1985 Jeep Cj7 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Watch the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Hellcat blast off

It's all but official. Jeep will produce a Hellcat version of the Grand Cherokee with crazy horsepower. We mean crazy. Today, our spy shooters have captured video footage of this demonic creation. It's pretty short, but you can see a dark Grand Cherokee launch with vigor and then brake hard to a halt. We think we detect the whine of a supercharger amid the commotion. Jeep boss Mike Manley has said on video that the JGC Hellcat will arrive before the end of next year. Specs aren't known, but it seems likely that the Jeep Hellcat will share the blown 6.2-liter V8 used in the Charger and Challenger Hellcats. We've also heard rumors the Trackhawk name could be used for this vehicle. In those applications, the beastly Hemi pumps out 707 manic horsepower. Really, why wouldn't you do this? Jeep sales surged 22 percent around the world last year to 1.2 million, the brand's best year ever. Clearly, Jeep decided it was time to add an extreme performance vehicle. Jeep already sells an SRT model that pumps out 475 hp, so adding a top-end Hellcat seems logical. And a Hell of a lot of fun. Related Video:

The future's electric — but the present is peak gasoline. Burn some rubber! Do donuts!

I vividly remember the year 1993 as a teenager looking forward to getting my driver’s license, longingly staring into Pontiac dealerships at every opportunity for a chance to see the brand-new fourth-generation Firebird and Trans Am. Back then, 275 horsepower, courtesy of GMÂ’s LT1 5.7-liter V8 engine, was breathtaking. A few years later, when Ram Air induction systems freed up enough fresh air to boost power over 300 ponies, I figured we were right back where my fatherÂ’s generation left off when the seminal muscle car era ended around the year 1974. It couldn't get any better than that. I was wrong. Horsepower continued climbing, prices remained within reach of the average new-car buyer looking for cheap performance, and a whole new level of muscular magnitude continued widening eyes of automotive enthusiasts all across the United States. It was all ushered in by cheap gasoline prices. And as much as petrolheads bemoan the coming wave of electric vehicles, perhaps instead now would be a good time for critics to sit back and enjoy the current and likely final wave of internal combustion. Today, itÂ’s easier than ever to park an overpowered rear-wheel-drive super coupe or sedan in your driveway. Your nearest Chevy dealership will happily sell you a Camaro with as much as 650 horsepower. Not enough? Take a gander at the Ford showroom and youÂ’ll find a herd of Mustangs up to 760 ponies. Or if nothing but the most powerful will do, waltz on over to the truly combustion-obsessed sales team of a Dodge dealer and relish in the glory of a 797-hp Charger or 807-hp Challenger. Want some more luxury to go with your overgrown stable of horses? Try Cadillac, where you'll find a 668-horsepower CT5-V Blackwing. You could instead choose to wrap that huffin' and chuggin' V8 in an SUV. Or go really off the rails and buy a Ram TRX or Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 and hit the dunes after a quick stop at the drag strip. Go pump some gas. Burn a little rubber. Do donuts! There is nothing but your pocketbook keeping you from buying the V8-powered car of your dreams. Yes, just about every major automaker in the world has halted development of future internal combustion engines in favor of gaining expertise in batteries and electric motors. No, that doesnÂ’t mean that gasoline is going extinct. There are going to be gas stations dotting American cities and highways for the rest of our lifetimes.

FCA to test Jeep car-sharing and other pilots

Fiat Chrysler plans to launch a trio of pilot programs in Boston aimed at boosting sales of its Jeep cash cow and other brands, according to media reports. The programs, which involve car-sharing and subscription services, are expected to roll out starting this month. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that Jeep is launching two small pilot programs in Boston — one in which owners can rent out their Jeeps through peer-to-peer car-sharing startup Turo, the other a three-month subscription service in partnership with Avis Budget Group in which owners can swap their Jeeps for other vehicles, like a Ram 1500 pickup or a Dodge Challenger. There's also a third program in the works, according to Motor Authority. It's called "Car Borrowing" and it's also a partnership with Avis. According to the report, it'll allow Jeep owners in Boston starting next month to purchase six "Jeep Coins," each good for a one-day rental of most Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles, valid for a year. Participants will be able to pick up the borrowed vehicles or have them delivered. The former two programs will reportedly be limited to the first 100 owners who register for each. Jeep brand manager Tim Kuniskis says the programs will help develop new prospective customers and help generate customer feedback to see whether the programs are right for the brand and could be offered at the dealerships at the point of sale. Avis would supply the inventory in the subscription pilot, and participants would be able to swap models up to six times in three months, two with delivery and the remainder by picking them up. It wasn't clear what services would be offered with the program. In a blog post, Turo CEO Andre Haddad said the "Jeep Freedom Experience" program was aimed at introducing Jeep enthusiasts to new models of mobility and was a natural fit, since Jeep models "have long been among the most popular vehicles for guests on Turo," and the Wrangler and Cherokee rank tops in the company's recent study ranking vehicles based on their potential return by sharing them on the platform. "As Turo hosts, Jeep buyers can get help covering their payments, offset the cost of ownership entirely, or even turn a profit," Haddad wrote.