On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal published a piece stating that
the well-known Hemi is being demoted, in favor of “greener” engines.
This seemed odd to me, considering how fuel efficient the MDS-equipped
Hemi has proven itself to be in the Dodge Charger, Challenger and Ram
trucks and as other media sources picked up the story, the rumors got
deep. This is made that much more unlikely to me by the fact that many
engine rumors for upcoming Chrysler vehicles center around new (often
bigger) Hemi engines.
Some sources state that the Hemi will be dropped from the Chrysler
and Jeep lineup and that the Hemi would only remain in the Dodge and Ram
brand vehicles but rather than make assumptions, I contacted Chrysler
for more information on the future of the Hemi. Earlier today, I spoke
with Nick Cappa, a representative for Chrysler’s Brand Newsroom, who had
this to say about the Hemi:
“The HEMI V8 is still
very much part of our future powertrain strategy and we’re continually
improving its fuel economy. Badging is something that changes over time
and has little or nothing to do with powertrain system or its use in
future products. The HEMI name will remain with any vehicle the engine
is associated with. The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a HEMI 5.7-liter V8
available but no badge on the exterior. HEMI is still on the engine
cover, in the press kit, in the owner’s manual and in the hearts of
anyone who can appreciate the power and torque it delivers”
I thought that was a great reply…especially that last part. Based
on this bit of information it sounds like Chrysler isn’t going away from
USING the Hemi in some of their premium vehicles but they are just
going away from the exterior badging on some of those vehicles. It seems
that the vehicles that are currently Hemi-powered will continue to
offer the well known V8 powerplant but the vehicles that are less
“performance minded” than say, the Dodge Charger or Ram 2500 Power
Wagon, will not boast of the Hemi on the outside.
"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.
