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Jeep Grand Cherokee Hellcat/Trailhawk Reportedly Green-Lit for Production

When everything else fails, there’s a Hellcat lurking around that’s eagerly awaiting to stretch the 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque of its 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8. Turning rubber into puffs of smoke has never been easier than flooring a Challenger SRT Hellcat or Charger SRT Hellcat. For some, even a four-door sedan doesn’t suffice, the reason the SRT division is hard at work developing the Hellcat-ified Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 1 photo
Photo: Catalin Garmacea
Yes, boys and girls that like the smell of gasoline and shredded tires, the Hellcat-powered Jeep is reportedly happening as we speak. According to insider sources, MotorAuthority has learned that the most powerful production Jeep ever is known as Project K and it’s been green-lit for production. To boot, MA reports that prototypes are wandering the streets of America using 2016MY body shells, testing the oily bits with the SRT Hellcat stamp of approval.

It’s all nice and swell up to this point, but what the publication is reporting isn’t mirrored by solid facts. The mules haven’t been spied by the carparazzi yet and there’s no name given to the insider sources that shared this information with MA. We suggest to keep your skeptic side nurtured with a grain of common sense, at least until Fiat-Chrysler offers a taste of what’s in store for us.

When the publication reached an FCA spokesperson to confirm what they’ve learned from sources inside Fiat-Chrysler, the public relations department adopted the “no comment” course of action. Now here’s something that can be classified either as a work of fiction or mind-boggling mad: “the HellJeep will be capable of an estimated top speed of 200 mph (322 km/h) and should run the 0-60 mph (96 km/h) dash in under 3 [seconds].”

From what we know, it’s fairly easy to squeeze the 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 under the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s hood, but there’s problem with delivering that level of torque to all four corners of the SUV.

Even the standard all-wheel drive system of the Grand Cherokee SRT, like the one we reviewed and loved to bits, is believed to be insufficient at harnessing so much savagery. Another detail that’s hardly believable is the stint to 60 mph of under 3 seconds.

If our two cents were on the betting table, we’d say it’s over 3 seconds. Despite the all-wheel drive system’s traction, the Hellcat-grade Jeep Grand Cherokee will be too heavy for a sub-3-second run. Look forward for the maddest Grand Cherokee ever to arrive next year as a 2017MY, wearing the Hellcat or Trailhawk label.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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