Famous Jeeps: Ethan Hunt's Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe in Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning

From corny cult classics to modern blockbusters, trucks and SUVs have always played significant roles in some of cinema's most memorable moments. In RealTruck's Famous Vehicles series, we spotlight the four-wheeled stars that helped define their films—and show you how to build your own screen-accurate tribute.​

This month, we're covering one of the coolest automotive ad placements in recent history—Ethan Hunt's Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe from the 2025 blockbuster Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning. It's a purpose-built off-road rig driven hard through one of the film's most intense chase sequences—and it ended up going to auction afterward with the battle scars (and documentation) to prove it.​

Whether you're a Mission: Impossible fan, a Wrangler owner, or just someone who appreciates a well-spec'd JL, read on. And if you want more Famous Vehicles content, check out our features on Lara Croft's Jeep Wrangler Rubicon from Tomb Raider, the rides of Breaking Bad, and the Fratellis' Jeep XJ from The Goonies.

Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning is the eighth and final installment in the long-running spy franchise. It's the direct sequel to 2023's Dead Reckoning Part One and marks Tom Cruise's final portrayal of IMF agent Ethan Hunt after nearly three decades in the role. The film had its world premiere in Tokyo on May 5, 2025, screened at Cannes on May 14, and opened in U.S. theaters on May 23, 2025.​

The plot picks up where Dead Reckoning left off—Hunt and his team are racing to stop the Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence capable of hijacking global nuclear weapons systems and triggering an apocalypse. The film sends Hunt from the depths of the Pacific Ocean aboard a sunken Russian submarine to an underground digital bunker in South Africa, with the fate of civilization hanging in the balance. Alongside Cruise, the star-studded cast includes performances by Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, Hannah Waddingham, and Nick Offerman.​

The Final Reckoning earned $598.8 million worldwide and recorded the largest opening weekend in the franchise's history at $79 million. Critics generally praised the franchise’s epic conclusion, Cruise's commitment to practical stunt work, and several standout sequences. It scored 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with general critical approval.

The standout vehicle used in The Final Reckoning is a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe—the four-door JL variant sporting the brand's plug-in hybrid powertrain. In the film, Ethan Hunt uses the Wrangler to pursue villain Gabriel through a massive underground bunker, with the sequence building to a climactic crash where Hunt's Jeep hits a massive rock head-on and flips end-over-end. Gabriel, not to be outdone, drives a Jeep Gladiator through the same sequence—giving both sides of the chase full Jeep representation.​

The stunt vehicle used during filming—nicknamed "Ethan 1"—was a 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon built specifically for the production. The Jeep features black alloy wheels with BF Goodrich off-road tires, heavy-duty step bars, and reinforced aftermarket bumpers. After filming wrapped, the actual Ethan 1 stunt Jeep was sent to auction at Race Retro in Stoneleigh Park in February 2026, with an estimated sale price of £50,000—complete with its UK registration and paperwork confirming it was driven by Cruise himself.

This was the first time that Jeep partnered with the Mission: Impossible franchise—and it was a full-scale campaign, not just a simple ad placement. Alongside the film usage, Jeep and Paramount launched a 30-second commercial titled "Top-Down Inspection," in which a couple browses a 2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X in Fathom Blue at a dealership. As the salesperson walks them through the features, both customers are suddenly suspended on wires above the vehicle—a reference to Cruise's iconic wire-drop infiltration scene from the original 1996 Mission: Impossible.

One of the best things about the Famous Vehicles series is what it unlocks for the enthusiast community. You don't need a Hollywood budget or a stunt coordinator to build a Wrangler that channels the Ethan 1 aesthetic—you just need the right parts from RealTruck and a JL Rubicon to start with. Here's how to get close with a screen-accurate tribute build.

The film Jeep is a 2023 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe—the four-door JL body with Jeep's plug-in hybrid powertrain. The Wrangler 4xe was offered from 2021 through 2025, then phased out for the 2026 model year as Stellantis shifted away from hybrid powertrains in the North American market. That makes 2021–2025 4xe examples the only way to get the factory hybrid drivetrain in a Wrangler. Standard JL Rubicon models from the same era are a strong alternative if the hybrid powertrain isn't a priority—the Rubicon trim's factory locking differentials, disconnecting sway bar, and rock rails are the real foundation of this build, and replacing the standard Rubicon decals with the blue versions from the 4xe isn’t a difficult task.

