Have a need for speed? Check out these options
While the 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon may have stolen the New York International Auto Show, it was by no means the only draw for speed enthusiasts. Nissan and Porsche are usual suspects in the high-speed performance game, but Jeep has now entered the uber-SUV class with some firepower of its own.
NISSAN GT-R TRACK EDITION
What is it? The Nissan GT-R has built an impressive resume in its decade of service, receiving modest but key enhancements over the years. Yes, it was that good right from the start. Last year saw the Black Edition, and this year sees another small update that brings us the Track Edition that starts at $149,100. That’s about double what the first car cost in 2007.
The new GT-R Track Edition continues to get that magical, hand-assembled and twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 with 565 horsepower. With torque rated at 467 pound-feet and standard AWD, the acceleration of the GT-R can be physically painful. A Titanium exhaust system is standard.
Why does it matter? At this price point, the GT-R needs more to keep buyers from flocking to the Porsche 911, Chevrolet Corvette or Dodge Viper. The Track Edition gets more adhesive bonding in addition to spot welding, which increases body-shell rigidity versus the GT-R Premium. The fourwheel independent suspension receives unique Nismo tuning, with reduced weight and additional roll stiffness versus the GT-R Premium, as well as Nismo-spec wheels and tires. The GT-R Track Edition, with a red exterior and black interior, features standard leatherappointed Recaro front bucket seats. Also standard is a rear-view monitor and navigation.
When is it coming? The GT-R Track Edition is new to the U.S., but it’s at Canadian dealers now.
Should you buy it? Weighed against the Porsche 911 GT3, that’s a very difficult choice. The GT-R will destroy the Porsche in straight-line acceleration, so it depends on what kind of wins you want to rack up. Derek McNaughton
PORSCHE 911 GT3
What is it? The refreshed variant of Porsche’s homologation-special racing engine stuffed into a hightech 911 with rear-wheel steering.
Why does it matter? While Porsche rejigs its street-car engines frequently to meet everchanging fuel economy and emissions requirements — hence the latest series of turbocharged 3.0L engines — the company’s racing engine gets re-engineered less frequently than America changes its president. The last-generation racing engine — the famed Mezger 4.0-L flat-six — powered 996s and 997s all the way from 1999 to 2010.
When will Canada get it? You can order one now, if you’ve got $163,300.
Should you buy it? Well, we are talking about a 4.0-L flat six that screams to 9,000 rpm (10,000 for the full-bore RSR). And then there’s the sheer breadth of the technology built into the new GT3’s engine; contrary to commonly held tenets for high-revving engines, the new 4.0-L engine actually has a longer stroke — 81.5 millimetres versus 76 — than the Mezger engine, yet revs higher. That’s why, for instance, the GT3 comes stock with titanium connecting rods, their lighter weight preventing the big six from fragging itself at high rpm.
Nor is that the only bit of exotica inside the new engine. The valve buckets in the Formula One-style finger-follower valve actuation system are made of magnesium, again to reduce reciprocating weight. Factor in all the other new niceties and you have, in Andreas Preuninger’s words, “well over” 600 horsepower. Porsche’s director of the GT model line then qualifies it with “until they force us to use restrictors because we are too fast!” David Booth
JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE TRACKHAWK
What is it? The latest Jeep Grand Cherokee variant is, in a word, awesome. Take the monster Hellcat engine from the Charger/Challenger and slip it under the hood of the GC, and you have something that manages to make the SRT model look like a lightweight. Instead of 475 hp, the audacious Trackhawk’s 6.2-L supercharged V8 pushes out 707 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque. This gives it the wherewithal for a run to 96 km/h in 3.5 seconds, and it still has some, albeit limited, offroad ability.
Why does it matter? A tweaked eight-speed automatic (with paddle shifters) fires the power through all four of the Trackhawk’s P295/45R20 tires. In normal mode, it splits the power 40/60 in favour of the rear wheels; pick Track mode and 70 per cent is allowed to shred the rear rubber. A believe-it-or-not stat says that when the Trackhawk is at full chat, the supercharger — which has the same displacement as a 2.4-L engine — sucks in some 30,000 L of air a minute. Ralph Gilles, head of design at FCA, explains the acceleration this way: “It hurts your spleen when used to its full potential.” That sums it up nicely and explains why it is one of the most anticipated new drives of the year.
When will Canada get it? The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is set to rampage Canadian roads in the fourth quarter of this year.
Should you buy it? If you want what has to be considered a future collectible, jump in the fastest conveyance you have and get your order in for a Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. This brute-ute will force Bentley Bentayga owners to keep an eye on their rear-view mirrors, because the Bentayga is now the former “fastest production SUV in the world.”