Today, many super-SUVs are fighting for domination across the automotive world – from ultra-luxury creations like the upcoming 715-horsepower V12-powered Ferrari Purosangue or the 738-hp plug-in hybrid BMW XM Label Red to ‘mundane’ apparitions like the 682-hp full-size Caddy Escalade-V or the family-oriented 710-hp Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. But not long ago, there was just one king of the hill – aka Jeep’s 707-hp Grand Cherokee Trackhawk!
Sure, one can debate for hours the differences between these veritable four-wheeled elephants. Some would say that you need to be as nimble and edgy as the 657-hp Lambo Urus Performante or Urus S to be in tune with the trends. Others will claim there is nothing more collectible than a rare Aston Martin DBX707 if you can get your hands on one example. Some will be content with the available coach door action by way of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan behemoth.
Of course, the aftermarket realm might conclude the same – the more Black Badges to customize and personalize, the merrier. Others would be patriots and think they can haul just about anything with a Caddy Escalade-V, especially since the supercharged monster is also available as the long wheelbase ESV. Hey, even Jay Leno decided to check a black example, so we are good on that front, too. But others might think that a tried and tested high-performance Jeep could still show there is enough fight left in the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, even if production ceased after the 2021 model year.
However, there are still enough units available if you know where to search. And there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have an eloquent example (or two). So, the Los Angeles, California-based forged wheel experts over at Forgiato Designs again showed us they know how to stir a pot of outrageousness with just ‘a hint’ of their aftermarket greatness slapped on a Trackhawk that is unlike any other. Thus, they highlighted the custom work done by Philadelphia, New Jersey-based CarEffex, aka “the finest in aftermarket truck and auto accessories,” for none other than Haason Samir Reddick.
The latter is the 28-year-old American football outside linebacker star of the Philadelphia Eagles, and his NFL stint probably taught him that nothing is too outrageous if it is also well-thought. As such, at first sight, one might be inclined to start running amok crying their outrage at the sight of his green-silver Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk ride, but if you bear with us, there is more to the SUV monster than meets the eye. First and foremost, this is not just a simple green-black-gray project.
Photo: Forgiato / CarEffex / Instagram
Instead, we are dealing with a 3M Matte Grey Aluminum-style wrap mixed with a Gloss Black median stripe and bumper-to-bumper green details. The contrasting green features are also present on two of the seven-slot grille surrounds, on the front bumper air inlets, and on the badges. Naturally, if we are talking about Forgiato Designs, we are also dealing with aftermarket forged wheels, and this time around, we are looking at a bespoke green/black 22-inch setup clad in Nitto tires. Naturally, even the Brembo brake calipers got matched to the green shade, which – you cannot see because of the window tint – is also present in abundance inside.
The custom, full-green cockpit might be a bit too much for Jeep Trackhawk fan tastes – but, as always, beauty is only in the eye of the beholder. In return, we think the mega-widebody aftermarket kit and the Demon-style hood are not going to give any headaches as it completes the package to help the Grand Cherokee stand out in any posh crowds, mainly for the most positive reasons. If not, the professional NFL player can block out everyone’s comments with help from the fresh JL Audio sound system fitted inside. Anyway, if that is still too conspicuous for your Trackhawk tastes, no worries, as the CarEffex-Forgiato team has another ace up its Jeep sleeve.
That would be a decidedly serious 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk that was reworked to look as if it just exited the factory floor… and then went berserk in an aftermarket shop. This one is a true murdered-out affair, as everything is black on the outside, even the darkened taillights. By the way, that dark and menacing poise is leveraged through the use of a full vehicle wrap in something called ‘Oracle Satin Black.’ Meanwhile, the only splashes of color, on the outside, come from the headlights and the Logos Blue-painted brake calipers that sit snugly tucked behind the 22-inch Forgiato Tec S1 wheels dressed in a body-matching Gloss Black.
The contrast is, indeed, something to behold, just like the rest of the work done on the SUV. If you’re curious, just like we were, the changes include a set of lower Eibach springs, a Borla Catback exhaust to make sure the supercharged V8’s grunt is heard from afar, an aFe Power cold air intake, plus the logical full JL Audio upgrade package. Unfortunately, there is no peek inside the cabin this time around, so we can only judge the fierce Jeep by its exterior appearance, and nothing else.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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