Hennessey cooking up 1,012-hp Jeep Trackhawk, 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds

Khodrocar - While the regular Grand Cherokee Trackhawk arrives with a Hellcat-standard 707 horsepower, HPE has massaged 1,012 hp from the SUV. For those without a calculator, that's 305 extra hp. There's also 969 pound-feet of torque on tap to really press passengers back into their seats. 

Most of the additional power comes from a 4.5-liter supercharger with the boost cranked up to 14 psi, kind of like HPE's 1,000-hp Exorcist Camaro. HPE also fits stainless-steel headers, a high-flow supercharger bypass valve, an upgraded fuel pump and injectors, and a new high-flow air induction system. All of it comes together with HPE's engine and dyno calibration to hone the power properly.

With all the extra performance upgrades, HPE says 0-60 mph arrives in just 2.8 seconds and the quarter-mile is dispatched in 10.5 seconds at 133 mph. The quarter-mile time is more than a full second quicker than a standard Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which is already seriously quick for a full-size SUV.

What will be interesting is how the all-wheel-drive system handles an extra 305 hp. Jeep was already concerned with 707 hp flowing to all four wheels, so it modified the full-time active transfer case with forged steel chain sprockets and a wider chain. This was necessary since Jeep will sell anyone a Grand Cherokee Trackhawk with a standard factory warranty. Likewise, HPE will back up its modifications with a one-year/12,000-mile warranty.