The BMW X6 has been around for quite some time now and its M version is one of the first such high-performance SUVs ever to come out. Today, we have contenders with high-powered V8s under the hood from a wide range of manufacturers, from the GLE 63 AMG to Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo S, but there’s a new contender out there as well and it’s coming from the United States. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is the most recent addition to the list of uber SUVs and it has a few muscles to flex.
The Trackhawk edition came to be thanks to the Dodge Challenger/Charger Hellcat models and, as you may expect, it is using the same engine to get around. The famous supercharged 6.2-liter V8 from the Hellcats is found under the hood of the Jeep, making the same 707 HP and 645 lb-ft of torque. However, the SUV also comes with all-wheel drive which is a much needed improvement over the RWD Challenger and Charger models which would send the power to the rear axle alone.
On the other side of the drag strip we have a second-generation BMW X6 M. It uses a smaller 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, making 567 HP and 553 lb-ft of torque. The Bavarian also comes with all-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Therefore, the Bavarian car sets out in this race with a deficit of 140 HP and 92 lb-ft of torque and, according to the official specs, over half a second slower to 60 mph as the Trackhawk is rated at 3.5 seconds.
However, the specs on paper are one thing while real life usually delivers drastically different results. Even on a perfect drag strip and with perfect conditions, you can end up pretty far from the claims. Then you have the reaction times of those behind the wheel and, as you’re about to see, that can make a big difference. Luckily for us, the timer didn’t set off until they broke the staging light. In the end, the difference is a lot smaller than what the specs would suggest, as you’re about to see.
