Chrysler is recalling certain 2014 model year Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs to fix an electrical problem that may turn off parking lights. A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected by the safety recall at 4,458. The recall affects non-SRT trimmed 2014 Jeep Grand… …read more
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Chrysler’s spate of successful products is about to be marred by a trio of recalls. The Pentastar is recalling 51,477 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there have been no reported accidents, injuries or deaths related to the affected vehicles.
The largest action covers the Ram 1500, which is seeing 45,961 trucks being recalled. Models built between June 26, 2012 and February 5, 2013 are being recalled due to a potential software issue in the electronic stability control. Apparently, the system can be randomly deactivated upon vehicle startup.
Chrysler is also recalling 4,458 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee models. Covering everything but the SRT models, the potentially defective SUVs were built between January 14 and March 20, 2013. This recall focuses on “premium headlights,” which means cars equipped with LED running lights. During the switch from the bright daytime running lamp setting to the low-intensity parking light setting, an electrical spike can cause one of the Jeep’s computers to go into a safe mode, turning off the LEDs. This violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Finally, Chrysler is recalling 1,058 Ram 4500 and 5500 heavy-duty pickups. The action covers vehicles manufactured between January 22 and March 8, 2013 due to an incorrect bolt attaching the track bar to the frame. If the bolt breaks or falls off while driving, drivers may lose control of the vehicle.
Owners of effected models will be notified to report to their dealers for free repairs or retrofits, with all three recalls kicking off in August.
Continue reading Chrysler recalls 2013 Ram pickups, 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Chrysler recalls 2013 Ram pickups, 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jul 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This is why we love Ralph Gilles. While in Italy hanging out with a group of Viper Club members in Europe, the SRT boss took the time to respond to a question directed at him on Instagram in regards to the future of Dodge.
Recent reports have painted a bleak picture for Dodge, but Gilles defended Chrysler’s full-line brand by stating that the rumors are, “all rumors, Dodge is here to stay! It may get more focused going forward but not killed!” The idea of a “more focused” Dodge brand could lend some credibility to reports that the Grand Caravan and Durango are on their way out, which would leave Dodge solely as a car, or car-based, automaker.
Ralph Gilles responds to Dodge rumors, says brand is ‘here to stay’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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By Zach Bowman
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Paint colors are a big deal for any automaker, and choosing hues for a specific brand can take as much fretting and focus as nearly any other aspect of vehicle design. For SRT, that means finding colors that cooperate with everything from the high-performance Grand Cherokee SRT8 SUV and the Chrysler 300 SRT8 sports sedan, to the wilder Charger SRT8, Challenger SRT8 and Viper. That range requires more than a little breadth, and Jim Parker, Head of Exterior Color at Chrysler, recently took the time to sit down for a little video to talk about what goes on in the SRT Color Kitchen.
What start out as computer-generated images move to paint samples from a supplier, which then get sprayed on more complex shapes. From there, SRT may spray a whole car to see how the color looks in the flesh before ever giving the hue the nod for production. You can check out the video below to see how it goes for yourself.
Continue reading See how SRT cooks up new paint colors in its ‘kitchen’
See how SRT cooks up new paint colors in its ‘kitchen’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In one of the most interesting roundtable discussions we’ve seen in quite some time, the boys from Motor Trend, along with pro racing driver Randy Pobst, sat down with SRT head honcho Ralph Gilles to discuss the 2014 Viper. And the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, naturally. As you may remember, Motor Trend has filmed two videos pitting the latest Viper from SRT against the standard-bearing ZR1, with the Viper losing the first battle but barely eking out a victory with the upgraded TA model in the second.
A few interesting tidbits sneak out regarding the Viper, such as the fact that an ACR model isn’t ready “yet,” as well as the story of how the TA model came into existence after the first test by Motor Trend. Apparently, that test also resulted in a slight softening of the regular Viper’s suspension for production. Interestingly, Gilles doesn’t seem ready to admit defeat even in that first testing session, saying that the Viper used by MT was a pre-production model and that it had been out of alignment – that said, he does offer up an apology of sorts for “throwing gas on the fire” on social networks after the video hit the web.
Moving away from the Viper toward the end of the discussion, Gilles touches on the new Camaro Z28 and mentions that “the Challenger is under the knife as we speak… and we’re going to come with an answer to [the Z28] and an answer for our friends at Ford.” That sounds mighty intriguing… though Gilles also admits that a Cuda isn’t coming “anytime soon,” but that it is “a couple years out” on a different platform than the Challenger. Fortunately, it sounds like the next-generation of the Challenger SRT will make an appearance in New York in 2014.
There are plenty more interesting tidbits in the video, so we suggest you take about 20 minutes of at the end of your day to watch it yourself. Scroll down below to watch it, along with the two MT videos comparing the Viper and ZR1 at Laguna Seca.
Continue reading SRT’s Ralph Gilles addresses the infamous Motor Trend Viper vs. ZR1 test
SRT’s Ralph Gilles addresses the infamous Motor Trend Viper vs. ZR1 test originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Almost a year to the day after SRT president and CEO Ralph Gilles first introduced – and kissed the fender of – the 2013 SRT Viper at the 2012 New York Auto Show, the high-performance coupe has begun shipping to dealers. The first production cars started rolling off the line at Chrysler’s Conner Avenue Assembly plant in Detroit back in January (a facility Gilles lovingly compares to Santa’s workshop), but The Detroit News is reporting that the cars just started heading to customers across the US on Sunday.
Two of the first examples destined for driveways include a Stryker Red example that was the very 2013 Viper to be sold (the car was won by Scott Thomas of Oklahoma City at a Barrett-Jackson charity auction for cancer for $300,000), along with a white example headed to Gilles’ personal collection. The report says that Gilles took delivery of his Viper and put just 30 miles on it before heading to New York for this week’s auto show. What, he didn’t drive?
Chrysler begins shipping 2013 SRT Viper originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As if the 2013 SRT Viper GTS hasn’t stirred up enough excitement, SRT has created a more specialized version of the car designed to attack any track. On display at the New York Auto Show, the 2014 Viper TA has been enhanced for even better track duty, but production will be limited to just 33 units when it goes on sale later this year.
Obvious changes to SRT‘s flagship performance car include upgraded Brembo brakes, a carbon fiber x-brace under the hood and carbon fiber front and rear spoilers – the latter aero changes providing about 300 pounds of additional downforce at speed. Oh, and if you didn’t notice, the car will only be offered in this eye-blazing Crusher Orange paint job with black, lightweight wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires. The black-only interior gets similar contrasting orange stitching all over to bring some color indoors.
Less obvious changes include a revised two-mode Bilstein suspension that is firmer than the standard Viper GTS to begin with, and has a “smaller spread between the modes,” suggesting that even though the car is road-legal, it’s likely to be a pretty extreme ride. Asis the case with “lesser” Vipers, the TA relies on the 8.4-liter V10 to churn out 640 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. Scroll down to watch a new video of the TA and to read the official press release.
Continue reading 2014 SRT Viper TA attacks Manhattan [w/video]
2014 SRT Viper TA attacks Manhattan [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The 2013 New York auto show is ramping up in the frigid northeast, but on the other side of the country in California, things are hot at the annual Spring Festival, held for owners of LX-platform Chrysler models. (For those not in the know, those are the Dodge Challenger and Charger, as well as the Chrysler 300.) Things got even hotter, however, when SRT revealed an all-new 392 appearance package for the 2013 Dodge Charger SRT8 as well as a 300-based SRT concept.
