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When Chrysler went into bankruptcy filings in 2009, there were many who thought the company would not survive on its own after being passed around Europe for over 20 years. Luckily Chrysler found a partner in the Fiat group, and despite many analysts predictions, both sales and car quality have been on the rise at Chrysler. With Fiat and Chrysler increasingly intermingled, it was only a matter of time before we got Ferrari-flavored Pentastars.
[2]And the first vehicle to get the Ferrari once over is none other than the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. Carscoop [3] reports that a pair of specially-prepared SRT8 Jeeps were handed over to Scuderia Ferrari racing drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso.
Fiat’s ownership of Ferrari and Chrysler has given rise to some interesting speculations like a Ferrari-powered Viper. So far though the only Fiat to be rebadged as a Chrysler product is the new Dodge Dart, based on the Alfa Romeo Guiletta. Chrysler also has big plans for Jeep over in Europe, and providing two of its top racing drivers with Ferrari-themed Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8’s is probably a good way of getting the vehicle on European drivers’ minds.
From what we can see, this Ferrari flavoring is only skin deep. The Ferrari Red paint job is accented with black stripes and trim extending to the grille, wheels, and headlights. Inside of the SRT8 Jeep are red leather seats and a red dashboard tying together the Ferrari appearance. And with 470 horsepower and 470 ft-lbs on tap from its 6.4 liter HEMI V8, the Jeep SRT8 can keep pace with many of its Italian cousins.
The question then is when will Chrysler offer a Ferrari appearance package for the rest of its lineup?
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