What it is: Outrageous. This marks the second time a Jeep has received the SRT treatment.
Why it matters: It doesn’t really matter, actually. But if it’s half as bodacious as the first Grand Cherokee SRT8, it’ll be the most charmingly absurd (and least fuel efficient) of the all SRT8s.
Platform: Like the standard Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango, the Grand Cherokee SRT8 will use a version of the platform underpinning the Mercedes M-class SUV. This same pile of parts will be used to fashion a Maserati SUV (using a Ferrari-based engine). Like the Jeep and the Dodge, the Maserati will be built in the still-beating heart of Detroit at the Jefferson North Plant. Yes, it is a strange world we live in.
Powertrain: This one’s a no-brainer. The new muscle-Jeep will use the 470-hp, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 that made its debut in the 2011 Dodge Challenger. It will slot into the SRT versions of the Charger and 300 as well. We expect it eventually will be backed by an eight-speed automatic. At launch though, the JGC SRT8 will likely carry the existing five-speed auto.
Competition:BMW X5 M, Maserati’s Ferrari-engined SUV, Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG.
What might go wrong: Depending on future gas prices, the Grand Cherokee SRT8 might be economically viable for only those who own an oil field, a refinery, and a pump. And Jeep has already gone wrong in ditching the first-gen SRT8’s center-exit exhaust for a more conventional dual arrangement.
Estimated arrival and price: The Grand Cherokee SRT8 will go on sale this summer, and pricing should start at about $46,000.
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