Mopar and Dodge Direct Connection Bring the Hellephant Back to the 2023 SEMA Show
The 2023 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is just starting, and it would seem that Mopar is already making good on its promise to bring some exciting things to the show. The same name that brought us the Hellephant engine crate, Mopar is collaborating with Dodge and its Direct Connection performance products catalog to bring some amazing new parts to the full Direct Connection lineup. Announcing the new Hellephant C170 Crate HEMI® Engine — the same engine that powers the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 – is now available as a part of the Direct connection parts catalog. Consumers can add 1,025 horsepower to their pony cars as soon as the first quarter of 2024 (January – March, 2024).
“The Dodge Direct Connection portfolio continues to expand since its relaunch in March 2022…New Direct Connection Long Blocks, as well as the availability of the Direct Connection C170 Crate Engine in early 2024, join new initiatives recently announced, such as more than 20 new co-branded premium car detailing and car wash products under the Direct Connection/Jay Leno’s Garage banner. Even more growth for Direct Connection is in store for 2024.” – Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer – Stellantis
Dodge Direct Connection
First announced in January 2022, Dodge was in full swing of its two-year “Never Lift” roadmap of what comes next for the automaker. Now fully committing to eMuscle with the dawn of the Dodge Hornet R/T plug-in hybrid and the end of the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger with the “Last Call” models, the muscle car automaker still has some tricks up its sleeve. Remember, the “Last Call” campaign culminated in the return of the Dodge SRT Demon, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, after all. A full catalog of factory-backed performance products to add more power to muscle car enthusiasts’ vehicles, the catalog is broken down into three parts – Modern Performance, Competition, and Crate Engines. There is also talk of power units for the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT battery-electric vehicle (BEV) concept.
This new release at the 2023 SEMA show is all about recently added new crate engine products such as supercharger and transmission kits. These include the Hellephant C170 6.2L Supercharged Crate HEMI Long Block, also available for purchase in the first quarter of 2024. Unlike previously, it doesn’t seem like there will be a limit on what vehicles consumers can install this baby in.
2018 Hellephant Engine Crate
The original Hellpehant engine crate was a call back to the to the 707HP “Hellcrate” that Mopar first debuted at SEMA 2017 show. Able to give consumers a taste of true horsepower, the Hellephant was one-of-a-kind. Able to generate 1000 horsepower and 950 lb-ft of torque, the Hellephant 426 Supercharged Mopar Crate HEMI® engine was masterpiece of engineering craft, inspired by the original Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. The engine crate came enhanced with a bulked-up displacement with 4.0 inches of stroke and bore specs at 4.125 inches, an improved supercharger on the engine block, and SRT-Demon parts. Alas, this engine crate was only meant to be installed into pre-1976 street and off-road vehicles, which basically made it useless.
Hopefully, this new Hellephant C170 6.2L Supercharged Crate HEMI Engine doesn’t have the same restriction. According to the product description, it doesn’t say anything about only available for installation in older models. There are quite a number of new parts being added to the Direct Connection catalog in relations to the Hellephant and SRT Demon 170, a total of eight currently on display at the 2023 SEMA Show.
Want to get your hands on a Dodge Challenger before the last gasoline model rolls off the assembly line? Product orders end in December 2023, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Get your new Dodge Challenger at Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, and then order some parts from the Dodge Direct Connection catalog to get the most out of your muscle car.