There are admittedly a lot of perks that come with being associated with the automotive press. For one, the food spreads at new vehicle launches are usually pretty impressive. We also get access to places that are off limits to the public, like secret test tracks and design studios. But perhaps the best perk when it comes to writing about cars is that we often get a chance behind the wheel of these high performance cars to do some things that your average car dealership would probably frown upon.

Don’t believe us? Just watch this brief video showing a few car writers behind the wheel of a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, absolutely toasting the tires and producing one helluva burnout.

Now normally, a burnout like this wouldn’t be possible due to the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8’s drivetrain setup that splits power between the front and rear wheels. However, a very special software reflash sends most (if not all) of the horsepower back to the rear wheels. The result is a burnout of epic proportions, putting all 465 horsepower and 465 ft-lbs of torque to the tarmac for over a minute, producing billowing clouds of white smoke.

This video actually comes from the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8’s launch event back at Willow Springs, and we’re sure there is plenty of other hoonage caught on tape from this event. But this burnout should tide us over as we wait for a chance of our own to get behind the wheel of this muscle SUV…and give us some time to think of a few “tests” of our own.