Dodge Charger SRT8 392
The 392 moniker isn’t new—Dodge recently slapped it on the Challenger SRT8 for 2011 to create a special edition, later melding that car into the regular Challenger SRT8 lineup—and it’s a nod to the Chrysler’s 1950s 392 engines. (OK, so the SRT-specific 6.4-liter Hemi V-8′s displacement is actually 391 cubic inches, but what’s a little advantageous rounding among friends?) But this is the first time the 392 name has been applied to the Charger SRT8 sedan. Besides getting a 392 badge on each front fender, the limited-edition Charger’s hood bulge, roof, rear spoiler, and mirrors are painted black. The wheels are the same 20-inchers offered on the regular SRT8, but painted a black chrome finish, and there is a black stripe package that runs above the rocker panels.
The appearance kit will be available with five exterior paint colors: Bright White, Billet Silver, Plum Crazy, Hemi Orange, and TorRed. Mechanically, the Charger SRT8 is untouched, meaning it sports a 470-hp V-8 mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. Based on our testing, this combo is good for some impressive performance stats. Inside, there is a serialized plaque affixed to the dashboard showing which number the car is out of the 392 that will be built this year and next. Finally, for those lucky enough to get their hands on a Charger 392—SRT will start taking orders in April—the privilege will cost $2495 over the cost of a regular example. If the looks matter to you, the price won’t.
Chrysler 300 SRT Concept
In addition to the Charger SRT8 392 package, SRT also debuted a Chrysler 300 SRT8–based concept car just for Spring Fest fans. The mean-looking 300 wears a non-metallic grayish-blue paint job, gets blacked-out trim, and black chrome wheels. According to Chrysler, the 300 SRT concept doesn’t preview any specific upcoming model or trim package, but merely was created as a treat for Spring Festival attendees. Still, we think it looks pretty bad-ass—or at least the front-end does. We just wish Chrysler had supplied a few more photos.
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Our man Steven J. Ewing recently spent some time in a 2013 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee, and while he found a lot to love – particularly underhood – he didn’t care for the sedan’s retro-steeped visuals, preferring the standard SRT‘s look instead. Perhaps he’ll dig this throwback look instead. Over the weekend, Chrysler unveiled this handsome 2013 Dodge Charger SRT8 392 Appearance Package at the eighth annual Spring Festival of LXs, a gathering of Charger, Challenger and Chrysler 300 enthusiasts held in Irvine, California.
Unveiled by SRT CEO Ralph Gilles in front of an estimated 2,500 Spring Fest goers, the 392 features 20-inch Black Vapor Chrome alloys set off by a black-painted roof panel, hood bulge, spoiler and mirror caps. Additional exterior changes include model-specific striping and badging along with the requisite serialized dash plaque inside. The 392 will be available in five colors – Billet Silver Metallic, Bright White, Hemi Orange, Plum Crazy and the TorRed pain seen here.
Performance-wise, the 392 remains unchanged from standard SRT8s, but that’s hardly a slight – the 6.4 liter Hemi V8 continues to churn out 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. Like other 2013 SRT8s, the 392 benefits from the institution of a new launch control system and a retuned three-mode adaptive suspension.
The 392 package will make for a rare beast – just 392 examples are planned between the 2013 and 2014 model years, with dealers slated to begin taking orders in April. Interested? Ordering your SRT8 with 392 limited-edition frosting will cost an addition $2,495 on top of the SRT8’s $45,250 base price and $995 delivery fee.
In related news, Chrysler also used Irvine’s LX Fest to test the waters of a 300 SRT Concept which featured a non-metallic paint trimmed by blacked-out mirror caps, taillamps and window surrounds. The Black Vapor Chrome wheels have also been given a matte finish. While purely a concept for the moment, we’d be shocked if something like this didn’t show up in dealers sooner rather than later.
Continue reading Chrysler unveils Dodge Charger SRT8 392, 300 SRT Concept to the faithful
Chrysler unveils Dodge Charger SRT8 392, 300 SRT Concept to the faithful originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A report in The Wall Street Journal looks at some of the obstacles to the 2014 Jeep Cherokee that go beyond its mootable yet “very contemporary” looks, almost all of them based on Fiat’s financial position. Starting with that sheetmetal, in defense of it SRT president Ralph Gilles and Jeep design head Mark Allen said they wanted to “make sure the design still looks modern five years from now.”
The WSJ piece doesn’t cite longevity as a factor, instead saying that its features originated in a design for an Alfa Romeo, the transformation into a Jeep design meant allowing Chrysler get it to market more quickly and save “hundreds of millions of dollars” in engineering.
The need for Fiat to save money while it weathers the European situation has cut budgets for development, engineering and the pace of retooling the Toledo, Ohio plant to build the Cherokee. In a familiar case of snowballing at work, among the effects will be pushing back the Cherokee’s volume sales date and delaying updates to some of Chrysler’s other products.
Things will get better when Chrysler can work through its program and get the Cherokee to dealers in bulk – especially if it finds it really can sell 250,000 per year – but the hurdles won’t help the financials in the short term.
Jeep Cherokee faces on-sale delay originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Mar 2013 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog
Ah, spring, when a young man’s thoughts turn from the cold, dark struggle of winter to busting across the sun-kissed Utah landscape in a kick-ass 4×4. For devotees of the Jeep brand, the annual Moab Jeep Safari not only is an off-roaders dream vacation, but also an opportunity to check out some of the wilder concept vehicles the Jeep brand and its Mopar associates have been brewing up during the winter. This year the pair took a half-dozen vehicles—three from Jeep, three from Mopar—and went to work, reconvening at Chrysler’s HQ in Auburn Hills for a final shakedown before shipping out for Moab. Although the FC Concept and the J10 retro-truck from last year’s outing didn’t leave much turf in left field unturned for 2013, the teams still managed to put together a mighty impressive group of vehicles made from equal parts dreams and ingenuity, while hinting at products to come. Here’s the lineup:
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk II Concept
Arguably the most impressive thing about the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk II (pictured above) is how good it looks in person. Despite wearing jumbo-sized 35-inch Mickey Thompson tires on 17-inch wheels, the concept received no lift kit or suspension mods. To fit the tires, Jeep simply got busy with the Sawzall and opened up the wheel wells until the super-sized blackwall tires fit. Teamed with the custom flares and blood-orange paint, the results are ruggedly handsome. A 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 with a Banks Engineering exhaust provides motivation to the tune of 420 lb-ft of torque. Exterior mods include a Grand Cherokee SRT hood, SRT front and rear fascias that have been modified for extra ground clearance, a blacked-out grille, a matte-black roof, and one-off custom roof rails. Custom front and rear skid plates, dual rear tow hooks, and modified Mopar rock rails finish off the package. All in, this is one Grand Cherokee that means business.
Jeep Wrangler Flat Top
This is what your gramps would call an “immaculate chop.” No ragged edges, no ungainly transitions, just a two-inch drop in roof height that looks so clean that you’d need a stocker next to it to illustrate is radicalness. To achieve it, Jeep clipped the windshield and removed the B-pillar, which, in turn, necessitated removing all side glass, and then put it all back together. It may sound easy, but there are no plans for the aftermarket. The exterior is finished in metallic sandstone with copper and brown accents. The hood and bumpers are customized versions from the Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary model, and a massive Warn Zeon winch and a TeraFlex spare-tire carrier round off the exterior enhancements.
