Last year we brought you some of the first word on rumors of the next Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. Though it's running a full year behind where it was expected then, the latest rumors of the super-SUV are pointing toward a New York Auto Show debut and a fall 2011 on-sale date.
Specs are as anyone would expect at this point: the 6.4-liter HEMI from other SRT8 vehicles will drop in with around 470 horsepower, and a five-speed paddle-shift automatic will swap cogs. That's a few horses shy of the 500-plus mark rumored last year as well, but it's in line with the rest of the big HEMI range. There will also surely be aftermarket parts to tap whatever reserve lies in the factory tune, or add forced induction for truly ludicrous power.
A new adaptive damping suspension is also tipped to arrive in the Grand Cherokee SRT8, again unsurprising given the standard GC's Quadra-Lift air suspension and its ability to raise and lower its ride height as conditions require. A more performance-tuned version of that system is likely the ticket.
As for performance, the report says 60 mph will come up in the four-second range, and the quarter mile will pass in the 12s. That's solid performance for any street car, much less an SUV.
Expect a unique body treatment, upgraded interior trim, and a price tag in the mid-to-upper $40,000 range. The Grand Cherokee SRT8 could be on sale by late summer or early fall. You can find more details and spy shots of the hot Jeep here.
