2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland on 2040-cars

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Jeep spied testing Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is coming. We know this, because Mike Manley, the head of Jeep, said so. We showed you this brief spy video a while back, but now we have our clearer images of the Trackhawk undergoing testing. And it looks just like a normal Grand Cherokee SRT. Yeah, anti-climactic, we know. The four shots we have show a bit of camo over the front bumper and grille, likely concealing a tweaked design or visible bits of the 6.2-liter, supercharged V8. It looks like there's a rather substantial opening below the upper grille, almost like a ram-air system. There's also a smidge of what looks like tape on the front wheel arches, although this might not mean much of anything. What's interesting is what isn't here. There's no perceivable change to the back of the car. The exhaust pipes look like they're about the same size, there's no noticeable changes to the aerodynamics, and in fact, there's not even any camouflage. Jeep also hasn't updated the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk's hood, which is somewhat surprising considering the changes for every other Hellcat-equipped vehicle (concepts included). You can check out our earliest look at the Trackhawk up top. As for when this monstrous Grand Cherokee will debut, we're expecting it to arrive sometime in 2017, perhaps on FCA's home turf at the Detroit Auto Show. Related Video:

Watch a Jeep CJ get disassembled and reassembled in minutes

Movie buffs! Remember the scene in the James Bond film 007: The Living Daylights where Timothy Dalton's character slices the floorpan off a police Lada using a laser, and when the driver hits the brakes the Lada's body simply jumps off its axles? That scene was immediately brought to mind as I watched this clip of eight Canadian mechanics disassembling a slightly modified Jeep in a matter of seconds. Having driven the Jeep to a complete stop, the technicians start unbolting it until the body lifts off the frame and the engine can be hauled away. It only took half a minute to turn the Jeep into just a chassis on wheels. As repair manuals say, refitting is the reversal of removal. Apparently the technicians have now honed their mechanical choreography to the point that the Jeep can be disassembled and reassembled in two minutes and 39 seconds; while I expect a great number of bolts having been removed beforehand and the likelihood of the Jeep falling to pieces with a sharp braking being significant, it is definitely impressive. It also reminds me of someone driving an old, dodgy car, having learned all its kinks to be able to keep it running. According to a Reddit thread, the pre-modified "Jifty Jeep" has been built (and taken apart, and rebuilt) by the School of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) for exactly this purpose. The team travels all around Canada to practice their show, trying to shave seconds off their record. There are worse hobbies.

Jeep Wrangler pickup spy photos reveal production truck bed

The last time we saw the Wrangler pickup undergoing testing, it was sporting a strange pre-production bed that looked as though it had been pulled off a Ram 1500. It seems development has progressed since then, because, despite the heavy camouflage, the Wrangler in these spy photos is definitely carrying a production-ready bed. Unlike the earlier test bed, this bed has sides that are the same width as the cab, and the top of the bed matches up with the body line on the cab. The bed is properly boxy and straight-edged like a Wrangler, too. It looks quite good, and actually very similar to the custom AEV Brute. However, unlike the Brute, the traditional plastic wheel arch flares seen below the camo extend farther forward, and the angle of the flares' forward edges match those of the rear doors. The rest of the truck is rather well covered, so there aren't many more details to glean from the photos. There is a very large rear window, which should be good for visibility. Even though the roof is covered, we expect a removable roof of some sort is hiding underneath, since the previous prototype had removable panels like those on the current Wrangler Unlimited. We also expect a turbocharged four-cylinder and a naturally aspirated V6 to be offered as engines on this and other new Wranglers, as well as the possibility of a diesel of some sort. As for when we'll see the Wrangler pickup, we would expect a reveal in early- to mid-2019, with trucks appearing on lots in very late 2019 or early 2020. This is based on a report from The Detroit News that says production will begin in 2019. Related Video: