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2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk First Drive | Crazy. Good.

TAMWORTH, New Hampshire – We're tempted to tell you that the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is ridiculous. It's borderline frightening to think that we now live in a world where anybody with the money and the gumption can stroll into the nearest Jeep dealership and place an order for a 707-horsepower Hemi-powered Grand Cherokee. Let's put this slice of history into perspective. The original Jeep, the one used by the military, boasted 60 horsepower from the Go Devil four-cylinder engine under the hood. The most powerful version of the muscle car-era 426-cubic-inch Hemi was factory-rated at 425 hp. And even if that legendary powerplant was underrated from the factory, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk still obliterates it by a couple hundred horses. In an SUV. Seven-hundred-horsepower sport utility vehicle doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it? And conventional wisdom says it shouldn't. But we're here to tell you otherwise. After driving the Trackhawk in and around the streets of Portland, Maine, and taking it to Club Motorsports in New Hampshire, we're convinced that Jeep and SRT engineers have managed to defy physics and reason. The Trackhawk isn't just fast, it's also manageable. Subdued, even – at least when you want it to be. Put the hammer down, summon the nearly demonic power of supercharged combustion, and all hell breaks loose. But the tires don't. With launch control engaged and with the programmable engine speed properly chosen, the all-wheel-drive Trackhawk rockets to 60 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds, over and over and over again. No drama, no wheelspin, just g-force, pressing you and four close friends into the backs of your seats. It's addictive, and the only penalty is single-digit fuel mileage. But we'll wager a guess that anyone shopping for a Trackhawk isn't much concerned about its drinking problem. The only proper way to experience the Trackhawk's acceleration is from inside. But, to give you an idea of its speed and power, check out the videos below. Stick around for a walkaround both inside and out, and for a look under the hood. Jeep had to make a few small changes to the well-known 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 engine to shoehorn it under the hood of a Grand Cherokee. The oil pan is reshaped and baffled, the intercooler is modified, and the exhaust manifolds are new. The result is a reduction in torque from 650 pound-feet in Dodge Hellcat models to 645 in the Jeep, but we wouldn't worry about that.

A case for the Eclipse Cross | Autoblog Podcast #508

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin joins David Gluckman to new cars they're driving and supercars that have just dropped. Mike also stands up for the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross in the face of some negativity, and the episode wraps up with the traditional doling out of Spend My Money buying advice. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #508 Topics and stories we mention Our long-term Mazda Miata Honda Civic Hatchback Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Geneva Motor Show coverage Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 02:15 Eclipse Cross and Geneva Show recap - 16:45 Spend My Money - 43:58 Total Duration: 56:27 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Geneva Motor Show Honda Jeep Mazda Mitsubishi 2017 Geneva Motor Show honda civic hatchback mitsubishi eclipse cross

Jeep Wrangler to remain in Toledo, get a pickup version

Production of the Jeep Wrangler is staying in Toledo, OH, and it might be getting a pickup in the near future, according to Automotive News. Meanwhile, Cherokee production is leaving Ohio. The announcement was reportedly made to plant management earlier today. "We found a solution that accommodates a variety of other interests to us because of the way in which we can move some product around," CEO Sergio Marchionne said to Automotive News. A Jeep spokesman declined to comment to Autoblog. Right now the official details about FCA's production plans are still hazy. However, an official announcement is expected when the automaker has a deal with the UAW, which could be by Sept. 14. According to insiders speaking to AN, the Wrangler pickup would join the lineup in 2017 or 2018. While losing the Cherokee doesn't help the Toledo factory, the new pickup should take up some of the slack. It also keeps Wrangler production going in Ohio until the next-generation model launches in 2018. The Cherokee is expected to move to the Sterling Heights Assembly plant in Michigan or Belvidere Assembly in Illinois because they build vehicles on the same platform, AN reports. The future of Wrangler production has been a hot topic at the Toledo plant for the entire year. There was initial speculation that model might leave the factory if it moved to an aluminum body. However, the latest reports offered some hope of the Jeep remaining there. Last week, Autoblog's sources at FCA also said that the Wrangler pickup was coming but couldn't confirm a timeframe. Related Video: