You know, I used to dislike seeing cars that don’t share many similarities go at it in a straight line. I would think to myself that it’s not fair – why should something that’s heavier and a lot less aerodynamic be forced to battle a much sportier foe? Nowadays that’s a moot point, because regardless of size and design, modern cars tend to produce so much power, you can literally race almost any car against any opponent.
First off, let’s just enjoy this while we can, right? It seems we’re just years away from watching a next-gen track-focused Grand Cherokee battling an all-new Camaro flagship with both vehicles being powered either exclusively by batteries or by downsized engines using turbocharging and electric motors.
There’s no replacement for displacement though. Well, actually there is, and it’s called kWh (Kilowatt hours), but you know what I mean. There’s just something about a big engine (preferably supercharged), together with rear or all-wheel drive, all next to an American badge.
That’s exactly what we get here with these two – a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Both are top of the food chain within their own model lineups, although unfortunately for Jeep fans, the Trackhawk has been discontinued with no replacement in sight.
The Camaro meanwhile is still available in flagship ZL1 specification, currently retailing from $68,695 and $70,290 respectively (manual/automatic). That’s a lot of money for a car that you can technically purchase new for less than $30,000, but it definitely wouldn’t come with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine like the ZL1 does.
That power unit produces an output of 650 hp (659 ps) and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque, which will get you from zero to 60 mph (97 kph) in just 3.5 seconds. The ZL1 can also cover a quarter mile in 11.4 seconds, but they’ve been known to put up even better times. Its top speed is officially rated at 198 mph (319 kph), which is properly fast.
Meanwhile, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk comes with a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8, just like your favorite Hell(o) Kitty Dodge. With an estimated curb weight of 5,363 lbs (2,433 kg), it is considerably heavier than the ZL1, and it does not produce a great deal more power – 707 hp (717 ps) and 645 lb-ft (875 Nm) of torque to be precise.
What’s funny is that both the Trackhawk and the ZL1 will hit 60 mph in exactly the same amount of time (3.5 seconds), according to the automakers’ official ratings. The Jeep does have a slight advantage off the line in terms of grip and putting its power down, but if the ZL1 can hook properly, then it should be first across the line if we’re racing over a quarter mile.
Lo and behold, that’s exactly what happens in this video, with the Chevy covering the aforementioned distance in 11.18 seconds and the Jeep needing 11.95 seconds. Kind of a predictable result.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News