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The Chrysler Group’s newly formed Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand has released pricing on its latest crop of models, which include the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8, the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8, the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 and the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.
Prices together with an $825 destination fee start at $47,995 for the Chrysler 300 SRT8, $46,660 for the Dodge Charger SRT8, $44,077 for the Challenger SRT8 and $55,295 for the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.All four SRT8 models are powered by the Chrysler Group’s new 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with Fuel Saver Technology that cranks out 470 horsepower (351kW) and 470 lb-ft (637Nm) of peak torque (465 lb.-ft. / 630 Nm in the Grand Cherokee SRT8).
As well as announcing the U.S. market launch of the JK-8 kit that carries a $5,499 sticker, Chrysler’s Mopar division also released a new time-lapse video that shows us a team of workers turning a four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited into a pickup truck with a small bed at the back. According to Mopar Performance Team engineer, Steve Houtman, it took the four-man crew (or at least that’s our count of the number of people seen working on the Jeep) about an hour to complete the transformation using the JK-8 kit. Watch them in action for yourself in the clip after the break.
Those of you that fancy turning your four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited into a two-door pickup truck will be happy to know that the firm’s much-talked about JK-8 Kit is available for order now through Mopar at Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram dealerships, with pricing set at $5,499. However, Jeep does note that the JK-8 kit, which comes with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty, is for “skilled do-it-yourselfers”. For the less handy amongst us, the company said that the kit may be purchased and installed at a Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge or Ram dealership.
Jeep claims that it has created the premium SUV market almost 20 years ago with the first generation of the Grand Cherokee (though Mercedes’ M-Class may actually have a better claim on the word “premium”, but whatever…). We’ve already seen the latest iteration of Jeep’s iconic 4x4, and we must admit that, on paper at least, it looks like a significant leap forward from its predecessors.
China is the world’s largest car market: last year alone, more than 18 million vehicles were sold there, of which 13.76 million were passenger cars. Furthermore, analysts McKinsey & Company predict that it will grow tenfold between 2005 and 2030. Do you want to know Chrysler’s share in this massive car market? A measly 31,000 in 2010 and a projection for just 40,000 in 2011. Therefore, it is only natural that the American carmaker is looking for ways to increase its share in this rapidly expanding market.