Is The Gen 3 Mopar HEMI Engine Making a Comeback? Rumors Hint the Engine Platform Could be Back in Production By Summer 2025
It was about two years ago when the word came from Mopar that production of the popular Challenger and Charger models would cease after the 2023 model year, but also the well-known Gen 3 HEMI platform engines.
2024 would usher in a smaller engine focus, as well as electric car discussions. But now, the rumor mill is swirling hard about the V-8 HEMI coming back to production as early as June 2025.
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Not long after the announcement that production of the Challenger and Charger models would cease after 2023, Dodge announced there would be seven special edition “Last Call” vehicles between the Challenger and Charger models to celebrate. Knowing that the well-known HEMI engines, including the Hellcat and Demon version, would be put out to pasture as well, there was a ton of interest.
2024 saw a shift towards smaller engines for Mopar production vehicles, including the Hurricane 6-cylinder turbocharged bullet. A version of that same engine would also become available in twin-turbo crate form under the Hurricrate name.
Those engines were highlighted during the Roadkill Nights event, and a few swapped vehicles have already shown solid potential. During this year’s Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, Jason Kastner cranked out a 10.19 average from a Hurricrate-swapped 1987 Dodge pick-up, and Allison Kovilak earned the first 9-second time slip from a Hurricrate in her ’99 Dodge Dakota.
Some were still yearning for two more cylinders, but following one last hurrah in Dodge pick-up trucks, it looked like the only way to get a HEMI would be through Direct-Connection in crate form.
Today, news has circulated on several online sources that the HEMI V-8 platform will come back to life, reported to be manufactured at the Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan (when the HEMI was last produced, most came from Stellantis’ Saltillo facility in Mexico).
The start-up date varies, with June 2025 and August 2025 being the popular restart dates. The engines are rumored to be using the Gen 3 architecture and could have some minor tweaks and/or improvements as production ramps up. The base 5.7-liter, 6.4-liter Apache and supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat are all rumored to be making a possible comeback.
Now, there is some bad news. These engines are supposedly only going to be available on truck and SUV models, as the new design Charger, which debuted last year, is not compatible with the Gen 3 engine design without making significant changes.
What’s your thoughts on this update? Will production cars ever get the HEMI again, or will it be limited to truck-SUV and crate form only?
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and Mopar.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com