Why Can’t Stellantis Build A Next-Gen HEMI® Engine?

Your insight is spot on, but it seems Stellantis may have learned too late that abandoning the V-8 was a disastrous decision. Regrettably, although to Hurricane has applications in the Jeep and Ram brands, Dodge buyers will spurn those engines because no matter how they try to spin them, those turbo six’s will never get a Dodge loyalists on board. I’m Dodge to the bone, but I fear this short sighted, politically driven decision could destroy the Dodge brand and a next generation Hemi would save Dodge. It’s called sound thinking.
Your post is painful because the logic is so obvious, so technically achievable and just the right thing to do for Dodge. It hurts because electrification is not going according to the green crowds expectations and any common sense person could have told them that that would happen. Americans are not Europeans and Soccer is not NFL Football and the sound of a Formula 1 car does not satisfy like a Super Stock Hemi to the ears that matter to Dodge. Build that new Hemi for heavens sake. Avoid disaster !

Reply 13 Likes

Correct me if I am mistaken, but I don't actually remember Stellantis saying that they weren't going to make V8 engines anymore in the first place. What was said was the Hemi was going away and "that engine, in that platform" was what was being decommissioned, referring to the Hemi/Hellcat V8's and the Current muscle car platform of the Challenger, Charger and Chrysler 300 sedan. It may be possible that Dodge is working on something like that, which would explain the delays of seeing upcoming cars the fact that the brand is running silent right now. Would it be cool to see a next-gen Mopar with a 4.7L Magnum or 5.2L Magnum emissions friendly DOHC V8 under the hood, absolutely! As much as I love the idea of the Hurricanes and Hybrids and all of that other stuff I always talk about, I'd be absolutely stoked to see a few V8s still kicking around under the hood of the next gen muscle cars and trucks. I mean Ford can make 480hp to 500hp from a 5.0L DOHC V8 and 760hp on a Supercharged 5.2L, I'm sure Stellantis could do the same. Even still, I wouldn't abandon the idea of the Hurricane-6 powertrains as they have alot of potential and really can be useful in so many applications. I don't know how good a hybrid setup would be with this powertrain but if they could get something like that to work and we get a few emissions friendly small V8 engines with a bit of hybrid tech thrown in the mix to keep the EPA happy then we're good! I'm a Dodge fan from the SRT4 side to the SRT Redeye side and everything in between. It's cool to speculate and honestly it would be nice to see a V8 in the next gen cars. Time will tell.

Reply 6 Likes

Heads need to roll at Stellantis on the business decisions made regarding ICE powered vehicles. Ford stated they lost nearly 5 Billion dollars on their EV endeavors, and delayed a mega battery plant due to market uncertainties. So what does the good ole U.S. Gov't do? Give Ford and Samsung (Foreign Entity) a 9 Billion dollar grant to keep the ball rolling on the EV fiasco. GM smartened up and invested 860 million in next gen V-8 Tech, And what does Stellantis do? Cancel the most iconic V8's ever produced..... Hell, the marketing value of the Hemi moniker sold more trucks than you could imagine. And I will tell you this.... that turbo six is gonna fall flat on its face, mark my words. I would wager Stellantis read the comments in reference to the Daytona EV and the laughable tow range on EV trucks and cringed. Listen to me and the people who buy your product: WE DO NOT WANT AN ELECTRIC MUSCLE CAR OR PICKUP TRUCK. And who is the genius who pulled the plug on the "L" platform cars? Are you brain dead? That R&D was paid for 10 years ago, those cars were cash friggin' cows.... Challenger outsold the Mustang for what... two or three years in a row on what would be considered an outdated platform. You would have had a complete and total lock on Law Enforcement vehicles, again on a platform paid for Loooong ago. Or maybe you just want Dodge to fade into that goodnight.

Reply 6 Likes

I am becoming extremely tired of the useless sentimentality for V8 engines. Stellantis have invested in a turbo straight 6 which is more fuel efficient, produces fewer noxious emissions, and produces more power than the V8s. Time to move on guys. The past is slowly going away, as are people of your ilk. You are hankering for a distant past that is going the way of hula hoops, vinyl 12" long play records and black and white cathode ray tube televisions.

Time to open your minds to the possibilities of the future.

Good sir,

I do not know your background in the automotive world, however you are wrong on many levels. Forced induction in place of raw natural power is a huge mistake. Case in point: the Ford EcoBoost, when driven like a V8 gets disgusting fuel mileage, and engine failures are all too common. You have to constantly keep your foot in it to mimic what a modern V8 drives and accelerates like. Let's not even get into wear and tear issues... My oldest Son is a heavy line Mechanic at a Ford dealership, they are mockingly called ECO-BOOMS. The Denver warehouse keeps a minimum of 80 engines on hand to meet warranty demands. My V8 brothers, people of ilk as you state, are not going anywhere. You see my Son and Daughters grew up listening to my praises and tales of the mighty American V8, they grew up in the back seat of many a Mopar muscle car. Try as you may, but you will fail miserably trying to convince my kids and hundreds of thousands just like them an EV or 6 cylinder.... no matter the turbo amount will ever replace the smoothness, power, and reliability of a V8.

Reply 10 Likes