Hennessey's Jeep Trackhawk kills the quarter mile in 9.66 seconds

Kamil Kaluski
13

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I drove the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk some time ago and I loved it. It’s a ridiculously powerful SUV and its all-wheel-drive system makes it, in my opinion, the best of the Hellcat vehicles. Bone stock it kills the quarter mile in 11-something seconds – your results may vary. 
Hennessey, known for a lot of things including making cars faster, has made the Trackhawk even faster. They opened the engine are replaced pistons, rods, and the camshaft. They ported the cylinder heads and added long tube stainless steel headers. On top of the block is a huge 4.5L supercharger. On 109 octane unleaded fuel and 22 psi of boost pressure, the HPE1200, as they call it, produces 1003 hp and 892 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. Call it 1200hp at the crank. 
That is enough to send this 4500+ pound SUV, on Nitto 555R drag radial tires on all four wheels, from zero to 60mph in 2.3 seconds. It killed ¼ mile time of 9.66 seconds @ 145 mph. That is brutally fast. It’s borderline hypercar territory. Except this is a comfortable SUV. No word on how fast it would be on pump gas or if it is emissions legal. 
Hennessey is only making 24 of these HPE1200 Trackhawks. The price is $179,000, which includes a new 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. 

Review: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk – The Best Hellcat?

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Kamil Kaluski

Kamil Kaluski

East Coast Editor. Races crappy cars and has an unhealthy obsession with Eastern Bloc cars. Current fleet: 4Runner, Integra, Regal, Lada

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13 responses to “Hennessey's Jeep Trackhawk kills the quarter mile in 9.66 seconds”

  1. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    It’s impressive from a very narrow perspective, I guess. I’ve never really thought much of drag racing. It always seemed like such a limited goal: just go fast, and don’t worry about steering. Kind of like someone who has a PhD in astrophysics, but can’t tie his shoes, talk to women, or manage to operate a microwave oven. If you throw enough $$ at it, any car can be fast in a straight line.

    Reply
    1. Manxman Avatar
      Manxman

      You have very eoquently described the great American automotive sport called Drag Racing. $$$+displacement+talent-weight=speed. Pretty much the same formula for most motor racing.

      Reply
      1. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        If by “talent” you mean “building a ground rocket”, then yes. If by talent you mean “driving”, then no. In my opinion, this is a sport largely dependent upon engineering, not execution. In which case, several other forms of motor racing are very different.

        Reply
        1. neight428 Avatar
          neight428

          It takes some talent, but it’s pretty narrow and really focused on the reaction. There’s no in-race strategy whatsoever, you make your bets on what is going to work on the launch (much of which is pre-set in the pits before the driver is in the car) and let it rip when the light turns green. I still like it though, purity of purpose and whatnot. Talent is a fickle thing not many get to enjoy, even among those that have it.

          Reply
          1. Zentropy Avatar
            Zentropy

            I didn’t intend to demean the driver, but I do see drag racing as largely a competition of engineering. Frankly, I suck at dragging, so there’s obviously skill required.

          2. neight428 Avatar
            neight428

            I think though, with enough practice, most folks could be pretty decent, but practice is hard on parts.

          3. Craig Blanton Avatar
            Craig Blanton

            In bracket racing there is in-race strategy. It’s not just who can get to the finish line first. You have to run close to your predicted time (dial-in), without going quicker (breakout). Reaction time plays a big role in bracket racing as well.
            It also takes a ton of the dollar equation out of the sport. A good racer could be just as competitive with a mini-van as they could a dragster.
            As a side note, I rewired the scoreboards in this video while working for Accutime Timing Systems in 1999. Good to see they are still working.

          4. neight428 Avatar
            neight428

            True, bracket racing is a different beast altogether.

  2. smalleyxb122 Avatar
    smalleyxb122

    “The world’s quickest Trackhawk” is a pretty narrow category. It was pretty much a given that the first guy to modify one and take it to the strip was going to set that oddly specific record.
    I’m not saying that a Jeep tripping the lights at 9.66 isn’t impressive, but I’m not impressed with the “record”.

    Reply
  3. outback_ute Avatar
    outback_ute

    Surely there is more in it? I suppose it is a different proposition as a saleable car versus a race car build. I wonder how fast they can really make it go?

    Reply
  4. Manxman Avatar
    Manxman

    This is fun stuff. I think Jay Leno’s Garage features several “Hellcat” powerd vehicles. Burnouts and laying long patches of rubber is an American tradition.

    Reply
  5. neight428 Avatar
    neight428

    I’m more impressed that the driveline held together. For some perspective, this thing would have won the race below handily.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dc574efbdc1fe13cbd6d89cf26308d0cc25d3a716c0c4f868cb001801ad94ffe.jpg

    Reply
  6. Lokki Avatar
    Lokki

    The main problem with this is the name Hennessy is involved. I met a mechanic who had worked for Hennessy. He was glad to get away from them; He was working as support for a Vintage Racing team when I met him at COTA a few years back. His opinion was that essentially all the horror stories about the way the business is run are all true.

    Reply
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