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All hail the Hellephant, Mopar's 1,000-horsepower crate engine

It's shocking to say this, but the all-powerful Dodge Demon looks weak now that Mopar has unleashed the Hellephant. This crate motor makes 1,000 horsepower and 950 pound-feet of torque, and its name is a combination of the nickname for the old 426-cubic-inch Hemi V8 and, obviously, the Hellcat. This monster is a 426-cubic-inch version of the current third-generation Hemi V8 topped by a supercharger similar to what the Hellcat line packs. Everything is cranked up to — or perhaps, past — 11. The engine block is made of aluminum and weighs 100 pounds less than the equivalent iron block. All of the internals are forged. The stroke and bore have been increased. The supercharger produces 15 pounds of boost and displaces 3 liters; more than the 2.7-liter blower on the Demon and the 2.4-liter blower on the Hellcat. And as big and powerful as it is, it will still rev to 7,000 rpm. It's a thoroughly monstrous motor, but shockingly, it won't be that difficult to live with. For one thing, Mopar will offer a complete kit to get the engine up and running, including an engine computer, wiring harness and drive-by-wire throttle. It also runs on 93-octane pump gas. That's especially amazing considering the Demon engine "only" makes 840 horsepower, and that's on race gas with 100+ octane fuel. It also has us wondering what the Hellephant could make on racing fuel. The Mopar folks did say that there's room to add more power. Pricing wasn't announced for the Hellephant engine. The Hellcat crate engine retails at $19,350 directly from Mopar, so it's safe to assume that the Hellephant will go for more. The installation kit with the computer and harness will be an extra charge of likely over $2,000, based on the Hellcat kit. The engine and the kit will be available in the first quarter of 2019. Related Video: Featured Gallery Hellephant Crate Engine SEMA Show Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Performance dodge demon hellephant

Stellantis is official: FCA and PSA merger finally sealed

MILAN — Fiat Chrysler and PSA sealed their long-awaited merger on Saturday to create Stellantis, the world's fourth-largest auto group with deep enough pockets to fund the shift to electric driving and take on bigger rivals Toyota and Volkswagen. It took over a year for the Italian-American and French automakers to finalize the $52 billion deal, during which the global economy was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. They first announced plans to merge in October 2019, to create a group with annual sales of around 8.1 million vehicles. "The merger between Peugeot S.A. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. that will lead the path to the creation of Stellantis N.V. became effective today," the two automakers said in a statement. Shares in Stellantis, which will be headed by current PSA Chief Executive Carlos Tavares, will start trading in Milan and Paris on Monday, and in New York on Tuesday. Now analysts and investors are turning their focus to how Tavares plans to address the huge challenges facing the group – from excess production capacity to a woeful performance in China. Tavares will hold his first press conference as Stellantis CEO on Tuesday, after ringing NYSE's bell with Chairman John Elkann. FCA and PSA have said Stellantis can cut annual costs by over 5 billion euros ($6.1 billion) without plant closures, and investors will be keen for more details on how it will do this. Marco Santino, a partner at consultants Oliver Wyman, said he expected Tavares to disclose the outlines of his action plan soon, but without divulging too many details at first. "He has proven to be the kind of person who prefers action to words, so I don't think he will make loud statements or try to over-sell targets," he said. Like all global automakers, Stellantis needs to invest billions in the years ahead to transform its vehicle range for the electric era. But other pressing tasks loom, including reviving the group's lagging fortunes in China, rationalizing its huge global empire and addressing massive overcapacity. "It will be a step by step process, also to allow the market to better appreciate every single move. I don't think we will have all the details before one year," Santino said.

Dodge revamping lineup with AWD Challenger and lighter Charger

Dodge's current lineup is aging rapidly. The Charger, for example, is going on 5 years old but its platform dates back to 2006. FCA, according to Automotive News, is working on revitalizing Dodge's lineup with the first of some new models debuting later this year. The report reveals plans for the majority of FCA's brands, but the most interesting bit of information is an all-wheel-drive model for the Dodge Challenger, which is being referred to as the GT AWD. Mopar unveiled the Challenger GT AWD Concept at SEMA last year as a concept, but it looks like the idea stuck. The vehicle is set to make its debut this fall and will lead the way for a wide-body, Hellcat-powered version that will be released in 2017. That model will be called the Challenger ADR. The entire Challenger lineup will be redesigned in 2018, which includes switching over to the lighter Giorgio platform - the same one that underpins the Alfa Romeo Guilia Dodge will also redesign the Charger to accommodate the new Giorgio platform in 2018. A new two-door convertible could debut in 2021, resurrecting the Barracuda moniker. The aging Dodge Durango will get a light refresh in 2017 with the addition of an SRT model, which Automotive News reports will feature a 6.4-liter V8 engine. Other changes are in store for other FCA brands, including the debut of full-size crossover in 2018 for Chrysler, which will be followed by a midsize crossover in 2019. The Jeep Compass and Wrangler will get a redesign for 2017, with the Cherokee getting a light makeover, as well. The Wrangler-based pickup truck, which we recently spotted testing, is set for its debut in 2018, while the Wagoneer will come out a year later. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.