Mopar Unveils All-New Hellephant 426 Crate HEMI Engine at SEMA
Mopar utilized the recent 2018 SEMA Show to unveil the brand new Hellephant 426 Supercharged Crate HEMI engine which turns out an astonishing 1,000 horsepower and 950 lb.-ft. of torque at the crank. The engine will be the first 1,000 horsepower crate engine kit offered by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). During the unveiling, Mopar also revealed a 1968 Dodge “Super Charger” Concept which served as the perfect package to highlight the new crate engine assembly, but more on that later. The new Hellephant is able to hit that gaudy horsepower number thanks to a bulked-up displacement, with 4 inches of stroke and bore specs at 4.125-in., plus an improved supercharger with high-efficiency rotor that is mounted to the all-aluminum block which provides huge weight savings. The engine and kit feature a Hellephant logo which provides a nod to the legendary 426 HEMI engine that was first introduced in 1964 and nicknamed the elephant for its power and size and the 707 horsepower Hellcrate engine kit revealed at the SEMA Show last year. The complete engine assembly includes a water pump, flywheel, front sump oil pan, supercharger with throttle body, fuel injectors and coil packs. The motor can be paired with the complete engine kit for a relatively simple plug and play installation into pre-1976 street and off-road vehicles. The kit includes a powertrain control module (PCM), power distribution centre, engine wiring harness, chassis harness, accelerator pedal, ground jumper, oxygen sensors, charge air temperature sensors, fuel pump control module and cam bus interface device. The engine assembly and kit will be available in the first quarter of 2019.
1968 Dodge “Super Charger” Concept
As mentioned, Mopar debuted the new crate engine in the 1968 Dodge “Super Charger” Concept car which is a reimagined version of the ’68 Charger with modern elements form the current Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT lineup to create a unique package to showcase the new Hellephant. The car features a wide body stance thanks to front and rear fiberglass wheel flares painted the incredible “De Grigio” Grey Metallic body colour. The front wheels are stock 20×11-in. Devil’s rims pulled from the Challenger SRT Hellcat while the rears are upsized 21×12-in. custom-milled aluminum Devil’s wheels. The body is dropped 2.5-in. in the rear and 3.5-in. in the front to complete the low, wide, aggressive stance while six-piston Brembo brakes provide the stopping power. Inside of the concept vehicle features a Dodge Viper steering wheel, manual shifter from the Hellcat and Viper front seats.
