Dodge's 10 Highest Horsepower Engines Ever Built, Ranked
Chrysler and Dodge have made some powerful engines over the years. The two brands merged in 1928, and the two are known for some of the most epic engines ever, including the Chrysler Slant Six, which was one of the most reliable six-cylinder engines of all time. Cars from both brands, including the Dodge Challenger and the Chrysler 300, have long been known for their beefy American muscle car chops, and while we said goodbye to the Charger and Challenger in 2023, they'll always be remembered as classics.
Both companies have collaborated on some truly impressive engines. In fact, Chrysler created its first Hemi engine back in 1951, and it played a huge role in ushering in the era of American muscle cars. The engines back then were so powerful compared to their competitors that they dominated NASCAR races, which resulted in NASCAR banning them in 1965. Dodge and Chrysler still make Hemi engines today, and they are still some of the most powerful engines that money can buy.
On the downside of things, the Hem is a regular fuel burner often mentioned in discussions when it comes to emissions standards. Stellantis, the current owner of Chrysler and Dodge, turned down the purchase of regulatory emissions credits, which is believed to be why Dodge is dropping its Hemi V8 in the 2025 Dodge Ram for a twin-turbo inline-six.
As a result, we may see the end of the ultra-powerful engines in Dodge's lineup sooner rather than later. Let's celebrate their legacy.
10. Chrysler 426 Hemi V8 Elephant (425 HP)
The Chrysler 426 Hemi V8 Elephant is a legendary engine. It powered some of the most powerful muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s. It was also the engine that was famously banned by NASCAR back then for being too powerful. The NASCAR version was sold in limited quantities in a few vehicles from both Plymouth and Dodge. However, most folks likely remember the less powerful, more street-legal variant put into vehicles like the Plymouth Belvedere.
Initially, the engine launched at 425 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque, although several anecdotal accounts believe Chrysler fudged the numbers to make it seem lower than it was. The street version of the engine featured a lower compression ratio from the race version to the tune of 10.25:1 in the street version versus 12.5:1 in the race version. It's believed that other parts were also replaced to bring the performance down a bit further. Thus, while the engine is rated at 425 horsepower, the race version of it was even more powerful.
In all, the engine found its way into the Dodge Challenger, Charger, Coronet, Dart SS, and Super Bee along with the Plymouth Barracuda, Belvedere, Fury GT, GTX, and Superbird. It also made an appearance in the Monteverdi Hai 450 in 1970. Perhaps the most impressive part of the engine was what happened after it left production in the early 1970s. The engine was eventually replicated, heavily modified, and fed a steady diet of nitromethane. Reports are that the modified engines make 11,000 horsepower at the crankshaft and can do 300 MPH in just under four seconds.
9. Dodge 392 Hemi Apache V8 (485 HP)
There are multiple variants of the Hemi Apache engine that have been developed over the years, starting in 1957. However, for this list, we'll be talking about the third generation of the engine. The Dodge 392 Hemi Apache V8 was based on a prior 5.7-liter engine that was codenamed Eagle. The third generation of the engine was launched in 2011. Unlike prior generations, Chrysler and Dodge were not only able to make an engine that could produce nearly 500 horsepower of power, but it was also fully emissions-compatible when it launched.
As the name suggests, the Apache was a 392 cubic-inch engine with 6.4 liters of displacement. When it launched, it was rated for 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, although those numbers eventually improved to 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. There are also two variants of the engine. One features a 10.9:1 compression ratio and is used in cars and SUVs. The other is a 10.0:1 compression ratio used specifically in Ram trucks. The latter was made that way specifically to improve towing force.
Dodge still uses this engine today, although some pundits believe the engine is not long for this world as Stellantis prepares its EV lineup. Over the years, the engine has factored into the Dodge Challenger SRT, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Currently, it is the 5.7-liter engine found in current Ram trucks. It is also likely used in the Dodge eTorque hybrid system, although Dodge doesn't refer to it as the Apache in its marketing materials.
8. Dodge Viper 8.4-liter V10 (645 HP)
While most engines made by Chrysler, Dodge, and Stellantis were used in several different vehicles across the lineup of all the brands under the corporate umbrella, there were others that were made specifically for one use. The Dodge Viper 8.4-liter V10 was one such engine. It started life as an 8.0-liter V10, but over the years, Dodge increased the engine to 8.3-liters and then eventually to 8.4-liters. The 8.4-liter variant was the most powerful in the family when the Viper was officially discontinued in 2017.
The history of the V10 is fairly lengthy and dates back to 1992. Back then, the engine was capable of up to 400 horsepower and it exclusively powered the Dodge Viper. The horsepower increased over the years until the release of the 8.3-liter for the 2004 model year and bumped up the power to approximately 500 horsepower and 525 pound-feet of torque. The final iteration, the 8.4-liter V10, launched in 2008. It made 600 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. By the end of its life, it ended up with 645 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque.
