Comparing a Chevrolet C8 Corvette and a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is like pitting a fast cat against a quick buffalo. But if anything Hennessey Performance Engineering has the guts to race a Corvette and a Trackhawk. Hennessey has its reasons for doing so, and we also have reasons for why this video is worth watching. But which one of this rather odd couple will come out on top? Let’s check it out.
Tale Of The Tape
Both vehicles are stars in their own right. For instance, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is considered as the fastest SUV is the world, as made possible by a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 Hellcat engine that delivers 707 hp of max output and 650 lb.-ft. of torque. With this amount of power and its four-wheel-drive system, a Trackhawk can zoom from nil to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.
Pitted against the Trackhawk is a Chevrolet Corvette C8 fitted with Hennessey’s very own exhaust upgrade. This is a stock Corvette C8 served by a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 engine delivering 495 hp of max output and 470 lb.-.ft of peak torque. This should allow the C8 Corvette to dash from zero to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 195 mph. However, thanks to Hennessey’s exhaust upgrade, this C8 Corvette's hp and torque figures have been boosted by 21 hp and 19 lb.-ft. It is also lighter than the factory setup by 10 lbs. With this upgrade, Hennessey was able to make this C8 Corvette go as fast 205.1 mph.
Reality Meets Expectations
Indeed, the Jeep Trackhawk is nearly 200 hp and 160 lb.-ft. more powerful than Hennessey’s C8 Corvette. But due to the body type, aerodynamics, weight and other factors, a stock Trackhawk won't be able to beat a stock C8 Corvette, much less with Hennessey’s exhaust upgrade.
Hennessey is about to transform this Trackhawk into a 1,000-hp monster. But before doing so, the company conducted some baseline testing of the SUV, and even brought the Corvette along for some competitive drag racing. The result is as expected – the C8 Corvette easily outran the stock Trackhawk.
Another Story With 1,000 HP
But would the story be the same if the Trackhawk gained nearly 300 hp of output through Hennessey’s HPE1000 Supercharged upgrade? That’s another story to tell and for HotCars to write, so stay tuned for details!
Source: Hennessey Performance