Dodge's Direct Connection parts arm has unveiled a 1,025 hp crate engine, the Hellephant C170, as the head of a six-package Hemi V8 lineup shown at SEMA 2026. The supercharged 6.2-litre unit also makes 945 lb-ft of torque, but only on an E85 blend rather than pump gasoline.
All six packages are sold as turnkey swaps with matched electronics, and Direct Connection says they will be available to order in early 2027.
What the Hellephant C170 packs
Reaching the four-figure rating depends on flex-fuel. The C170 uses a 3.0-litre IHI supercharger with a 3.02-inch pulley, a 105 mm throttle body, an ethanol sensor, an upgraded fuel rail and higher-flow injectors, and the ethanol sensor lets the controller adjust timing and fuelling automatically as the blend ratio changes.
That fuel requirement shapes the build, not just the spec sheet. A buyer without reliable E85 access is effectively paying for output they cannot use, which makes the C170 a harder sell for a road car than for a weekend toy or a drag build.
For comparison, the earlier Hellephant A30 crate engine uses a 7.0-litre 426 Hemi and is rated at 1,000 hp without the flex-fuel tune. The 25 hp gap between the two peaks understates the difference: the newer 6.2-litre package gets there with a smaller displacement and hardware optimised around ethanol.
The rest of the range, from 385 hp up
The entry point is the 345 Hemi, a 5.7-litre unit offered in Street Strip and Super Stock trim, both rated at 385 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque. Street Strip uses a remanufactured block, while Super Stock gets a brand-new block and high-RPM valve springs borrowed from Redeye-spec engines.
Next is the 392, a 6.4-litre Gen III Hemi in the same two trims, rated at 485 hp and 475 lb-ft. It shares displacement and general output with the current Durango R/T, though the crate versions are packaged as performance swap engines rather than direct service parts.
Above that sits the Hellcrate Redeye, a supercharged 6.2-litre producing up to 885 hp and 787 lb-ft in High Octane Mode. That mode needs higher-octane fuel to unlock the full rating, a detail that matters to anyone budgeting a build around premium pump gas versus a flex-fuel tune.
What comes in the box, and the warranty
Each package ships with a wiring harness, a power distribution centre, a flashed powertrain control module and oxygen sensors, plus an accelerator pedal and starter relay. Automatic versions add a shifter, a transmission control module and a brake switch.
Builders can specify a TorqueFlite 8HP90 automatic or a TREMEC manual without sourcing a separate tuning solution. That pre-matched electronics set is the practical appeal here: the usual swap headache is making an engine talk to a gearbox and a pedal, and Direct Connection has removed that step from the order form.
Every package carries a 3-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, an unusual commitment for engines headed into swaps, restorations and race builds rather than factory installations.
The warranty is the sharper edge against the aftermarket. Independent shops offer crate V8s beyond 1,000 hp, but a factory-backed package sold as one validated unit is a different proposition for a buyer who wants a single supplier to stand behind the whole assembly.
Timing and what is still open
Direct Connection says the six packages will be available to order in early 2027, giving workshops time to plan installs around the rollout. Pricing has not been announced, and the sources do not state which markets beyond the US will receive the range.
