Monstrous Grand Cherokee Trackhawk for sale
Want to blend in with the crowd? Probably the Hemi-engined Jeep isn't for you
Probably it isn’t fair of us to collectively roll our eyes when an otherwise tediously dull EV is launched with an outrageous horsepower figure - and then in the next moment get all goose-pimply talking about the 710hp that Jeep once saw fit to install in a Grand Cherokee. But life isn’t fair. The Trackhawk, once available for exactly the same amount Porsche is asking for the new Macan GTS, is evidence enough of that.
That the same supercharged 6.2-litre HEMI V8 found in the Dodge Challenger Hellcat was successfully migrated to the Jeep says many things about the global SUV segment generally, and the US market specifically. The Trackhawk appeared around the same time as the Lamborghini Urus and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and against that milieu, it hardly seems like an outrageous bet. Not when you consider the noise said V8 made, nor how it sparked the imagination back home.
The result, of course, was not subtle. The Urus and Cullinan were blunt objects, too, but with the edges carefully chamfered away for European tastes. The Trackhawk felt a lot more like a Grand Cherokee with a dragster engine attached. Needless to say, it represented the culmination of Jeep’s performance aspirations - which is saying something given the legacy of the SRT badge - though it’s more pleasing to think of the car as the ultimate expression of American excess, given its size and thirst and weight and conceptual silliness.
That said, with a recent drive of the 727hp Aston Martin DBX S fresh in the PH memory, we can hardly assign such frivolousness to any one nation - in many ways, the Trackhawk, and its remarkable ability to crack 60mph in under four seconds while still being able to haul three tonnes and seat five adults, was simply ahead of the curve. Then as now, people are quite keen on SUVs with extravagantly profligate petrol engines; perhaps more so when the backdrop includes similarly powerful EVs with none of the tongue-in-cheek charm.
At any rate, this example, which has endured less than 25k miles at the hands of just one owner, seems like a wonderful way to find out what all the fuss was about. For one thing, the car is in a subtle colour, which might almost qualify it as a sleeper, according to the vendor - if it weren’t for the noise it makes via those quad tailpipes. Rarity, and the outlier appeal of its iconic engine, is likely to make it a relatively safe place for your money; if it sells at the asking price, it’s only lost £10k in half a decade. Let’s see where Macan GTS prices are in 2030.
Moreover, it’s worth reflecting on the fact that the Trackhawk is right-hand drive, which most HEMI-based Americana is not. The fact that it was officially sold in the UK as a Euro 6-compliant model, supported by its manufacturer, adds a comforting layer of legitimacy that the likes of the Dodge Challenger and Charger - both available for similar money - must do without. They are also not all-wheel drive and adept at taking the dog to the park. What more excuse do you need?
For me I don't think there's been a more desirable model than this.
I'd take it over anything else, DBX included, I love the exterior look, the performance, the noise and I know (because I've had a few GCs over the years) that the interior will be as nice to be in as it looks (I love it)
I'm a huge fan, and the fact I don't have £80k is the only reason this isn't already sat on my drive.
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