It’s a question as old as dinosaur fossils themselves, could the Jurassic Park Jeep actually get away from a rampaging T-Rex?
Well, maybe it’s not a 66 million-year-old question.
But we must know the answer!
READ MORE: The real-life Jurassic Park velociraptor skeleton for sale for millions
And with Jurassic World Dominion about to hit cinemas, now is the time to dig into the top speeds of dinosaurs vs a 1992 Jeep Wrangler Sahara.
Let’s start off this *highly scientific* analysis by looking at what sort of power the Jeep was packing back in 1992.
It was running on a 4L inline 6 engine with 180HP and when new it could hit 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in about 11 seconds.
But let’s give that a dose of reality.
Conditions were muddy and rainy when Dr Malcolm Fraser, Robert Muldoon and Dr Ellie Sattler were fleeing from the T-Rex.
It’s a mud road with fallen trees, plus a bare-chested Dr Malcolm keeps sitting on the gear stick trying to get away from the gnashing teeth.
So let’s call it a max speed of 50km/h (31mph), but even that speed would be super sketchy and would likely end up with the gang sliding into a ditch.
Could the Jurassic Park Jeep outrun a T-rex?
A Tyrannosaurus Rex was huge, they weighed about 7,000kg (15,400 pounds), were 12 meters (40 feet) long and stood about four meters (12 feet) high.
Imagine the impact on the knees of those big fellas when sprinting at full speed.
Some Dutch researchers reckon the T-rex was more of a lumbering giant and would only walk about 4.8km/h (3mph).
That’s about as fast as a human walks.
And because of the thicc nature of the T-Rex, scientists think it could only run flat out to a max of 40km/h (25mph).
The fastest human alive, Usain Bolt, can run 43.99km/h (27.33mph).
So if you are a sprinter, you could probably outrun a T-Rex.
It’s close, but we will give this race to the Jeep!
CHECK THIS OUT!
Is the Jurassic Park Jeep faster than a Velociraptor?
Okay, so for all the dinosaur fanatics out there, let’s just mention straight away that the Velociraptor in Jurassic Park is not really a Velociraptor.
It’s a dinosaur called the Deinonychus antirrhopus.
We will speed check the Deinonychus later on, but for now let’s talk legit Velociraptors.
These little nuggets were only about 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) tall. So they would barely reach most people’s waists.
They were also covered in feathers.
Dr David Button told the National History Museum in the UK that a Velocirpator could run at speeds faster than 40km/h (24mph) in short bursts.
“Faster than the fastest human,” Dr Button said.
We’re going to call this a photo-finish with the Jeep.
But also if you are in a Jeep, you probably aren’t too worried about being chased by a knee-high bird lizard.
Can the Jurassic Park Jeep go faster than a Deinonychus antirrhopus?
So this is what we all think of when we picture a Velociraptor.
It was about the same height as the monsters that stalk the kids in the kitchen in Jurassic Park, and it has the crazy big talons/claw.
And while it may be bigger than a Velociraptor, those longer legs don’t actually mean faster.
The top speed of Deinonychus is super controversial in the world of science, but some think it could hit 30km/h (18mph), maybe a little more.
So we think the Jeep wins this round too, but it’s really close. And if you aren’t a seasoned off-road driver you might be in real trouble.
Can the Jurassic Park Jeep go faster than the fastest dinosaur?
The fastest dino is called an Ornithomimosaurs. It’s basically an ancient emu or ostrich.
Dr Button says these things had “very long shins and are thought to have been able to run as fast as the ostriches they resemble”.
That’s about 70km/h (43mph).
These things could smoke a Jeep in muddy terrain, but they are also herbivores so you wouldn’t be too worried about getting away.
Where are the original Jurassic Park Jeeps now?
They are one of the most iconic cars in movie history and Universal Pictures has smartly held onto them.
You can see Wrangler Unit 10 at Universal Studios in Hollywood (that’s the same unit from the T-Rex scene).
Wrangler Unit 12 is at Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios in Orlando.
There’s also a stack of replicas on the market, and it’s not too hard to make your own if you really want to live that Jurassic Park life.
There’s even a guide you can check out here on how to build your own.
What cars are in Jurassic World Dominion?
We know Jeep will have some vehicles in the new movie.
The brand has already released an ad to tie into the release of the flick, in which a Jeep Wrangler 4xe owner discovers a little Carnotaurus on his front lawn.
“The Jeep brand has substantially expanded in the three decades since the first appearance of the Wrangler in the original Jurassic Park film,” Jeep brand CEO Christian Meunier said.
The Gladiator, Wrangler and a vintage Grand Wagoneer will reportedly appear in the new film.
Universal’s Jurassic World Dominion will release on June 10.