Power comes from a stock 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 and a six-speed manual with a Mopar exhaust. A Mopar/Dynatrac Prorock 44 axle sits in front, a 60 in the rear, both out fitted with 5.38 gears and ARB lockers. Thirty-seven–inch Mickey Thompson tires provide the height without a lift kit, while the suspension is beefed up with King remote reservoir shocks, pneumatic bump stops, and …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver
It’s no secret that many Viper owners have an affinity for taking their beastly sports cars to the track, despite—or, more likely, because of—the car’s infamously unique driving experience. The Viper has always made drivers work hard to reach its high limits, and the car can mercilessly punish mistakes. The latest Viper, resurrected for 2013, has tamed some of these demons, but it can hardly be considered soft. To keep the car’s hairy-chested image strong, SRT is turning out a new track-oriented Viper TA and debuting it at the 2013 New York auto show. READ MORE ››
By Darryl
With every new automotive product comes the fine-tuned scrutiny of publications when they put them to the test. Case in point, Motor Trend recently put the new SRT Viper through its paces and pitted it against the current Corvette ZR1. They took it to the infamous Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway where the ZR1 came away with the over-all win at helm of the ever-so-consistent driver Randy Pobst.
The results, despite Randy Pobst hinting at his “…hard time with cars that don’t handle well,” ended up in a preverbal up-setter on the SRT side with SRT CEO Ralph Gilles in an upset state of mind. As an answer by Gilles and his team, SRT shot back in the end with an updated Viper dubbed the Viper TA, TA standing for Time Attack. The SRT Viper TA looks to be a track-focused version standard with the Carbon Fiber Aero Package (adds a functional two-way front splitter and rear wing adding 300 pounds of downforce at 150mph, re-worked suspension (different spring rates), the Track Package taken a step further (lighter brakes about twice as thick, lighter matte wheels, Pirelli P Zero Corsa performance tires) and it even gets emblem stickers to save weight. Over-all, the Viper TA is said to be about 11 pounds lighter than the base SRT Viper.
To conclude, the Viper TA put the smack-down on the track as Randy Pobst took the wheel setting a production car record around the Laguna Seca Raceway, beating the Corvette ZR1’s time by just .08 seconds.
Hit up the Motor Trend video below for the full recap and test run of the SRT Viper TA, which there will be only 33 fine examples produced and sold in 2013 at a price of about $116,000.
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Ready for round two? Friend of Autoblog and Motor Trend personality Jonny Lieberman has helped SRT whip the covers off the new Viper TA (which stands for Time Attack, apparently) by putting professional racecar driver Randy Pobst behind the wheel and pointing him at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with cameras in tow.
What those cameras captured includes plenty of footage of a Crusher Orange SRT Viper TA running amok at The Corkscrew and generally bludgeoning the race track into submission. Updates to the Viper package for TA duty include bigger brakes from Brembo, a Carbon Fiber Aero Package that includes a massive rear wing and a Track Package that boasts better wheels and Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires.
Weight savings are found via a new carbon fiber X-brace underhood along with badges that have been replaced with stickers (seriously). Perhaps most importantly, the TA comes equipped with the two-mode remote reservoir shocks seen on the more expensive GTS. While the GTS offers Street and Track modes, the TA goes a step further with Smooth and Rough settings – no Street mode here.
The result? According to Motor Trend, the TA is the fastest Viper it’s ever tested, reaching 60 miles per hour in 3.3 seconds and a quarter-mile ET of 11.3 seconds at 129.3 mph. But is the TA good enough to beat the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, the car that beat the Viper the last time MT put them together at Laguna Seca? Scroll down below to find out, and join us in waiting for round three, when Chevy releases the next generation of its Corvette for the track.
Continue reading Viper TA track-special unveiled to avenge loss to ZR1 [w/video]
Viper TA track-special unveiled to avenge loss to ZR1 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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I can pinpoint the exact moment when I fell in love with this car. It was starting down a nearly straight entrance ramp at 15 miles per hour when I buried the throttle. In a moment, I was thrown back into my seat as the big SRT8’s engine came to life with commensurate sound, fury and force, bringing me up to 75 mph in what felt like two blinks of an eye. This thing feels so much quicker than its 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque would lead you to believe. And mashing the right pedal never, ever gets old.
But beyond sheer speed, I found a whole lot to like about the Charger SRT8 during my week with the Pitch Black test car here in Detroit. And while the whole Super Bee kit isn’t really my style, it’s really easy to overlook those badges for a package that offers so much for so little.
