Zac Quinn 
The Dodge performance products brand, Direct Connection, has just announced that the complete Hellephant C170 Crate Hemi Engine – the same engine that powers the 1,025 horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 – will be available for purchase starting in the first quarter of 2024. Additionally, Direct Connection is also rolling out a new series of long blocks, which will also be available at the beginning of 2024. This gives customers plenty of options for multiple budgets, and endless possibilities.
This news was supposed to be met by SEMA showgoers in Las Vegas, but the UAW Strike changed that.
The second edition of the Direct Connection parts catalog, with updated information on the full Direct Connection lineup, is available for digital download on the DC Performance website. The DC catalog includes product and pricing information and details on the complete DC portfolio, having recently added new crate engine products such as superchargers and transmission kits. As for the new Direct Connection products that will be available in Q1 2024, that includes:
Hellephant C170 6.2L Supercharged Crate Hemi Engine (part number: 68660541AA), which is the engine of the world’s most powerful muscle car ever built. The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170. The fully assembled Hellpahnt C170 6.2L Supercharged Crate Hemi Engine includes the C170 Long Blcok. It features a new 3.0L IHI supercharger with an improved intercooler, a more prominent snout, and a 3.02-inch pulley for increased boost, a 105mm throttle body with new housing, blade, shaft, and geartrain, all component upgrades found in the C170 Long Block and more. The engine features an MSRP of $27,695.
Hellephant C170 6.2L Supercharged Crate Hemi Long Block (part number: P5160620AA) features upgrades to optimize cylinder pressure capability and deliver maximum performance on premium or E85 fuel configurations. Features include upgraded cylinder heads with upgraded valve guide and seat material, upgraded pistons, upgraded connecting rods with new material rev, used bushing material to support increased combustion pressure and much more. This crate features an MSRP of $18,995.
Hellcrate Redeye 6.2L Supercharged Crate Hemi Long Block (part number: P5160619AA) takes performance further with capabilities of 807 horsepower and 717 lb-ft of torque. The crate includes engine assembly components from the cylinder head with valvetrain, engine block with the crankshaft, connecting rods, piston and ring, camshaft and lifters, oil pump, and pan, and front timing cover with harmonic balancer, which comes to a total MSRP of $12,995.
Hellcrate 6.2L Supercharged Crate Hemi Long Block (part number: P5160618AA) boosts performance to 717 horsepower and 656 lb-ft of torque and includes engine assembly components from the cylinder head with valvetrain, engine block with crankshaft, connecting rods, piston and ring, camshaft and lifters, oil pump and pan, and front timing cover with harmonic balancer. The MSRP comes in at $9,495.
The 392 Crate Hemi Long Black (part number P5160617AA) is $6,995 and marks itself as a starting point to unlock performance capabilities of 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. It also includes engine assembly components from the cylinder head with valvetrain, engine block with crankshaft, connecting rods, piston and ring, and camshaft and lifters.
The 345 Crate Hemi Long Block (part number: P5160616AA) starts at $4,495 and includes engine assembly components from the cylinder head with valvetrain, engine block with crankshaft, connected rods, piston and ring, and camshaft and lifters.
HurriCrate Cat 3 Twin Turbo Crate Long Block (part number: P5160622AA) delivers up to 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque at just 3,500 rpm. With an MSRP of $8,995, customers get two low-intertidal, high-flow turbochargers for rapid response to throttle inputs, Plasma Transfer Wire Arc (spray bore) coating in the cylinder bores for an ultra-thin, low-friction wear surface, and high-pressure direct fuel injection.
Finally, Dodge Direct Connection has the HurriCrate Cat 1 Twin Turbo Crate Long Block (part number: P5160621AA), which is capable of up to 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm. The MSRP is $6,495, and for that price, customers get an engine that delivers more horsepower, more torque, and fewer emissions than many naturally aspirated V8 engines.
With these new 2024 offerings, Dodge isn’t eliminating the Hemi V8 engine, as people can still put these legendary creations into their project cars. They just won’t be available within the next generation of the Dodge Charger and Challenger, at least not within their current configurations.
