Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk becomes world’s fastest SUV… on ice

The record was set at the eighth annual Baikal Ice Motor Sports Festival. Along with its 280km/h top speed, the Jeep averaged 257km/h over a one-kilometre stretch of the course.

Jeep says "unnecessary items were removed" from the car and its fuel level was, obviously, constantly monitored to make sure the car didn't run out of juice on the fly.

With a supercharged HEMI V8 engine making 530kW the Trackhawk tops out at 290km/h on tarmac, but the fact Lake Baikal is covered in a thin film of water in direct sunlight – and frozen, of course – kept that marker beyond Jeep's reach.

Other than that, the SUV was kept in stock condition. The run was conducted in keeping with the rules of the FIA, and overseen by the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF).