The idea of a super ute has always been a crazy one. Of all the vehicle types on which to base a high-performance machine, one that was originally intended to go off road and later evolved into the towering family wagons we use today would not be our first choice. And yet, time and again we see that auto enthusiasts – even ones calling the shots at major automakers – will make anything go quicker and faster if given the chance. That’s how the first Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 was born back in 2006, and Chrysler has again seen fit to apply this extreme treatment to its best-selling SUV – despite the fact that its mere existence seemingly violates every facet of Jeep’s rugged off-road image.

But the small segment of super utes to which the Grand Cherokee SRT8 belongs has gotten extremely competitive in the past few years while Chrysler clawed its way out of bankruptcy. Sport utility vehicles fromBMW, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have spawned unholy super utes with enough horsepower to embarrass supercars from just a few years ago.

The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 doesn’t play by German rules, though. Despite its well-timed redesign that gives SRT guys and gals an opportunity to leapfrog their rivals, they instead practiced restraint, ignored winning the war on paper and upgraded their entry in the areas requested most by their customers.

Fiat is working to sell more and more Chrysler models abroad, and the effort may already be pushing some of the automaker’s manufacturing facilities to capacity. That appears to be true in the case of the Jeep Wrangler. According to The Toledo Blade, global demand for the off-road heathen is growing at a substantial pace, especially in Europe. As a result, total demand for the venerable SUV may easily overtake the capacity of its manufacturing complex in Toledo, Ohio. So far this year, Wrangler sales are up 13 percent in the U.S. alone, and with Jeep refranchising completed in Europe, Wrangler sales could increase even further abroad.

The globalization of Jeep products may lead to new models arriving here in the States, too. According to Michael Manley, president of the Jeep brand, Europe’s unique emissions standards may make a viable case for once again introducing a diesel-powered Jeep on American soil. We like the sound of that.

So what will Chrysler do to keep up the Wrangler pace? Manley was tight-lipped about the future of Wrangler production here in the U.S. and abroad, though if sales continue to outstrip the automaker’s ability to produce, something will have to be done in short order.

According to The Toledo Blade, citing ordering guides sourced from Chrysler dealerships, the Jeep Wranglerwill finally get the automaker’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 for the 2012 model year. Since 2007, the Wrangler has been fitted with a 3.8-liter V6 engine (which replaced the venerable 4.0-liter inline six) that has met with less than stellar reviews. The new engine may have been a foregone conclusion, but it’s a welcome one nonetheless.

Equally as important is news that the Jurassic-age four-speed automatic will be replaced with a five-speed unit. That’s nice and all… but why go with a five-speeder when six (or more) is the current standard?

In any case, the report claims that the 2012 Wrangler’s powertrain will be identical to the units in the 2011 Grand Cherokee. That means we should expect 290 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Those are much-needed improvements of the old 3.8, which offered up 202 horses and 237 lb-ft. Fuel mileage will reportedly improve to 16 city, 23 highway from 15/19.

In other Jeep news, Allpar.com reports that the 2012 Grand Cherokee will get a six-speed automatic to replace the five-speed unit in the 2011 model. (Guess we know where those older gearboxes are headed, eh?) In a further bid to improve fuel economy, the Pentastar-equipped Grand Cherokee will also be getting electrically driven power steering in place of the current hydraulic unit.

China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) has suspended the importation of the Jeep Wrangler due to a series of car fires. Car News China reports that the Agency’s investigation showed the fires resulted from issues with the automatic transmission and systems tied to the transmission.

The AQSIQ reportedly asked Chrysler to find the cause of the issue and solve it, adding, “Manufacturer and importers should take precautionary measures for the vehicles involved to ensure consumers’ safety.” The imported Wranglers likely come from our shores, but a quick check of NHTSA’s recall database shows there are no active recalls for Wrangler fires in the U.S. See any irony here?

In an unrelated (though somehow still related…) issue, Chrysler has also recalled 464 Wranglers in China for improperly torqued bolts that lead to loud noises and even potential steering problems. The vehicles in question were built between July 7, 2010 and September 10, 2010. The Chrysler China Sales Company will check affected vehicles for free and fix bolts where necessary. That very same recall is happening here in the U.S. as well.

American Expedition Vehicles, a Jeep aftermarket conversion firm from Montana, recently stuffed a Chrysler392 Hemi between the fenders of a Wrangler for Jeep CEO Michael Manley. This is the same 392 Hemi that powers the 470-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT8 392.

According to sources close to Chrysler, the 392-powered Jeep wasn’t just built on a lark. Manley’s Wrangler is apparently a mule for “executive evaluation.” That’s Chrysler speak for “they might build it.” Manley’s vehicle channels its 470 hp through a six-speed manual and will reportedly slide its back end in third gear with liberal application of the throttle. All we can say is this: Build it. Right now.