Mopar’s 1000-HP Crate Engine Is A Natural Fit For The 2028 Charger, And Your Build
The supercharged Hemi is reportedly heading back into the Dodge Charger for 2028, five years after Dodge pulled the V8 car from its lineup. A leaked Stellantis document pairs the 6.2-liter engine with an eight-speed automatic, and suppliers have been told to plan for around 12,000 cars a year.
Dodge fans have every reason to celebrate, but Mopar already sells a factory crate V8 from the same family that makes more power than any Hellcat ever has.
The Hellcat Charger Is Coming Back For 2028
An internal Stellantis document obtained by MoparInsiders lists a 2028 Charger SRT that pairs the supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi with a ZF 8HP95 eight-speed automatic. Automotive News has since reported that production should start at the end of 2027, lining up with the Charger’s first midcycle refresh. Dodge hasn’t officially confirmed the car yet, but the paper trail keeps getting longer.
The two-door Charger is expected to get the Hellcat first, with the four-door following later. No output figure has surfaced, though the 777-hp Hellcat in the 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX gives a strong hint of where it could land. That would be a big step up from today’s gas-powered Scat Pack, which makes 550 hp from a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six.
Mopar’s 1,000-HP Hellephant Shares The Hellcat’s Bloodline
The Hellephant A30 is a 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) supercharged Hemi that makes 1,000 hp and 950 lb-ft of torque straight out of the crate. It’s built on the same Gen III Hemi family as the Hellcat, but gets a 4.125-inch bore, a 4.0-inch stroke, and a 3.0-liter IHI supercharger. Even better, it runs on 93-octane pump gas and revs to 6,800 rpm.
Mopar relaunched the engine at SEMA 2025 with a newly designed Gen3 aluminum block and six-bolt main caps for a stiffer bottom end. A forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods complete the upgrades, making the internals tougher than the original version’s.
The Charger connection goes back to day one, since the first Hellephant debuted at SEMA 2018 alongside the 1968 Dodge “Super Charger” concept. Drop one into a 2028 Charger, and you’d have roughly 220 hp more than the TRX’s Hellcat from an engine with the same basic architecture. Nothing suggests Dodge will offer it from the factory, but on paper, the match makes perfect sense.
What A 1,000-HP Hellephant Build Costs You
The relaunched Hellephant A30 carries an MSRP of $34,995, up from $29,995 when the original debuted, and the $2,325 engine controller kit is required to make it run. Mopar’s build sheet also lists a front-end accessory drive kit for $696 and a Tremec Magnum transmission kit for $5,250, which puts a complete package past $43,000.
The catch is that Mopar sells it only for pre-1976 vehicles and dedicated race cars, because it isn’t legal on road-registered or emissions-controlled cars. That makes a Hellephant-swapped 2028 Charger a track or drag-strip project, while classic Mopar owners get the easiest plug-and-play route. If $35,000 sounds steep, the 807-hp Hellcrate Redeye and the $9,600 392 Crate Hemi are cheaper ways into factory Hemi power.
Source: Mopar, Automotive News
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