Jeep Sports Cars

Some years ago Cadillac tied a Christmas tree to the roof of a CTS-V Wagon to perform a holiday burnout. Six years later, Hennessey Performance tied a tree to a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk to give us the world’s fastest Christmas tree. Sort of.

If you haven’t seen a Christmas tree run at 181 mph, this is the video you need to watch.

The 840-horspower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon stole the show at the 2017 New York Auto Show, but the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk certainly garnered a ton of attention. The highly anticipated an long-rumored Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is everything we hoped for and more, including that 707-horspower 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V-8, beefed-up TorqFlite eight-speed automatic transmission and reinforced full-time 4WD system. The Jeep even gets the Demon’s Torque Reserve system, helping launch five-passenger SUV to 60 mph in an astonishing 3.5 seconds!

Yeah, the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk isn’t the most practical vehicle debuting at New York this year, but it’s by far the most practical Hellcat ever produced. Sure, the Charger Hellcat is a usable sedan with little draw-backs, but the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk offers 68.3 cubic feet of cargo volume and a respectable 7,200 pounds of towing capacity. Not to mention, this Jeep will likely do well in wintertime conditions with a set of proper tires, especially since its drive modes include a setting for snow.

Jeep engineers didn’t just shoehorn a Hellcat V-8 under the hood of an ordinary Grand Cherokee, however. The Trackhawk is heavily modified, sharing nearly no common powertrain parts with the standard Grand Cherokees. Even the 6.4-liter V-8-powered Grand Cherokee SRT version comes with less whiz-bang engineering.

Update 08/08/2017: Jeep has announced pricing for the 2018 Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. It will start at $86,995, including the destination fee. Read more in the Pricing section below.

Continue reading for more in formation on the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

It’s no secret Jeep is preparing the next-generation of Wrangler due out for the 2018 model year. As such, the current Wrangler, well-known by its codename JK, has been receiving quite the number of special editions over the least few years. This one, however, is perhaps one of the best. It’s called the Recon and it’s only available with the Rubicon trim. But this isn’t just an appearance package – no, the Rubicon Recon comes with an upgraded front axle, new rock rails, and heavy-duty differential covers.

Those familiar with the Wrangler Rubicon know just how capable it comes from the factory. Even without the Recon upgrades, the Wrangler Rubicon comes with Dana 44 axles front and rear with locking differentials, Jeep’s Rock-Trac manual transfer case with its 4:1 crawl ratio, the electronically disconnecting front sway bar, and its beefy BFGoodrich KM off-road tires.

The handful of modifications Jeep includes within the Recon package only furthers the Wrangler’s dominance over lesser SUVs when it comes to off-roading. Jeep boss Mike Manley had this to say:

“With an array of beefed up off-road components, the new Rubicon Recon provides even more legendary Jeep Wrangler capability. With unmatched capability and a unique appearance, Rubicon Recon is the perfect Wrangler for our most loyal, diehard off-road enthusiasts who love to tackle the most demanding trails.”

Manley is certainly right about Jeep having loyal fans. The Wrangler has soared in popularity since the introduction of the four-door Wrangler Unlimited in 2007. Now as Jeep prepares to debut its all-new 2018 Wrangler JL, those on the fence about purchasing a JK Wrangler will have an even more difficult decision to face.

The 2017 Jeep Wrangler Recon goes on sale in late February 2017 with a starting price of $39,145 for the two-door model and $42,945 for the four-door Wrangler Unlimited.

Let’s check out what Jeep includes in this special edition Wrangler Rubicon.

Continue reading to learn more about the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Recon.

When asked about the possibility of a Hellcat powered RAM truck, CEO Bob Hegbloom offered up little more than a “No.” He did finish up with a simple statement, “there are other areas of Ram Ram’s business with a bigger opportunity,” and opened the door for much greater things. We may not get a Hellcat Ram, but what about another Chrysler product; specifically the Jeep Grand Cherokee? This is what we think a Jeep Grand Cherokee Hellcat would look like. We also have some solid evidence that it is actually coming.

For starters, the Grand Cherokee is no stranger to high-performance variants with the SRT-8 model, so moving the range up-market should be an easy move. Second, with machines like the Range Rover Sport SVR on the market, Jeep could be looking to join the high-performance action. Of course, the most damning piece of evidence we have is the trademark from FCA for the name “Trackhawk.” If you are familiar with Jeep’s naming schemes, “Trailhawk” is a name used for hardcore off-road models of the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. Now it’s not a stretch to see Jeep use the “Trackhawk” name for an ultra-high-performance variant.

