage to a screen in side? Well:

It doesn’t have to make sense. None of it does really. But does it need to? Can’t “because that’s be badass” or “why the hell not” just suffice? When you were 10 and loved monster trucks and fighter jets, did you need justification? Fuck no, nor do you still.

So, where from here? Well, maybe electric? Apocalypse has already done a Hummer EV and a Rivian R1T. Aside from the usual cosmetic enhancements, new subframes are fabricating to relocate the suspension mounting points and lift the trucks ride heights. And as of late 2024, the Cybertruck is also joining their ranks. However, their most interesting experiment was this:

Told ya we’d be back to it. A custom “skate board” chassis was fabricated to hold a model 3’s battery pack and model S drivetrain. The resulting creation out-accelerates the hellcat swapped trucks while still getting an estimated range of, say, 300-odd miles. At the time of the visit, this was the company founder’s favorite project. Between his excited discussion on amphibious trucks and manufacturing processes, we were told that the EV Jeep was his daily. And probably one of the best ideas they’ve had… if only anyone would buy it.

The Apocalypse HQ was (and still is) an enigma. Something of folklore, mentioned in passing by finance bros after dumping the “next big crypto coin”. Somehow, from a hand extended by the gods, we got to bear witness to the Lord’s domain. In the land of excess, everything here is sacred. May our unholy eyes gaze upon endless rows of gaudy front bumpers and crome-wrapped 6×6 trucks and may our jaws drop at the mind-boggling scale of it all. We visited someone’s Mecca. It may not have been our own, but there is a very specific kind of individual who dreams all day of owning an Apocalypse Jeep.

Anyways, what’s it like to drive one!?

Oh yes. As the icing on fever dream cake, we got to drive one.

This particular example was heading for South America. Like we said, global reach. And while it lacks the V8 power and extra wheels of a proper Apocalypse, the 6×6 was off site that day, so 2/3 the crazy will have to suffice. Like all the others, it’s a big thing. You need to hop up onto the steps to then hop into the car.

With its height and those tires, it really doesn’t care what you run over. Other customers option more road friendly rubber, so tire noise was a bit loud, but look at this thing. I’m not expecting an S-class, I’m expecting a testosterone boost.

Sitting inside, you sit at semi-truck heights looking down at the now pathetic world around you. However, while your size gives you a sense of invincibility… well… you also do feel like you’re driving a laaaarge thing.

Our Man of Media mentioned that the best was to drive was one handed. And after a single turn with the ol’ 10 and 2 position caused the power steering to send the jeep swaying like a fish in a hurricane. And soon after, I had to get in the brakes and oooh shit it’s not stopping. Then, with more applied pressure, you suddenly feel it slow down. Not since I jumped off a staircase and felt my last remaining testicle try and leave my body upon landing, have I been so painfully reminded about Sir Isaac Newton and inertia.

This is a hefty son-of-a-bitch, and it drives like it. Don’t assume precision, don’t assume it wants to drive like a regular SUV, let alone a car. So, with one had now at the top of the wheel, the whip could be commandeered. And suddenly, it turned without a fuss, like it was just waiting for me embrace its uncaring attitude to the world around it. Brake early and lazily. Steer with single handed suggestion. Ease into whatever power is left in this lightly tuned Chrysler v6. Not only is there no rush, but there are no problems either, we could just drive over them.

The noisy all terrain tires aside (we’re told most customers option for a far road focused rubber) aside, it’s fairly well mannered. The off-road focused suspension and thick rubber help to try and isolate you from “road imperfections”. Pair that to a Chrysler v6, and it doesn’t feel out of control once you’re used to the weight and steering schlop. Rear visibility is funky. The rear mirror’s view is taken up mostly by the spare tire. And then looking through the side mirrors always shows the tires and fender flares poking out, as to remind you what you’re in.

What, did you think we’d take this rig off road? That is solely the domain of a Mercedes W126 420SEL on winter tires. This behemoth was briefly tested in the environment these trucks and jeeps would be spending most of their time: roaming the streets of Broward, Dade, and Palm beach county (disregard that this one in particular is going to rural Venezuela). Even in our wide streets, its new size now makes the jeep feel like an American car driving in Europe. I think we’re now the width of a bus, and definitely sit higher up. And speaking of sitting, the interior has also been reworked. Blue and black leather adorns the seats and most surfaces, new touch screen sits in the center console, an array of switches controls lighting functions of the car, and “SoFlo specific parts” have been added to finish the job.

Does it feel like a million bucks in here ? No, but it doesn’t need to. It is an improvement over a standard Fiat-Chrysler product, and while not my taste, for their clientele I’d say you’ve hit the nail on its head. It’s a cushy leather throne that sits atop your chariot of the gods. If only they could be air-conditioned, but then again, with enough money, anything is possible. The rest of the reupholstering job focuses on surfaces within eye shot or that you’ll be touching frequently. And again, while such a liberal sure of diamond stitching isn’t really my thing, the job was executed well. It doesn’t feel standard Jeep in here, and that feeling would only grow had this one been further spec’s out.

After a quick drive, we all piled out, said our goodbyes, and went home trying to rationalize what just happened. Probably none more than my girlfriend, who tagged along wearing heels and a floral dress as the two of us were told by co-writer Pierce to “show up formal”, then proceeded to pull up to the parking lot of Diamond Dolls like we just got out of church. I don’t think the German mind has evolved to understand a concept like SoFlo Jeeps or Apocalypse Manufacturing.

But, truth be told, neither are ours.

Thank you for giving us a tour, letting us drive, and getting a glimpse into the world of the insane!