The Ethan 1 Jeep keeps its body largely stock but adds functional bolt-ons that enhance both capability and the tactical aesthetic. The most visually striking feature is the removal of the standard doors in favor of tube doors, which provide the Wrangler with the open-air look Jeep is known for. Rugged Ridge tube doors are a direct-fit option for JL Wranglers that replicate this look, offering easy installation using factory mounting hardware.​

Up front, a reinforced bumper replaces the factory unit for added approach angle and impact protection. The Fab Fours Lifestyle 3/4 Winch front bumper is a close match—offering the reinforced, purpose-built aesthetic of the film Jeep while providing practical protection for trail use. At the rear, the Rugged Ridge HD rear bumper completes the bumper package with a heavy-duty steel construction and a clean, aggressive profile. For overhead storage and aesthetics consistent with the screen-used Jeep, the Fab Fours Adjustable Sport Rack system adds versatile cargo-carrying capability without permanently altering the Jeep's roofline. Round it out with 3-in. Ionic black nerf bars for side-step protection that mirror the heavy-duty steps on the screen-used vehicle.

The Ethan 1 Jeep appears to run on largely stock suspension height—the production team was more focused on durability and stunt control than lift height. That said, the BF Goodrich all-terrain tires are a key visual element. BF Goodrich KO3 all-terrain tires in the factory Rubicon sizing (255/75R17) are a direct match for the film build's aesthetic and significantly boost off-road traction compared to the factory tires on base Wrangler trims.​

If you want to improve off-road performance beyond the screen-accurate setup, a set of upgraded shock absorbers is the most impactful modification on the stock-height suspension. Superlift, Fox, Bilstein, and Rancho all offer JL-specific shock upgrades that improve damping on rough terrain without requiring a full lift kit—keeping the Jeep trail-ready and road-manageable in equal measure.

The stunt build's most practical (and filmable) modification was the tube door setup, which opened up sightlines for the camera and gave the Wrangler its stripped-down, mission-ready look. For day-to-day use, a set of half doors from RealTruck's Jeep door collection splits the difference between the open-air tube door aesthetic and the weather protection of a full door. A winch mounted to the front bumper is a natural addition for any Rubicon build that sees trail use—and it completes the capable look of the Ethan 1.

Q: What Model Jeep Is In Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning?

A: Ethan Hunt drives a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe—the four-door JL body with Jeep's plug-in hybrid drivetrain. The specific stunt vehicle, nicknamed "Ethan 1," was a 2023 model year Rubicon built and modified for production use.​

Q: What Happens To The Jeep In The Movie?

A: The Wrangler's appearance in the film ends with a dramatic crash—Hunt drives it head-on into a massive rock inside the underground bunker, sending the Jeep flipping end-over-end. It's a fitting send-off for a vehicle that was always going to take a beating in a Mission: Impossible film.​

Q: Where Is The Mission: Impossible Jeep Now?

A: The actual Ethan 1 stunt Jeep went to auction at Race Retro in Stoneleigh Park, England, in February 2026, with an estimated sale price of £50,000. The vehicle retains its stunt modifications—including the rear steel containment box, dedicated battery, and additional rear-wheel braking system—and came with UK registration and documentation confirming it was driven by Tom Cruise during filming.

Q: Was There A Mission: Impossible Jeep Commercial?

A: Yes. Jeep and Paramount launched a 30-second commercial titled "Top-Down Inspection" to coincide with the film's release. In it, a couple shopping for a 2025 Wrangler Rubicon X in Fathom Blue at a dealership is suddenly suspended on cables above the vehicle—a nod to Cruise's iconic wire-drop scene from the original 1996 Mission: Impossible.​

Q: Is The Wrangler 4xe Still Available?

A: The Wrangler 4xe was produced from 2021 through 2025. Stellantis phased it out for the 2026 model year as the company moved away from plug-in hybrid powertrains in the North American market. Used examples from the 2021–2025 model years are the only way to get a factory 4xe Wrangler.