I can’t think of that many SUVs that can accelerate faster than a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. It nearly broke the internet when it first came out at the 2017 New York International Auto Show. It was the highest-performing Grand Cherokee to date and according to some, the fastest-accelerating production SUV in the world.
Now, it might share a different moniker, but make no mistake, the Trackhawk is closely related to Dodge’s Hellcat vehicles. It features the same supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 as the Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat, good for 707 hp (717 ps) and 645 lb-ft (875 Nm) of torque.
With the help of an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, all-wheel drive and a Launch Control system, the Trackhawk can rocket from zero to 60 mph (97 kph) in just 3.5 seconds. It also handles better than your run-of-the-mill Grand Cherokee, it stops harder thanks to its Brembo brakes (6-piston front / 4-piston rear), and naturally, it looks better than any of its close siblings.
On paper, the Audi RS Q8 should be at a disadvantage, compared to a Trackhawk. The Audi is powered by a 4.0-liter twin turbocharged V8 engine, good for 591 hp (600 ps) and 590 lb-ft (890 Nm) of torque. The engine is mated to the carmaker’s quattro all-wheel drive system, with an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission of its own.
Point the RS Q8 at the horizon and you’ll hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds – meaning it’s slightly slower than the Trackhawk.
The thing is, what we have here in this video isn’t just any RS Q8, but rather ABT Sportline’s heavily modified Signature Edition variant, which has been tuned to produce 790 hp (800 hp) and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. According to the tuner, this thing will hit 62 mph (100 kph) in 3.2 seconds, which means 0-60 should be even quicker (maybe 3.1 or even 3 seconds flat).
It then stands to reason that the ABT RS Q8 Signature Edition would out-pace the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk in a straight line, but that’s not what happens here. Instead, the Jeep pulls off the upset in convincing fashion. We could argue that maybe the Trackhawk wasn’t completely stock either, but we’d just be speculating.
With the help of an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, all-wheel drive and a Launch Control system, the Trackhawk can rocket from zero to 60 mph (97 kph) in just 3.5 seconds. It also handles better than your run-of-the-mill Grand Cherokee, it stops harder thanks to its Brembo brakes (6-piston front / 4-piston rear), and naturally, it looks better than any of its close siblings.
On paper, the Audi RS Q8 should be at a disadvantage, compared to a Trackhawk. The Audi is powered by a 4.0-liter twin turbocharged V8 engine, good for 591 hp (600 ps) and 590 lb-ft (890 Nm) of torque. The engine is mated to the carmaker’s quattro all-wheel drive system, with an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission of its own.
Point the RS Q8 at the horizon and you’ll hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds – meaning it’s slightly slower than the Trackhawk.
The thing is, what we have here in this video isn’t just any RS Q8, but rather ABT Sportline’s heavily modified Signature Edition variant, which has been tuned to produce 790 hp (800 hp) and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. According to the tuner, this thing will hit 62 mph (100 kph) in 3.2 seconds, which means 0-60 should be even quicker (maybe 3.1 or even 3 seconds flat).
It then stands to reason that the ABT RS Q8 Signature Edition would out-pace the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk in a straight line, but that’s not what happens here. Instead, the Jeep pulls off the upset in convincing fashion. We could argue that maybe the Trackhawk wasn’t completely stock either, but we’d just be speculating.