Four years ago, Dodge that you could just buy off the shelf. Well, assuming you knew exactly which shelf to look at, and exactly when it would be stocked, because . Now, though, the Hellephant is back — and it’s brought some friends and siblings along with it.
The Hellephant has expanded into a four-engine family, making between 900 and 1,100 horsepower depending on the spec. But, for its big return, it’s bringing another member of the Stellantis stable to the Direct Connection store: Two variants of the , dubbed the HurriCrate. Never not on brand, I guess.
Hellephant buyers can pick one of two options each for two different criteria, making a sort of of engines. It can be had with a cast-iron or aluminum block, and prepped for pump gas or flex fuel. Oddly, the cast-iron block has considerably lower displacement than its aluminum brother — a mere 376 cubic inches to the aluminum’s 426. All wear a three-liter supercharger, though boost numbers and pulley sizes change between options.
HurriCrate loyalists get a mere two options, each named for a type of : the Cat 1 and Cat 3. This naming scheme leaves two, four, and five open, so don’t be surprised if those spots in the lineup are eventually filled. The Cat 1 gets two turbochargers, pushing 22 lbs of boost through a water-to-air intercooler setup. The block’s 10.4:1 compression ratio seems oddly high for a boosted engine, particularly one with cast pistons, but perhaps the liquid cooling can really prevent engine knock at that kind of load.
The Cat 3 upgrades to Garrett turbos making 26 psi at their peak (no brand is given for those on the Cat 1), as well as forged pistons. Compression drops to a more traditional 9.5:1, and the fuel injection and intercooling systems are revamped. The Cat 1 claims 420 horsepower, blaze it, while the Cat 3 bumps the number up to 550.
Pricing has yet to be released, though Stellantis promises firmer numbers in 2023. If that Cat 3 comes at a reasonable price, maybe we’ll finally begin to see the end of 2JZ Supremacy in the tuner scene. Or, at least, we’ll see a competitor to .