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1,000 HP Jeep Trackhawk Has 400ci V8, Isn't Called "Neck Breaker" for Nothing

You can't be talking about fast SUVs these days without the wonderful Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk getting a mention. In fact, the Hellcat-powered chubster is currently rated as the second quickest SUV out there, behind only Tesla's Model X in terms of 0-60 mph acceleration time.
1000 hp Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk 75 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
This Trackhawk right here, though, would have no problem smoking any Tesla Model X in a drag race, with its claimed zero to sixty time of 2.3 seconds being enough to cause problems even for the lighter and more aerodynamic Model S. Why talk about Tesla in an article about a hardcore Jeep model you ask? Well, J.R., the owner of the black Trackhawk explains it in the video as he spots a Model 3 on the road: "That's my nemesis right there," he says, referring to the EV. "They always want to race me. I don't know why Teslas want to race Jeeps for some reason."

Well, if we were to guess, we'd say it was the absolutely ridiculous looks (and we mean that in the most flattering way possible) the Jeep has. The Trackhawk looks menacing enough, but this one takes it to another level. And then there are those semi-slicks it's wearing: if that doesn't say "drag race," then we don't know what will.

Of course, all this performance came through a series of modifications, and we're not talking lightweight ECU stuff, but actual physical changes. For one thing, the 376ci (6.2 liters) V8 engine it shares with the Hellcat models got bored to 400ci (6.55 liters) which, together with the ported cylinder heads and supercharger snout as well as a camshaft borrowed from the Demon engine brought the power output to 1,000 hp.

J.R. says the transmission is stock, but he had to replace both axles with upgraded ones after they snapped under the much heavier load. The supercharger runs at low boost (15 psi) and he says he's happy with that since increasing it would lead to overheating problems. And since he's doing low 10s in the quarter mile with a vehicle initially designed for off-roading (that's the theory, at least), we can see why he'd be perfectly satisfied with that.

Not that he's stopping here. He's waiting for the current transmission to fail to have it replaced with one that can deal with up to 1,500 hp. And what's the point of having that if you're only making 1,000 hp, right? He plans on installing twin-turbos and nitrous, so expect it to easily drop into 9s at some point. For the time being, though, this build doesn't just look great and drive fast as it is, it also sounds absolutely insane. If you think the exhaust is cool, just wait until you hear that insane supercharger whirring. Headphones are both recommended and not advised, at least not with the sound turned too high up.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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