Hennessey’s really gone mental this time
by Kirby Garlitos, onHennessey is at it again with another demented tuning creation, this time for the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Apparently, the Texas-based tuner isn’t satisfied with an SUV that already boasts 707 horsepower. So in keeping with its identity as a creator of tuning programs that border on insanity, Hennessey dropped the mother lode on the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, turning it into a 1,200-horsepower monster that’s capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in a jaw-dropping 2.3 seconds on its way to a quarter-mile time of 9.66 seconds @ 145 mph.
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2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk by Hennessey
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Year:2018
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Make:
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Model:
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Engine:V8
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Horsepower @ RPM:1200 @ 6500
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Torque @ RPM:1000 @ 4200
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Displacement:6.2 L
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0-60 time:2.3 sec.
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Top Speed:200 mph
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Price:
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car segment:
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size:
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Purpose:
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body style:
Exterior
This program is purely about turning the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk into a 1,200-horsepower beast.
Hennessey made that emphatically clear by including next to nothing as far as exterior upgrades are concerned.
You can say that the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk doesn’t need any exterior upgrades, to begin with, and apparently, Hennessey agrees with you because the only thing worth mentioning in this section are the exterior badges. That’s it. There’s one set of Hennessey badges and another set of “HPE1200 Powered by Hennessey” badges, the latter of which you can find in the side and rear sections of the bruising SUV. There is the option for a Hennessey sticky decal on the windshield, but if you already have the badges, the decal counts as overkill, doesn’t it?
Interior
It’s the same narrative in the interior of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
Hennessey obviously didn’t bother thinking of potential upgrades to the cabin of the SUV. There are no offers of premium materials. There are no new accents or trip options, either. Instead, all you’re getting are Hennessey HPE1200 serial numbered plaques and premium floor mats.
Hennessey’s position is clear: if you want upgrades to the exterior and interior of your Grand Cherokee Trackhawk to go along with the extensive work it put into turning the SUV’s 6.2-liter Hellcat-supercharged V-8 HEMI engine into a 1,200-horsepower Frankenstein on skates, you’re going to have to look elsewhere for those upgrades.
Powertrain
This is where Hennessey’s HPE1200 Supercharged Upgrade for the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk earns its money. The 4.5-liter supercharger system counts as the most significant upgrade in this program. By itself, the supercharger system already counts as a huge upgrade, but in order for it to work in concert with the Jeep’s own massive HEMI engine, a lot of auxiliary upgrades are also needed.
This is where Hennessey’s expertise comes into the forefront.
The tuner is known for intricate with its engine upgrades and methodical in its application of the components needed to ensure that the upgrade is successful.
Upgraded aluminum pistons, rods, long tube stainless steel headers, high-flow injectors, and ported cylinder heads are all included in the program. The Jeep’s camshaft and throttle body also get upgrades. To go with these components, Hennessey also installed high-flow catalytic converters, a high-flow supercharger bypass valve, and a high-flow air induction system.
The result, as you can expect, is power beyond the reach of normal mortals. With all the pieces installed and all the software tuned, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s 6.2-liter HEMI V-8 engine now has 1,200 horsepower and 1,100 pound-feet of torque at its disposal. Compare that to the “standard” Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, and you’re looking at power gains amounting to 493 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque. Those are huge gains in any language.
With all that power in play, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is now capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds on its way to a quarter-mile time of 9.6 seconds at 145 mph.
Top speed is now rated at over 200 mph. For the record, the standard SUV can cover 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 11.6 seconds at 116 mph. You don’t need to be a math genius to know that Hennessey’s HPE1200 Supercharged program for the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is capable of destruction on a drag strip.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk by Hennessey Specifications
| Engine | Hellcat supercharged 6.2L V8 Hemi |
| Horsepower | 1003 Wheel HP (1,200 engine hp) @ 6,500 rpm on 109 octane fuel |
| Torque | 892 Wheel lb-ft Torque (1,000 engine lb-ft torque) @ 4,200 rpm |
| 0-60 mph | 2.3 sec. |
| 1/4 mile | 9.6 sec. @ 145 mph |
| Top Speed | 200+ mph |
Final Thoughts
You would think that a 707-horsepower SUV would be enough, right? But sometimes, somebody just wants more. More of this. More of that. That’s the case here with Hennessey’s HPE1200 Supercharged Upgrade for the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Think about what someone can do with 1,200 horsepower and ask yourself if it’s worth getting knowing that the house already has 707 horsepower at its disposal. It usually isn’t, but there are those who say more is better.
Hennessey’s engine upgrade for the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is not for everybody. It really isn’t. But for those who want to get one, it’s really more than what they could have ever asked for. How many SUVs in the world have 707 horsepower, let alone 1,200 horsepower? Not a lot, I can tell you. But for $179,000 — that’s the price of the whole package, Grand Cherokee Trackhawk included — you can be one of just 24 people in the world who can proudly say that you have a 1,200-horsepower monster in your garage.
Further reading
Read our full review on the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
Source: Hennessey Performance
