In this day and age, is there really a place for a large sports-utility vehicle with at least one, if not two monster V8s under the hood? Is that really practical? Is that really necessary? With all of the concerns on passenger safety, autonomous features, carbon footprints, and so on, shouldn’t the idea that you can go into a dealership and buy a two-and-a-half ton, all wheel drive sledgehammer that seats at least five and will 0-60 in the same league as a 1990 Lamborghini Diablo?
Do you really give a flying (edited)? Hell no, you’re just happy that anybody is building such a monster. Jeep has been rocking the Grand Cherokee SRT for years, and it’s a beast in it’s own right, but things are going to get even better. The long-rumored “Trackhawk”, the Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee, has been confirmed for production, slated to appear towards the later part of 2017.
A quick rundown: currently the GC SRT is packing a 6.4L V8 that’s good for 470 horsepower out of the door. Not bad, but when your HQ has the engine equivalent of the H-bomb in stock, sooner or later you are going to try to see if it will work. The Hellcat Hemi, the supercharged 6.2L V8 that has been the darling of FCA since it broke cover, will fit in a Grand Cherokee. The engine will certainly be de-tuned from it’s current 707 horsepower and 650 ft/lbs so that the all-wheel-drive system has a fighting chance at life, but other than that…well, let’s just say that we are giggling like little demon children at the thought of what a Trackhawk could actually be capable of.
Now, with news like this comes skepticism. Naturally, we’d be on board with this since we haven’t seen any spy shots or have heard of any mules testing. The guys over at Jalopnik have the answer to your doubtfulness: video of journalist Brian Maske point-blank asking Jeep CEO Mike Manley if the Hellcat was coming.
All hail the Trackhawk.
That is the tough part of the Trackhawk, you have a transfer case, front axle and driveshaft, and an extra 1K pounds to deal. Hope they work out any and all kinks in the drivetrain.
Though I would support putting a hellcat in a Yugo, I just can’t for the life of understand why it makes more sense to build a hellcat Jeep and not a hellcat Chrysler 300. Boggles the mind.