While the engine lived primarily in the Dodge Viper, it was notably included with one other model, the Dodge Ram SRT-10. Deemed by MotorBiscuit as a "hilariously powerful truck", the Ram SRT-10 could do zero to 60 MPH in 4.8 seconds and the quarter mile in about 13.6 seconds, which is crazy fast for a truck. In fact, it broke a Guinness World Record for the world's fastest production car, a title previously held by the GMC Syclone back in 1992.
7. Dodge Drag Pak Hemi (650 HP)
The Dodge Drag Pak Hemi is one of several engines that Dodge makes that is intended for competition purposes rather than street driving. It comes as a crate engine and buyers are supposed to use it for NHRA or NMCA class race cars. It has an MSRP of $56,995 for just the engine. Fortunately, the money isn't going to nothing as the engine is rated between 630 horsepower or 650 horsepower depending on the variant. According to Dodge's disclaimer, cars equipped with this engine shouldn't drive on the street as it does not meet emissions laws.
The engine is a 354 cubic inch monster that also comes with a 3.0-liter supercharger and a wide variety of performance-oriented parts. It can only achieve its maximum 650 horsepower rating on VP C16 race fuel. With proper tuning, cars with this engine have routinely run seven second quarter mile runs. While the engine comes as a complete unit, you'll have to buy the other engine bay components, primarily the engine systems kit, ECU kit, and the Drag Pak electric and fuel kit, which is all sold separately.
Unlike most of Dodge's iconic and powerful engines, this one has never been put into a production vehicle. However, cars equipped with this engine won the 2018 NHRA Factory Stock Showdown and the NMCA Factory Super Car championships, so the engine has a pedigree for success. It's part of a larger family of Dodge Direct Connection engines that have some ridiculous horsepower numbers, but we'll get into that later.
6. Dodge Hellcat 6.2-liter Hemi V8 (717 HP)
The Dodge Hellcat 6.2-liter Hemi V8 has the distinction of being one of the most powerful engines ever put into a production car. There is only one that is more powerful, and we'll talk about that later. For now, let's bask in the glory of this 717-horsepower beast. When the Hellcat engine debuted in 2015 with the Dodge Challenger SRT coupe, Dodge proclaimed it as the most powerful muscle car ever. Dodge used the engine until 2023 when the brand's old nemesis, emissions standards, struck again.
In 2015, the engine was capable of 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet or torque. As of 2023, the engine is capable of 717 horsepower and 807 pound-feet of torque. The 376 cubic inch beast has a 9.5:1 compression ratio and plenty of forged metal components to hold it together while it generates tons of speed. The 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Jailbreak equipped with this engine is capable of doing zero to 60 MPH in 4.1 seconds with a quarter mile time of 11.8 seconds. That's not bad for a car that weighs nearly 4,500 pounds.
The engine has been featured in several Stellantis vehicles, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, and the Ram 1500 TRX. Upon its release, the Ram 1500 TRX contained the most powerful engine of any production truck in the world up to that point. The 2021 model was even faster than its former world record sibling with a 3.9-second zero to 60 time.
5. Dodge Supercharged Hemi V8 Demon (840 HP)
Technically speaking, the Dodge Supercharged Hemi V8 Demon is a modified version of the Hellcat engine. Thus, it shares a lot of components and history with the prior engine on this list. The engine reportedly has 97 modified parts from its Hellcat sibling, including a larger supercharger with increased boost pressure. Other modified elements include the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshaft, and valvetrain. Thus, while it is part of the Hellcat family and included in Dodge vehicles labeled as Hellcat, it's not quite the same.
The modifications result in a horsepower boost that takes things to the next level. The Demon engine is capable of 808 horsepower and 717 pound-feet of torque. With the proper fuel, it's rated to do 840 horsepower. It can reportedly do zero to 60 in just 2.3 seconds, 100 MPH in 5.1 seconds, and runs a 9.65-second quarter mile. The car the engine was stashed in is a bit more well-known than the engine itself, but that's okay. Somehow, we don't think Dodge cares.
Perhaps most impressively, the car it was shoved into, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, is entirely street-legal. Dodge designed it that way while also giving it all the horsepower it needs to drag race. That'll be hard to do competitively, though, as the Challenger SRT Demon is currently banned from competing in National Hot Rod Association races. Somewhat ironically, the NHRA is also the association that certified all the ridiculous stats that this engine, and the car it's in, puts out.
4. Dodge Direct Connection 7.0-liter V8 Hellephant A30 (1,000 HP)
Here, we leave sanity behind and start talking about four-digit horsepower numbers. The Dodge Direct Connection 7.0-liter V8 Hellephant A30, also known as the Direct Connection Hellephant Crate Engine, is not just a mouthful of a name. It's also one of Dodge's most powerful engines. The Direct Connection lineup is used for competition applications, much like the Dodge Drag Pak Hemi. The idea is to buy the engine, put it in a car, and use it for drag racing. There are no production cars on the market with this engine.
