Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT races HEMI Hot Rod

Drag race pits a classic Hemi-powered hot rod against the latest Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.

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To show off the performance of its Grand Cherokee SRT with Hemi power Jeep arranged a drag race with a classic Hemi-powered hot rod.

The pair lined up at Santa Pod in the UK for a high-speed run down the quarter mile.

Facing up against the Grand Cherokee, with its 6.4-litre V8 boasting 468hp, was a 1930s five-window coupe powered by a 1956 DeSoto Hemi V8 delivering around 330hp. UK drag racing champion Stuart Doignie drove the Jeep with drag specialist Kelvin Dunn behind the wheel of the hot rod. At the end of the run the modern car clocked a time of 13.3 seconds, beating its rival by 0.9 seconds. If you prefer a more familiar benchmark the Grand Cherokee made it to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds compared with 6.0 seconds for its older rival.

Commenting on the run Doignie said: "I was hugely impressed by the raw power and speed of the Grand Cherokee SRT.
"I've driven plenty of dragster vehicles at Santa Pod but never a car built purely for the road. It's immensely quick off the line and powered through the finish gantry. It was an epically close race with the HEMI Coupe but I was glad to keep up my great record at Santa Pod with another win."

The Grand Cherokee SRT is also more practical and luxurious than the Hot Rod; with five seats, a spacious boot, plus Nappa leather upholstery and SRT-exclusive features in the Electronic Vehicle Information Centre.

Watch the race in action:

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Published on: May 15, 2017