Information unearthed by Road & Track supports the future of a bigger Jeep Trackhawk.
Back on June 1, FCA’s five-year plan offered all sorts of insight into the future of the company’s lineup and one bit of interesting information was the plan for more Jeep Trackhawk models. With the knowledge that the Wagoneer returning in the next few years, it was expected that this new, larger Jeep would benefit from a Trackhawk package, but with this information from Road & Track, it looks as though the Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk is all but a sure thing.
ZF Documents
The folks at Road & Track got ahold of some internal documents from German transmission supplier ZF. ZF supplies the eight-speed automatic transmissions for the Dodge, Jeep and Ram lineup and in this internal paperwork, there is a listing for a Jeep Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk (WS). This vehicle is said to have a 6.2-liter Hemi V8 with 729PS, which converts to about 718 horsepower. With the newest version of the Hellcat Hemi having 717 horsepower, it sounds as though the Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk will have the new version of the Hellcat Hemi from the 2019 Challenger.
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Wagoneer Trackhawk Part Number
R&T doesn’t address this, but in the screenshot of the ZF document, there is also a part number of 68305283AB. I checked with a friend in the FCA dealership world and he explained that the part number of 68305283AB supercedes in the company computer system to RL305283AC. RL305283AC is the part number for the 8HP95 automatic transmission in the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, so everything in this ZF document makes sense – all but guaranteeing that a bigger SUV is coming from Jeep with 717 horsepower.
So, FCA officials have stated that there are more Jeep Trackhawk models on the way and it appears as though ZF has plans to provide an 8HP95 transmission for a Grand Wagoneer with similar horsepower to the 2019 Hellcat Challenger. We don’t know when it’s coming, but when the new Wagoneer arrives – it definitely looks as though it will have a high performance variant.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
