The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a high-powered performance SUV that doesn’t make much sense. Yes, high-powered, high-riding family vehicles are in style, though they often wear badges from more luxurious automakers. So, Jeep made sure to make the Trackhawk and head-turner, and it did so with its supercharged V8. But lining up against the 2020 Chevy Corvette C8 at the drag strip seems like a mismatched race for the ages, but the results here are a bit more surprising because the Jeep isn’t stock.
We don’t know what modifications the owner made to the Jeep, but we do know it makes 900 horsepower, which is a significant increase over the mill’s standard 707 hp (527 kW). We expect the stock 645 pound-feet (875 Newton-meters) of torque is up, too. That’s a lot more power than the Corvette’s 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 that produces up to 495 hp (361 kW) and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm) of torque. The Corvette has one advantage – its weight. Or lack thereof compared to the Jeep.
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The first run between the two isn’t great. The Jeep wouldn’t switch back into four-wheel drive, and the hopped-up V8 overpowered the rear tires, resulting in an abysmal start off the line. The second attempt started much better, though low-rpm shift points kept the Grand Cherokee from putting all the possible power down to the wheels. The Jeep still completed the quarter-mile run in 10.586 seconds at 130.89 miles per hour (210 kilometers per hour). That beat the Corvette’s 11.465-second run at 119.96 mph (193 kph).
A win is a win, but this race is also a reminder that the vehicle’s weight plays a huge part in its performance. A 707-hp V8 is great, especially if it must lug around 2.5 tons. The Jeep also races the “world’s fastest" Cadillac Escalade (above), and ekes out another win, but just barely.
Source: Stangkilr Productions / YouTube
