There have been rumors for a little while now of the once-unthinkable happening – the 707-horsepower engine from the Dodge Hellcats getting stuffed into the frame of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, to make a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Now multiple reports say that Chrysler’s actually built one, and they’re showing it off.
But in secret meetings only, for now. Specifically, Fiat-Chrysler’s annual dealers meeting in Las Vegas.
Automotive News, user Ill_Mac on OppositeLock, and multiple forum postings are all in agreement saying that a Grand Cherokee Trackhawk prototype was not only on display, but that it was actually started up and sounded “insane.”
Don’t believe me on that last part? Just ask Ill_Mac:
Trackhawk Grand Cherokee was there. Sounded insane. 0-60 in 2.7 seconds, 700hp, starting at $79,999.
See? Sounds insane. Which makes sense, as we already know the Hellcats with pretty much the same engine will make you eat your own ears.
That acceleration time is corroborated by Allpar forum user Moparian, though AN gives a more conservative time of 3.5 seconds.
We’re actually a little bit skeptical of the 2.7 0-60 miles an hour figure, seeing as how that would make it faster than the Hellcat duo with a lot more weight, but the AWD traction advantage will certainly help. Either way I’m sure the real and most accurate answer to how fast the SUV is “fast enough to turn your eyeballs into nothing but slosh and jelly.”
There’s a whole bunch of other news trickling out from the show, with word of a new Jeep Wagoneer, a plug-in Chrysler Town and Country minivan, a Dodge Dart GLH, and a new Ram pickup being shown. Oh, and don’t forget the next Dodge Charger, which supposedly looks like a sweet, sweet concept from the late 1990s.
Dodge Dart GLH!
Photo credit: Jeep
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