Driving Notes
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Choose Your Own Adventure… But Choose Wisely
Jeep has got you covered. We can say this without even having to know what it is you want, because there’s hardly an option or configuration that you won’t find in the 2014 Grand Cherokee. There are three different engines, three different four-wheel-drive systems (plus rear-wheel drive), four different trim levels – not counting SRT – two different suspension setups and five different settings for various off-road terrain conditions. If you happen to check the box for Quadra-Lift, you’ll also have five different ride-height settings for the driver-selectable air suspension.
As you might expect with so many customization possibilities, the way a buyer checks the options sheet can have a profound effect on the final product and its capabilities, to say nothing of its price. Nowhere is that more true than with the Grand Cherokee‘s choice of engines, with the brand-new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 stealing the spotlight from the still excellent gasoline-fueled 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and 5.7-liter Hemi V8 powerplants that carry over from last year. No matter which engine you choose, though, it will be paired up with Jeep’s new standard eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF. This, ladies and gentlemen, is very good news indeed.
We took to the ranch lands surrounding Austin, Texas at Jeep’s invitation to put the 2014 Grand Cherokee through its paces, both on road and off. Read on for our initial report card.
Continue reading 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Motor Trend has got word that an SRT Viper ACR – the acronym for American Club Racing – is headed for a reveal in 2014. However, at the same time as SRT is working to maximize the model’s performance, the report says there’s an internally imposed performance ceiling on at least one aspect of the super coupe that will keep it from being all the Viper it could be.
Having watched other super sports cars go super fast on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires – MT cites the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 as the prime example – SRT is looking to Pirelli for a set of rubber that improves on the Viper’s P-Zero Corsas. Where the Viper ACR will be restrained is its power-to-weight ratio; rumor is that bosses at parent company Fiat have decreed that the Viper cannot outdo the 5.2-pounds-per-horsepower of the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. It’s also rumored that Ferrari doesn’t want the Viper to have more power than the 731 horsepower of the F12, even though SRT has said it would be “relatively easy” to increase output from the current 640 hp.
The last Viper ACR didn’t get more oomph under the hood, so there should be plenty of ways to navigate Ferrari sensitivities. However, the last Viper club racer did offer a Hardcore Package that dropped weight by 40 pounds. If the specific power-to-weight number really is a bright line for the coupe’s development, it will be interesting to see if such a package is offered again and how SRT manages it.
Will Fiat cap performance of 2014 SRT Viper ACR out of fear for Ferrari? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog
Filed under: Performance, SUV, Jeep, First Drives
Fun Thrown In The Face Of Conventional Wisdom
Let’s talk asses for a moment. What do they have to do with the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, you ask?
Well, we’re here to tell you that this SRT can haul some. Lots of them, as a matter of fact: Jeep has increased the towing capacity of its most powerful SUV to 7,200 pounds. Assuming the average donkey weighs about 400 pounds, the Grand Cherokee SRT can haul ass to the tune of 18 burros, give or take a covered trailer or so, which is significantly more than it could in previous years. In 2013, the machine could manage 5,000 pounds, while the first generation was rated at just 3,500. The increase is mostly attributable to a new eight-speed automatic transmission and beefier rear axle, and it’s a welcome update for those who’d like to use their SUV as, well, an SUV with an emphasis on utility.
You’ll be pleased to know that this isn’t the only kind of ass hauling the 2014 Grand Cherokee SRT is capable – it can also accelerate really, really quickly – 0-60 in 4.8 seconds to go along with quarter mile times in the low 13-second range and a top speed of 160 miles per hour. That’s extraordinary for a vehicle of this ilk – and the run to 60 matches that of the last-gen model despite an extra shift taking place due to the new gearbox. Passing performance is even more impressive, as evidenced by a 35-75 mph sprint that’s almost four seconds quicker than it was last year, again, thanks to the extra three gears in the transmission. It goes without saying that the 470 horses grazing on premium unleaded and spitting out 465 pound-feet of torque are also responsible for these accelerative antics, along with the full-time four-wheel-drive system called Selec-Track, which provides more traction than the most stubborn mule in the animal kingdom.
