Jeep Trackhawk Handing Out Half-mile Beatings in Germany

Jeep Trackhawk outruns a VW Golf R, a Lexus SC and a Seat Leon Cupra, losing to an Audi R8.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is often touted as the quickest, fastest and best performing SUV in the U.S. It is also the best performing SUV in the world, and this video from the Gumbal YouTube channel shows how the Hellcat-powered Jeep handles popular performance cars in Germany. This footage was captured at some sort of half-mile drag racing event and while the shorter track favors the hard-launching Grand Cherokee, the American brute still shines bright against some solid overseas performance machines.

Jeep Trackhawk Stacks Up Wins

The video begins with a clip of the Jeep making a run by itself. It launches pretty well and gets down the track in a hurry, but we don’t get any numbers for this run. That makes it hard to tell just how quickly it is covering ground.

Fortunately, the second run has a competitor and some numbers. The Trackhawk takes on a Volkswagen Golf R. The compact gets a slow start and the Jeep comes screaming out of the hole, making it an easy win for the SUV. The Golf R makes the quicker pass with a half-mile run of 18.699 at 242.58 kilometers per hour while the Jeep runs a 19.239 at 222.49 kilometers per hour.

The next run is against a Lexus SC that has clearly been modified. Once again, the Trackhawk uses the four-wheel-drive system to get a huge early advantage, but in the end, the Lexus trails with a quicker time. Evidently, the European racers don’t understand the importance of a good launch. The Jeep runs an 18.9 at 223.18 kilometers per hour while the Lexus runs an 18.544 at 249.82 kilometers per hour.

The third race results in the biggest win for the Jeep. The front-wheel-drive Seat Leon Cupra R in the right lane has troubles getting away from the line, allowing the Trackhawk to win by bus-lengths. The beating is so bad that it confuses the computer and we don’t get any numbers for this run.

Supercar Beats the Jeep

Finally, the Jeep Trackhawk takes on an Audi R8 V10. This sleek supercar has all-wheel-drive and more than 600 horsepower, while weighing far less than the supercharged Jeep. The Audi is able to get off of the line just as well as the Grand Cherokee, after a delay while launch control works its magic. The Trackhawk gets an early lead, but the Audi quickly closes the gap and races to victory.

On the top end, the Jeep covered the half-mile in 19.025 seconds with a speed of 221.81 kilometers per hour. The R8 ran a stunning 17.027 at 252.8 kilometers per hour. It is disappointing to see the Jeep lose, but losing to a supercar that starts around $170,000 is far from shameful for a full-sized sports utility vehicle.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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