The now-fired CEO Carlos Tavares put the HEMI series of V8 engines in the grave last year. But now Stellantis has regretted the decision.
The car group Stellantis is just one official statement away from confirming that the famous V8 engines from the HEMI series are returning.
Production of the HEMI engine was discontinued when the previous generation Dodge Challenger and Charger rolled off the assembly line in December 2024.
But now there is much evidence that Stellantis, who shortly afterwards fired the director responsible for the decision, has regretted it.
In fact, the American part of the car group has regretted it so much that it is now preparing to restart production at the same factory where the assembly line came to a standstill in December.
The decision to discontinue the HEMI series was not popular either. Neither in the Danish or international press nor with Dodge customers.
The HEMI engine died because the fired CEO said so
Recent rumors, including from Mopar Inside magazine, indicate that Stellantis is considering moving its former production from Mexico to the Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan, USA.
But in that case, it must be to circumvent the 25 percent tariff that is currently taking effect on everything car-related that is imported into the United States.
The source that Mopar Insider refers to at Stellantis states that the group plans to start production of different variants of the engine.
That reportedly includes a 5.7-liter version, a 6.4-liter Apache model, and a 6.2-liter Hellcat variant.
According to the same source, production could begin as early as August of this year. Additional reports indicate that the Ram brand will offer vehicles equipped with the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine towards the end of 2025.
When The Drive sought a comment from Ram, the short but very firm answer was that they 'generally do not comment on speculation'.
At the same time, production of the Hurricane engine, a three-liter inline-six, continues at Stellantis' factory in Saltillo, Mexico.
It is not yet known what the price will be for a Ram model equipped with a HEMI engine. On the other hand, it is unlikely that a Dodge Charger will be offered with a HEMI engine in the near future.
Engineers from Stellantis have previously communicated that the new platform on which the current Charger is based is not designed for the V8 engine.
But Mercedes said so too. That is, until the day some tuners from Austria proved that there is more than enough room for a V8 engine in the new and otherwise only 4-cylinder C63 AMG. Read more about it here .
