The Chrysler guys must be back in the black. Why else would they unveil their craziest SUV ever, writes Howard Walker?
All’s well with the American auto biz when it has the cash and the cojones, to be distracted enough to unveil high-performance vehicles that are absolutely bonkers. Just two years ago, Chrysler was on the scrapheap, on life support and bankrupt, with little hope of resuscitation.
My how times have changed. Now Chrysler is about to start selling a crazy, hot-rod version of its mud-plugging Jeep Grand Cherokee sport-ute. It’s powered by a 465-horsepower, 6.4-liter Hemi V8, above, goes from zero to 60 mph in under 4.8 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph.
This is the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 from Chrysler’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team, better known as the gearheads who gave the world the fire-breathing Dodge Viper. Of course, this isn’t the first SRT version of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The original debuted six years ago packing a mere 420 horsepower. But with times changing and Chrysler being a little more rational these days, few thought they’d have the audacity to build a 2012 version, below.
But when you want to tell the world you’re back and firing on all cylinders, what better way to do it than build an SUV that can eat Porsches for breakfast!
And this new Super Grand Cherokee is even crazier than the original. Its exterior styling is now pure aggression, with a front end that wouldn’t look out of place on a NASCAR stocker.
It gets all the other go-faster gear too. Like 20-inch forged alloys, giant Brembo calipers clamping 15-inch rotors, above, and stiffer suspension. Inside, there are paddle shifters on the flat-bottomed racing steering wheel and heavily bolstered and ventilated front seats, below, that will grip you tighter than a Hulk Hogan body lock!
Expect this new SRT to hit showroom around September-time. While there’s no official pricing yet, word is that it’ll land at around the $45,000 mark. That’s a bargain.
Crazy? Yes. But you know you’re going to want one!
For more information about Jeep vehicles, including the SRT8, please visit, http://www.jeep.com/en/srt8/