Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Races Aerobatic Plane on the Track

Can good old American V8 power triumph against a light, nimble airplane?

To promote its high-performance Grand Cherokee SRT in the UK, Jeep has thought of a spectacular race involving the 461 hp SUV and a 110 hp aerobatic plane.

The idea behind the unusual challenge came from the fact that the 6.4-liter V8 Hemi engine found under the hood of the Grand Cherokee SRT was first developed for the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft.

The competition took place at Blyton Park Driving Centre in Lincolnshire, a challenging 1.8-mile (2.9-km) course that put the agility of both the SRT and the Silence SA1100 Twister plane to the test.

Both the SUV and the plane reached speeds exceeding 140 mph (225 km/h) during the race, a testimony that both the driver and the pilot took things very seriously. The American SUV tackled the race track while the plane navigated around 7-meter (22.9-ft) high pylons above the circuit.

Behind the wheel of the Grand Cherokee SRT was Ed Morris (the youngest ever British driver to compete at Le Mans 24 Hours), with the Silence SA1100 Twister plane flown by specialist aerobatic pilot Peter Wells.

According to Jeep UK, this was the first time a 4×4 vehicle raced a plane around a track. We'll take that with a grain of salt, but we recommend you watch the race to learn the outcome.