The Hellephant A30 is a 426 cubic-inch engine capable of serious power. It's rated to do 1,000 horsepower and 950 pound-feet of torque on 93-octane gas. Most of the engine materials are aluminum or forged steel so it can handle the higher horsepower. Like the Drag Pak above, this engine also uses a 9.5:1 compression ratio. The name, A30, also has a meaning. The "A" stands for aluminum, the primary material of the engine, and the 30 is the proof. In short, that means the engine can run off of up to 15% ethanol, which is the most pumped gas in the US.
Dodge sells this engine in fairly low numbers. The original run, which occurred in 2018, only yielded 100 units, which reportedly sold out in less than two days. It was brought back for another run but has since sold out again. The MSRP for this engine is $29,995. Dodge says that any vehicle this is placed in that was built after 1976 shouldn't be driven on the roads due to emissions standards, but any car older than that is okay.
3. Dodge Hellcat 6.2-liter V8 D170 (1,025 HP)
Say hello to the most powerful engine Dodge has ever put into a production vehicle. The engine has only appeared in one vehicle, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, and that car is so insane that it was immediately banned by the NHRA from the competition. In this case, it makes sense, as it is the quickest production car ever built as of its release. How fast is it? It can do zero to 60 in 1.66 seconds and the quarter mile in 8.61 seconds. It needs a specially prepared road surface, but that's still two Gs of force. All of those stats are records for a production car.
The Dodge Hellcat 6.2-liter V8 D170 can produce 1,025 horsepower and 945 pound-feet of torque. To get that much power, the car requires E85 gasoline, which is a 170-proof ethanol fuel mixture. That's where the D170 gets its name. On 91 octane gas, the engine still makes 900 horsepower, which is still an incredible number for an engine in a production car. It rips the floor from under the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, which uses the aforementioned 800-horsepower engine.
Dodge made the engine, and the car named after it, as the final edition in its Last Call series before the company switched to full EV vehicles. Thus, Dodge gave folks one last chance to own a true monster. Those lucky enough to get a spot in line for it paid for the privilege. The car has an MSRP of $96,666, with the triple sixes being an obvious nod to the engine name. On a happy note, the engine at least will live on as the Hellephant C170 Supercharged Create Hemi engine.
2. Dodge Direct Connection 7.0-liter V8 Hellephant A170 (1,100 HP)
The astute may notice that the Dodge Direct Connection 7.0-liter V8 Hellephant A170 looks similar to the A30. The reason is because it's essentially the same engine. There are some internal differences. However, the one big design change is what kind of fuel the A170 can use. Much like the D170 above, the A170 does its best work on E85 fuel, which is a 170-proof ethanol and fuel mixture. As we learned with the D170, the fuel mixture can grant engines some pretty excellent horsepower numbers.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that the A170 reportedly makes over 1,100 horsepower. Exact figures are difficult to find since, as of this writing, the engine has not been fully released. Its launch date is the second quarter of 2024. What we do know is that it has many of the same specs as the A30, including its 426 cubic-inch size, all-aluminum construction, and forged steel components. It also has the same 3.0-liter IHI supercharger and the same 3.17-inch pulley.
Since it is a Direct Connection motor, it's a crate engine meant to be dropped into an existing car and used for competitive purposes. Dodge sold the A30 for $29,995, and a similar price is expected for the A170 since it is a fairly similar engine that sips different fuel. Enthusiasts should keep an eye out for the launch. Until then, there are still plenty of things we don't know about this engine yet.
1. Dodge Connection 1500 Hemi (1,500 HP)
Welcome to the top of the leaderboards. We won't bury the lede too much here. The Direct Connection 1500 Hemi Race Crate Engine makes 1,500 horsepower and over 1,000 pound-feet of torque. It has the special distinction of being the most powerful engine offered by an American automaker. It's licensed exclusively through Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) and carries an MSRP of $59.990. In short, it's powerful as powerful as it is expensive.
The engine shares a lot of similarities with the A170. It's a 426 cubic inch engine that exclusively E85 fuel to achieve its otherworldly horsepower. It also has a 3.0-liter supercharger, but the 1500 uses a Gen V Whipple supercharger instead of the IHI supercharger on the A170. It employs a cast iron block with forged billet steel and billet aluminum for the other various engine components. It's also designed to be plug-and-play with other Hellcrate engine setups, so enthusiasts can easily upgrade their existing engines.
There isn't much else to note. The Direct Connection 1500 Hemi is an exercise in excess. It's big, expensive, powerful, and more than 99.9% of people will ever need. As of this writing, the engine is in the pre-order stage, so it's not technically available yet. If other Direct Connection engines are any indication, there will likely be a small number of these engines available, and they'll likely sell out quickly.