The Chrysler Group announced the specifications for the new 6.4L Hemi V8 that will serve as a middle of the road engine for the 2014 Ram Heavy Duty lineup – confirming long-running rumors that the SRT Hemi would end up in a Ram truck. The announcement that the Ram HD didn’t come as much of a surprise but the power ratings did…as the Ram HD 392 cubic inch Hemi offers substantially less power than the similar engine featured in the various SRT8 vehicles.
The 2014 Ram HD 2500 and 3500 will feature a specially designed version of the 6.4L Hemi that has been designed and tuned specifically for heavy duty truck use. The result is a 6.4L Hemi that offers more power than the standard 5.7L Hemi V8 with internal features that will allow this engine to face the rigors of truck use while also offering impressive fuel economy. The problem is that this specially designed truck version of the 392 Hemi offers quite a bit less power than the SRT version with “only” 410 horsepower and 429lb-ft of torque. While this is enough power to give the Ram HD the bragging rights of having the most powerful gas motor in the heavy duty truck segment, it ruffled the features of some Mopar lovers who were fully expecting a 392 Hemi powered Ram with 470 horsepower and 470lb-ft of torque. Of course, ruffled features lead to controversy and that brings about our question of the week.
The output of the new Ram HD 6.4L Hemi makes it the most powerful gas truck in the segment but many Mopar diehards believe that there could have been an even bigger advantage. Does the 2014 Ram HD 6.4L Hemi have enough power? Should the Chrysler Group have tried to preserve more of the power from the SRT model when tuning the engine for truck use?
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