With that in mind we had our trusty in-house rendering artist whip up some great shots of what this new Jeep might look like.

Update 01/14/2016: Jeep CEO Mike Manley confirmed the Grand Cherokee Hellcat at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. We’ve got him on video making comical remarks to a journalist’s plea for the 707-horsepower supercharged V-8.

Click past the jump to read more about the Jeep SRT Hellcat.

Rumors have been flying ever since the Hellcat powertrain arrived in the Challenger and Charger that FCA would use the 707-horsepower V-8 in other products across its lineup, with the Jeep Grand Cherokee leading the list. Well the rumors are growing in intensity.

You’ll likely recall FCA trademarking the Trackhawk name, a moniker that complements Jeep’s Trailhawk name. Like the Trailhawk is off-road, the Trackhawk will be specially built for handling the track and devouring its competition in waves of tire smoke.

The Grand Cherokee is no stranger to powerful engines. It currently offers a naturally aspirated 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 that kicks out 475 horsepower. Badged with the SRT name, the Jeep combines plenty of power with room for the whole family and their luggage. The Grand Cherokee makes the transition from off-roader to track beast quite well thanks to its platform, which it’s shared with the Mercedes-Benz M-Class.

Rumors also suggest FCA will strip the Jeep of its SRT badges since Dodge has exclusive rights to the Street and Racing Technology brand. That’s where the Trackhawk name comes into play.

There will likely be two version of the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk – the halo model will be the Hellcat-powered version that will feature that same 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 making 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. Below that will be the 475-horse version that is currently the SRT. The Hellcat version will certainly receive upgraded powertrain components, including a revised AWD system that’s rated for such abuse.

Expect the Grand Cherokee Hellcat to hit 60 mph in roughly four seconds with the quarter mile passing in the 12-second range. Though nothing is confirmed from FCA, the Hellcat’s third iteration should hit dealers by mid-2016.

Continue reading for the full story.

To help continue theFourth of July celebrations here at TopSpeed, I have decided to take at look at how the American car has impacted the world. Europe is typically quoted with having the best cars, but here are some American machines that have stepped up and shown the world that we know what we are doing.

We may not have created the car, but we are responsible for the way they drive, the way they are made and we even made some major contributions to the world of performance and horsepower. Put down that hot dog for a few seconds and take a quick look back through history at America’s greatest contributions to the world of internal combustion. That cooler full of cold beverages and that box of explosives will both still be there when you get done.

Continue reading to find out America’s greatest contributions to the world of the automobile.

The Grand Cherokee SRT is Jeep’s real hero car, and the only one to compete effectively with the super-SUV benchmark from Porsche. The Jeep’s drastic SRT makeover is arguably the most effective across the Chrysler range by blending the huge Hemi V-8’s torque with the sure-footed and quite advanced Grand Cherokee platform.

A change across the board from “SRT8” to “SRT” for all the performance trims prepares the range for its next generation of super and turbocharged SRT models - with forced induction making the SRT6, SRT4 etc cylinder counts much less meaningful.

The SRT conversion makes the Grand Cherokee one of the most entertaining models out of Auburn Hills, with all the track attitude and road muscle of the Viper but far fewer tradeoffs in daily driving.

As almost a totally distinct model from the Grand Cherokee range, the SRT version is new for 2014 with the latest interior tech upgrades, a new eight-speed auto transmission, and the tasteful headlight LED accents that were new this year on the base models.

Combined with the menacing nose graphic of the Grand Cherokee SRT, the additional LED lights update the nose appearance nicely. A black lower bumper shroud makes the SRT seem mean even with the lights off, with its 20-inch wheels and giant tires looking very prominent from all angles.

The real news with this latest Jeep is new launch control programming for the cutting-edge autobox that should offer an even quicker sprint than the last model’s 5.1-second rush to 60 mph. Smoothness, economy, and tow ratings are also all up across the board, making this Grand Cherokee SRT quite an appealing prospect for hot-rod SUV shoppers.

Will the loss of the "8" on the badge hurt its street cred versus the Range Rover Sport? Is the price premium and five-seat layout a problem versus the Ford Explorer Sport?

Click past the jump for all the latest images and details of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.