Let’s face it: Nostalgia still sells, especially to hardcore horsepower junkies. To highlight its latest crate engine offering, the 1,000-hp Hellephant supercharged HEMI V-8, FCA could have dropped it into a current Challenger or Charger and called it done. Instead, the automaker opted to retromod an iconic muscle car from its past, the 1968 Charger, creating the Super Charger concept. While the Super Charger will remain a one-off, the Hellephant crate engine and accessories will be available to builders early next year.
Officially, the name of the new engine is the Hellephant 426 Supercharged Mopar Crate HEMI Engine, and its logo blends the legendary 426 displacement number with an angry-looking cartoon elephant. Both are a nod to its heritage, as the 426 street Hemi was frequently called “the elephant,” both for its size and its power.
Displacement is technically 428, but Dodge wants to pull on those nostalgia threads.
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