Mopar Moves Forward with 1,000-hp Crate Engine
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s Mopar unit will begin offering its $30,000 “Hellephant” crate engine by year-end after the program was delayed several months to fix quality problems.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s Mopar unit will begin producing its $30,000 “Hellephant” crate engine by year-end after the program was delayed to fix quality problems, company sources tell Muscle Cars & Trucks.

The issue related to camshaft failures caused by excessive tension, according to the report. The supercharged 7.0-liter V-8 aftermarket engine—announced last October at the Specialty Equipment Market Assn. show in Las Vegas—generates 1,000 hp and 950 lb-ft of torque.
Mopar declined to comment other than to say all products need to be fully validated prior to customer applications. The company sold out full-year production for the Hellephant within two days of accepting orders in April.
Designed for pre-1976 vehicles, the hand-built engines feature an aluminum block with a 4-inch stroke and 4.1-inch bore. The supercharger displaces three liters and has a high-efficiency rotor that produces 15 lbs of boost.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Choosing the Right Fasteners for Automotive
PennEngineering makes hundreds of different fasteners for the automotive industry with standard and custom products as well as automated assembly solutions. Discover how they’re used and how to select the right one. (Sponsored Content)
-
Jeeps Modified for Moab
On Easter morning in Moab, Utah, when the population of that exceedingly-hard-to-get-to town in one of the most beautiful settings on Earth has more than doubled, some people won’t be hunting for Easter eggs, but will be trying to get a good look at one of the vehicles six that Jeep has prepared for real-life, fast-feedback from the assembled at the annual Easter Jeep Safari.
-
On Fuel Cells, Battery Enclosures, and Lucid Air
A skateboard for fuel cells, building a better battery enclosure, what ADAS does, a big engine for boats, the curious case of lean production, what drivers think, and why Lucid is remarkable