Watch a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Race a Plane Around a Road Course

The old car-versus-plane stunt has been done to death, but SUV-versus-plane is a matchup you don’t see as often. That might be because there aren’t many sport utes that can hang with a plane. The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is one of only a handful of SUVs that might have a chance, a fact that Jeep U.K. exploited in a recent video.

The race takes place at Blyton Park Driving Center in Lincolnshire, England. The plane challenging the SRT is a Silence SA1100 Twister, a single-prop aerobatic plane with a top speed of 178 mph. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is powered by a 6.4-liter V-8 that’s tuned to make 461 hp in the U.K. (U.S.-spec models make 475 hp). Jeep says it was inspired by the HEMI engine’s plane heritage, as the original HEMI was designed for the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane of World War II. However, FCA’s modern HEMI shares little in common with the HEMI engines of yesterday.

Because the plane has to take off at the start of the race, the Grand Cherokee gets a big head start. That early lead is quickly lost once the plane gets airborne, however. Because the two vehicles are racing around a road course, the Jeep has somewhat of an advantage as the plane can’t turn as sharply. The Grand Cherokee SRT isn’t out of its element at the track with its sport-tuned suspension, six-piston Brembo brakes, and rear-biased all-wheel drive system.

Yes, it’s gimmicky. But we’ll stop reporting on matchups like these when they stop being fun to watch. Check out the video below to see which mode of transportation emerges the victor.

Source: Jeep

The post Watch a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Race a Plane Around a Road Course appeared first on Motor Trend.

from Motor Trend http://ift.tt/2cKdVXI