Was The Hellephant Engine Ever Offered In A Production Car?

Dodge's switch to electrification has seen its V8-powered line of performance cars discontinued, with buyers instead left to choose between the slow-selling Charger Daytona EV and the upcoming six-cylinder Charger reportedly set to launch later in 2025. However, before it discontinued its V8-powered lineup, the automaker released a slew of special editions with ever-more impressive power outputs, culminating in the 1,025 horsepower Challenger SRT Demon 170. 

The ultra-limited car used a highly modified version of the 6.2-liter Hemi V8 found under the hood of lesser Chargers and Challengers paired to a whopping 3.0L supercharger. That engine was called the Hellephant, and it had previously only been offered in crate form.

Dodge unveiled the first iteration of its 1,000-horsepower Hellephant V8 crate engine back in 2018, and started taking orders for it shortly after. Its name comes from a combination of the "Hellcat" moniker and the "elephant" nickname often given to Hemi's classic 426 engine. To date, the Demon 170 remains the only production car to have received a Hellephant V8 engine, and there's no indication that Dodge is planning a successor. Since it was limited to 3,300 units, the car remains highly sought after among collectors.

Half a decade before launching the Demon 170, Dodge first showcased its 1,000 horsepower Hellephant at SEMA and announced plans to make a limited run of 100 examples. According to Dodge, close to 1,000 people told their dealers that they wanted to buy the engine, and that high demand convinced the automaker to consider a larger production run. That larger run debuted at SEMA 2022, with buyers now given four Hellephant engine options to pick from.

The A30 was a renamed version of the 2018 Hellephant engine, which featured upgraded rods and pistons plus a unique aluminum block and supercharger. Like the original, it was rated for 1,000 horsepower. The A170 was a tweaked version of the same engine that boosted power to 1,100 horsepower while retaining the same 426-CI displacement. These were complemented by an all-new pair of engines, dubbed the C30 and C170, which featured cast-iron blocks and made around 900 and 1,000 horsepower, respectively. The C170 would later be used in the production Demon 170.

Even though Dodge hasn't offered a V8-powered muscle car in its lineup since 2023, buyers can still get their hands on one of the brand's most powerful V8 engines via its Direct Connection performance parts catalog. At the time of writing, engines available via the catalog include the 6.2-liter Hellephant C170 V8 and the Hellephant 426 V8, both of which retail for $29,995. However, interested buyers might face a long wait, as the former is listed as being on back order while the latter is "temporarily unavailable."

Anyone who can't wait has a range of other options available to them from the catalog, including the Hellcrate and Hellcrate Redeye crate engines. With 717 and 807 horsepower on tap, respectively, they're still plenty powerful enough for tire-smoking shenanigans. Builders with particularly deep pockets can also purchase two engines with even more power than the Hellephant engines, namely the Direct Connection 1200 and 1500 Hemi crate engines. They offer 1,200 and 1,500 horsepower outputs, and both cost a small fortune. The 1200 Hemi engine is available for $37,999, while the 1500 Hemi retails for $59,990.