Thursday, March 25, 2010

Our favorite two-ton rockets, an AW list


High powered engines aren’t just for sports-cars anymore. Even SUVs and trucks are getting into the fight with some examples packing over 500-hp. To make this list you need to be able to haul--and haul ass. Let’s be honest, sometimes you need to get groceries and get them quickly. Here are our favorite SUVs--that’s Speed Utility Vehicles. Beware, most of these vehicles aren’t for the faint of wallet.

Range Rover Sport Engine: 5.0-liter supercharged V8, 510 hp, 461 lb-ft

Curb Weight: 5,816 lb

Base Price: $73,345

Contrary to popular belief, the Range Rover Sport isn’t just for gangster rappers and ball players. It’s for anyone with a thick wallet and a heavy foot. With more than 500 horses, you won’t even notice the nearly three tons you’re hauling around.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

Engine: 4.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8, 550 hp, 553 lb-ft

Curb Weight: 5,129 lb

Base Price: $126,300

Blowing away competition from a red light is always satisfying; doing it in a two-and-a-half ton truck is just surreal.

BMW X6M

Engine: 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8, 555 hp, 500 lb-ft

Curb Weight: 5,324 lb

Base Price: $89,875

This strange-looking Sports Activity Vehicle has the grunt to get you down the highway at speed, and the cubic feet to fit the camping gear.

Chevrolet Trailblazer SS/Saab 9-7X Aero

Engine: 6.0-liter V8, 390 hp, 400 lb-ft

Curb Weight: 4,496 lb/4,720 lb

Base Price: $37,195/$49,105

Don’t sleep on these older models; a Corvette-sourced V8 makes everything more fun. Also, American power can be had at a bargain on the used car market.

Mercedes G55 AMG

Engine: 5.5-liter supercharged V8, 500 hp, 516 lb-ft

Curb Weight: 5,721 lb

Base Price: $123,575

The G, short for Geländewagen, is Mercedes’ question to Porsche’s Cayenne answer. It was originally created for the German military but has since been appropriated by celebrities and other well-off folk.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

Engine: 6.1-liter V8, 420 hp, 420 lb-ft

Curb Weight: 4,819 lb

Base Price: $44,105

More bargain American prices. The 6.1-liter SRT8 engine rumbles like a MerCruiser and eats pavement like a Caterpillar.

Volkswagen Touareg TDI V10

Engine: 5.0-liter turbodiesel V10, 310 hp, 553 lb-ft

Curb Weight: 5,825 lb

Base Price: $79,650

The Touareg is the only diesel on our list, but don’t bet all your chips on the fuel economy just yet. With 553 lb-ft of torque, the VW still gets thirsty. The V10 was dropped in 2008.

Dodge Ram SRT-10

Engine: 8.3-liter V10, 510 hp, 535 lb-ft

Curb Weight: 5,572 lb

Base Price: $45,795

Nine miles per gallon. That’s what you get with the fastest pickup truck in the world. That, and all the tires you can smoke.

Ford F-150 Lightning

Engine: 5.4-liter supercharged V8, 380 hp, 450 lb-ft

Curb Weight: 4,670 lb

Base Price: $33,035

It can’t stand up to the Ram on the strip, but you can tow your boat with the Lighting.

For more Car news, road tests, photos and insight, click here.



No comments:

Post a Comment