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Tuned Jeep Trackhawk Drag Races Tuned BMW 340i, Stock Challenger Hellcat Loses Every Time

Codenamed WK2, the previous-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee was offered with a selection of six- and eight-cylinder lumps. The big-daddy V8 came in the guise of the 6.2-liter blown HEMI that cranks out 707 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 645 pound-foot (875 Nm) at 4,800 rpm.
Vicious Trackhawk vs Tuned BMW 340i vs Dodge Challenger Hellcat, it gets nasty! Drag and Roll Race. 14 photos
Photo: Sam CarLegion on YouTube
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The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk in the featured clip is anything but stock, though. In no particular order, the pictured SUV rocks different upper and lower pulleys, racing headers, a Borla exhaust system, and 1,050-cc injectors. Capable of 810 wheel horsepower and 755 WTQ (make that 1,024 Nm), this family-hauling rocket is a serious piece of kit in a straight line.

Tipping the scales at 5,356 pounds (2,429 kilograms), the JGCT is quite a bit heavier than the bone-stock Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody next to it. Weighing in at 4,470 pounds (2,028 kilograms) cranks out 717 horsepower and 656 pound-foot (889 Nm) from a rather familiar engine.

Although it’s the coolest-looking vehicle of the bunch, the biggest problem with the wide-bodied Hellcat is the wheel spin off the line. Even with 305/35 by 20-inch rubber boots, there is too much torque going to the rear wheels via the ZF-designed automatic transmission the Trackhawk also features.

The final contender appears to be nothing more than a 340i xDrive M Performance with nicer wheels, but you’d be wrong. The F30-generation 3 Series is rocking a hybrid turbo, a less restrictive intake, a custom tune, and E40 in the tank. The lightest car of the trio at 3,820 pounds (1,733 kilograms) lays down 550 WHP and 560 WTQ (759 Nm). Of course, that proves to be too much to handle for the Hellcat from a dig and from a roll.

The question is, can that Bimmer keep up with the much heavier and more powerful Jeep? The first dig race starts with a better launch for the Trackhawk, which keeps its distance from the second-placed 340i as it crosses the line. But the second dig race, which begins with a slight head start for the BMW, concludes with a clear victory for the Bavarian sedan.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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