If the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk was a human, you'd probably want to have him tested before jumping in the fighting ring. However, I've watched enough Bob Sapp fights growing up to know that size doesn't always matter.
Somehow, racing SUVs has become a kind of YouTube motorsport. We have to admit that seeing a Jeep race a BMW X4 M is more entertaining than a Hellcat versus an M4, which would have been the coupe equivalent of this shootout.
On paper, the Trackhawk has the kind of power to crush anything, thanks to the legendary 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 engine. This drag race takes place in South Africa, where the output is down from 707 to 700 hp, but that's still more than any other stock SUV. And if torque is your thing, know that the Jeep boasts 645 pound-feet (875 Newton-meters) of it.
The factory numbers normally state that the Jeep dragster will do 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. However, we know that it's not perfectly in control of its power and doesn't boast lightning shifts.
Meanwhile, the adversary from Germany is... actually made in America, just like every other BMW SUV. Launched last year, the X4 M is the first of its kind and with the "Competition" package will deliver 503 hp and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque. It's slower to 60, but the quarter-mile times could be really close.
Somehow, the unexpected happens and the heavier Jeep gets off the line first. This should have been game over for the German, but it's snapping heels at the chubby Hellcat with every shift of its gearbox. They cross the finish line at roughly the same time, and because of that, the drivers decide to swap cars.
There's no obvious conclusion, but it seems like the X4 M got a bad start the first time (4.5 seconds to 60). But that also suggests it's inconsistent.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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