We’ve been rather fond of previous versions of this menacing machine, and with a slew of meaningful enhancements on the menu for the 2014 model year, we took to the track at the brand-new and most excellent Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas at the invitation of Jeep to find out just how Grand the iconic Cherokee nameplate has become.
Continue reading 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog
By John Lamm
If Jeep’s Grand Cherokee didn’t have enough iterations—including gas V-6 or V-8, rear- or four-wheel drive, fire-breathing SRT, etc.—the model’s 2014 refresh brings with it a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6. The update also includes new exterior lighting, re-sculpted front and rear styling, and an updated interior. READ MORE ››
2013 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SRT8 BRIGHT WHITE ALPINE SPECIAL EDITION
‘BLACKED OUT ON WHITE’
With so many full-size, high-performance sport utility vehicles on the market and to keep consumers coming back to the fabled brand, Jeep introduces for model year 2013 a new, exclusive Special Edition Bright White ‘Alpine’ Grand Cherokee SRT8. It is loaded to the gills and is the ultimate performance SUV.
The unique bright white ‘Alpine’ paint scheme comes with black gloss trim up front, on the sides and in the rear, no chrome here. The new front fascia features a black Jeep hood badge, a black seven slot grille surround and inserts, Bi-Xenon headlamp clusters with a black surround, black incased premium projector beam foglamps combined with a strip of LEDs for the daytime running lamps, and a black lower air-intake with scoops at the sides with a L-shaped chrome surround to cool the giant brake rotors. The side view shows a black Grand Cherokee door badge, black low-profile roof rails, sideview mirrors with black gloss at the bottom, the only chrome trim located around the greenhouse, deep lower side extensions, and new aggressively styled Black Vapor Chrome finish on the 5-spoke 20X10 inch forged alloy wheels wrapped with Pirelli 295/45ZR20 inch Scorpion Verde all-season run-flat tires. The unique rear features a blacked out Jeep badge on the center of the black gloss strip that mates the big wraparound lamp clusters, a black rear light bar and step pad, and a chrome SRT8 badge with black lettering on the power liftgate. Up top is a spoiler to enhance rear downforce and increase stability. Down below is a black gloss diffuser with 4 inch black gloss trumpet shaped dual exhaust finishers. The power dome hood features two working heat extractors with black screens.
Standard features in the new SRT8 ‘Alpine’ that I tested includes premium leather door trim panels, instrument cluster, dashboard, dash shelf, leather trimmed with suede accents, Nappa leather, 8-way power adjustable/heated/cooled, SRT styled deeply cut bucket seats with power lumbar support, black/gray carbon fiber trim on the doors, instrument panel, dashboard each sitting in chrome channels, an aluminum metallic around the side air-vents, center stack and center console with dual cup-holders and a two-tiered storage box with a padded armrest, heated rear seats, ambient lighting, power liftgate, and an exclusive, beefy, power tilt/telescoping and heated leather-wrapped/chrome sheathed SRT flat bottom steering wheel with paddle shifters for hands-on-the-wheel shifting both on road and at the racetrack. My Grand Cherokee SR8 ‘Alpine’ came with the optional rear DVD entertainment video system with headphones and remote control, one-touch power sunroof and a monster SRT high-performance Harman-Kardon Logic 7 GreenEdge amplifier with 19-speakers and a subwoofer. Standard safety systems include adaptive cruise control, forward warning, cross path detection and Blind-spot Monitoring. This new ‘Alpine’ edition is loaded with luxury and the latest infotainment/safety features but there is even more in store inside and under the stunning sheet metal.
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