Let’s talk about fast SUVs again and today’s newsmaker is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk which took the record for the fastest SUV on ice.
The line separating sports cars from SUVs is becoming blurred by the day. SUVs are becoming quicker, faster and of course, placing themselves somewhere between being practical vehicles and proper track attack beasts. Best example? The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. It has room for the entire family, can hop over kerbs and go off-road. Plus, it can put some sports cars and supercars to shame on the track.
The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is often seen in drag racing videos, taking on supercars twice its value and in some instances, the butch SUV beats the pulp out of the fast and furious brigade. So one fine day, Jeep decided to find out how fast the Trackhawk can go over a smooth surface which isn’t made of tarmac or asphalt. They chose to cut the SUV loose on a frozen lake. And here is the result.
The run took place at the 2019 Speed Days of the Baikal Ice Motor Sports Festival in Russia. Clocking a speed of 174 mph on the frozen lake, the fire-breathing 707 hp, 6.2-liter engined Grand Cherokee easily nabbed the record for the fastest machine of its kind on ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye0_wi_49wA
The record-breaking figure was achieved from a rolling start and within a distance of 0.62 miles. To help things further, all the unnecessary items were removed from the Jeep and the fuel tank held just enough fuel for the run without adding to the overall weight. The organizers were concerned about the safety side of the run as well, clearing the 7.5 mile-long ice track thoroughly so that no heaps of snow were around to cause any mishaps.
Judges from the Russian Automobile Federation recorded and licensed the run with FIA-approved equipment. The record has been added to Russia’s official Book of Records too.