Last year at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mopar wowed the crowd with its Hellephant crate engine. However, one thing FCA left off the spec sheet was the price. Now we know just how much a 1,000 Mopar ponies will run you.
According to Mopar, the engine by itself will start at $29,995. You’ll also need to pony up an additional $2,265 if you want to make the engine plug and play. This brings the total up to $32,260 if you’re looking for the easiest install.
There are a few other accessories you can add on as well depending on your application. These include a front end accessory drive ($696), A/C ($387), exhaust manifold ($419), rear oil pan ($200), and a 45-degree oil filter ($98). Add all these options in and you’re looking at a final price of $34,060 which is right around the price of a Dodge Charger GT.
Still, all things considered at $34.06 per horsepower it’s not that bad of a deal. The 707hp Mopar Hellcrate engine comes out to roughly the same cost per pony.
There are a few drawbacks with the Hellephant though.
For starters, the engine isn’t meant for vehicles that need to pass pollution controls. This means in most states, you’ll need to stuff the Hellephant in a car that’s from 1976 or older if you want to drive it on the road. But, if you want to drive it off-road, then your only limitation is space, your imagination, and, of course, your bank account.
That space is the source of the other drawback too. The Hellephant is a big engine. At 426ci (7.0L) with the added girth of a supercharger, fitting the V8 is no easy task. Despite the size of the Hellephant, it’s relative light. This is thanks to the extensive use of aluminum.
So what is the perfect car to put the Hellephant in? At the SEMA show, Mopar answered that very question with its ’68 Charger concept. But if you’re not keen on cutting up a piece of vintage American muscle, what are your other options?
If it were us, we’d opt for the newest Challenger. Sure, it wouldn’t be street legal, but it would tear up the drag strip. Also, at least on paper, you would end up saving some serious coin over another fast Challenger, the Demon.
A base Challenger runs $28,840 and with the $34,060 for the Hellephant and its accessories, you’re looking at $62,900. When new, the Demon fetched $89,995 and even in the used market, it’s still not cheap. So for a theoretical savings of $22,095 you’re looking at quite the bargain.
If you’re interested in snagging a Hellephant, preorders are currently open. No word on a delivery date though, but we expect the engines to make it to customers this summer.
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