I’m driving a 707-horsepower Jeep this week. It makes no sense. It defies physics through the sheer monstrous power of its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine. It costs $90,000. The fuel economy is in the single digits.
It’s hilarious, dumb, amazing, childish, and wonderful all at the same time. Do we really need a vehicle like this to exist?
I say yes, because the combustion engine needs to go out with a few more high notes before electrification is the standard. But what say you?
Hooniverse Asks: Do we *need* the Jeep Trackhawk to exist?
About
17 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: Do we *need* the Jeep Trackhawk to exist?”
-
Why not ? Pricewise you could buy two other new Jeeps for what this cost , but who cares. I remember wondering who needed a Hemi-Cuda when they came out and then I drove one. Sheer crazy fast.
-
Need it to exist? Of course we do.
That doesn’t mean I can buy one, but who are we to prevent some other hoon from having fun?
And I have commuted in cars that got single digit MPG figures. I still paid less for gas than some people lose in depreciation over a similar time frame. No big deal. -
It’s because we can – it’s all that’s necessary.
-
Define “need”? Would it bother anyone if they were delivered in a mandatory US flag paint scheme?
Yes, I’m jealous. Norwegian taxes would add the GDP of Ghana to that 90k$ purchase price, and the #1 spot of backtalk among your Tesla X driving neighbours would be guaranteed.-
Don’t worry, you can use it to transport those Tesla X driving neighbors when those Falcon Doors fail – again.
-
-
Some may philosophize on the meaning of “need”. They clearly don’t have 700 horsepower in a regular passenger vehicle at their disposal.
-
Intellectually, it’s the very last thing we need. It’s vaguely abhorrent that, rather than pursuing
the furtherance of the car with a view to creating a world-beating machine that’ll firmly establish FCA as a truly relevant name on the global scene, ‘HELLCAT ALL THE THINGS’ is the gameplan.
On the other hand, as Jeff says, might as well have a party on deck while the ship goes down.-
I think Jeff was referring to the internal combustion engine heading for Neptune’s locker, not FCA (whose demise seems much more imminent).
-
Yeah, I caught that, but I still think it’s a shame that little ‘one upmanship’ projects like this distract car makers from actually moving the game on.
-
More like FCA distracting others that they are not moving the game on…
-
There are leaders in every industry – those who uhderstand the market and how to attain and retain a desirable position. Then there are those who manage to stay afloat seemingly despite themselves. The bouyancy of scale and constituent interests (work forces, governments, investors/lenders and home markets) can prolong failure for years or even decades. FCA is in the latter group.
-
-
Correct
-
-
I dunno, if Chrysler had Hellcatted the Pacifica, it may have been a contender in my family-ride consideration list. (Just kidding, but for hauling kids, a 375-hp AWD minivan does sound legitimately appealing to me– far more so than a CUV.)
-
-
The world is, and always has been, filled with pointless baubles for the wealthy. This is no different.
Do we even need 300 bhp minivans, F350’s with more torque than last decade’s big rig? Do we need AR-15s? Do we need hard liquor? Do we need endless free online porn?
Of course not…but most of use will fight for our right to have such things. -
It’s hilarious for sure, but a high note for combustion? Not really, it’s exactly the big sort of heavy thing that justifies electrification and the million torques that go with it.
We need a few sub-900KG naturally aspirated things to remind us what electric power can’t do better yet, or may never do better. -
We don’t need it, and I wouldn’t buy one even if I could afford it, but I’m glad it’s available.
As a teen, I recall telling my father I was going to pull the tired 6-cylinder from my 1980 AMC Spirit GT and shoehorn in a 360 V8 from a J-10 pickup that I found for sale. He asked me why I thought I needed that much torque, to which I replied, “I don’t, but I think it’d be fun.” We proceeded to do it, and I’m glad we did. Likewise, I’m glad FCA is doing what they’re doing, even if it’s just for the hell of it. -
I bought Jeep SRT8 2013 back in 2013 brand new and rarely using it has only 5100 miles. I have other cars also for here in Beirut LEBANON with our bad and congested roads these high performance vehicles are Overkill in my opinion
Leave a Reply