572 Mopar Hemi: Who Makes The Crate Engine & How Much HP Can It Produce?

Generally, muscle car fans all have a particular affiliation with a particular brand, be they Ford fans, Chevy nuts, or Dodge lovers. However, certain cars and engines will always draw a crowd, no matter what brand it's from. One such engine is the 426 Hemi, a classic muscle car engine that debuted just before the '73 oil crisis and associated emissions regulations strangled the muscle market for many decades.

The 426 Hemi engine debuted in the mid-1960s as a way for Dodge to impress in the ever-popular NASCAR series. Following its success, the decision was made to put 426 Hemi engines into street cars, and it appeared under the hoods of models such as the '69 Charger R/T and '71 Plymouth GTX. With 425 hp on tap, these were some seriously quick cars, especially for the era. However, we now live in the world of EV hypercars and Hellcat-powered Durangos, so muscle car fanatics aren't as satisfied with the 426's 425 hp as they were over 50 years ago.

That's where companies such as Prestige Motorsports step in. The company offers what's known as the 572 Mopar Hemi crate engine, which is essentially a 426 V8 that has been bored out and updated to produce a whole heap of extra horsepower — 700 hp, to be precise.

While LS and Hellcat V8s may be potent enough, the 572 allows fans of the iconic and old-school 426 to enjoy the Hemi's characteristics without losing out in the horsepower stakes. The 572 Hemi engine kicks out 700 hp, which is 275 more than the original 426, and enough to challenge any modern muscle car engine, including the Hellcat.

The 572 comes with either an aluminum or iron block, with an alloy cylinder head, solid roller camshaft, and shaft-mounted roller rockers, all of which ensure the engine offers a reliable basis for adding even more power, if boost is on the cards. Prestige Motorsports can supply the 572 in several guises, including as a short block for you to build up yourself, or as a ready-to-go, turn-key crate engine, complete with a carburetor or electronic fuel ignition. Those built using iron blocks have more in common with the old 426 engine, but the option of aluminum blocks means hot rod builders can reduce weight over the front wheels without sacrificing any of those 700 all-American horses.

Back to boosting for a moment, though: If we're looking to see just how much grunt a 572 Hemi V8 can make, then Nelson Racing Engines might just have the answer. It strapped a couple of NRE 88mm turbochargers to the 9.4-liter lump and, with supporting mods, managed to achieve an awe-inspiring and dyno-proven 2,253 hp, over three times what the 572 crate engine produces.