Direct Connection Unveils Two New Crate Engines at SEMA

A perfect pair of powerplants for project cars.

Fan of Mopar performance have two new options for high-powered crate engines for their projects. At the SEMA show this week, Direct Connection has announced the addition of the Hellephant and HurriCrate to their catalog. These crate engines offer incredible, drop-in performance at various power levels to suit the needs of your specific application.

The supercharged Hellephant engines boast horsepower figures that range from 900 horsepower to over 1,100 horsepower. The Hellephant is based on GEN III V8 Hemi architecture, and features a cast iron or aluminum engine block, depending on trim. All Hellephants are topped with an IHI supercharger displacing 3.0 liters.

The Hellephants will be identifiable by their codenames. The names start with either “A” or “C” – for aluminum or cast iron, depending on engine block construction. The number that follows will denote the fuel type required, in terms of alcohol “proof.” For example, a Hellephant C30 features an cast iron block, and runs on premium fuel (E15 max). Additionally, a Hellephant A170 is built with an aluminum block and is designed to run on E85.

Six Appeal

Meanwhile, the HurriCrate engine is a turbocharged 3.0 liter inline-six. It’s ideal for restomods where the venerable Slant 6 just isn’t potent enough. Keeping with the hurricane theme, the HurriCrate engines range from “Cat 1” to “Cat 3.” Cat 1 HurriCrate engines advertise an output of 420 horsepower, while Cat 3 HurriCrates will produce in excess of 550 horsepower.

Rumor has it (and by “rumor,” we actually mean “the press release the nice Dodge people sent us”) that a “Cat X” variant is under development for race-only applications. Full details of the Hellephant and HurriCrate engine lineup, including pricing and availability, will be revealed early next year. That gives you plenty of time to get the rest of your project car into fighting shape.

Both engines – and their attendant variants – will be available from a network of around 100 Dodge Power Brokers dealerships. These crate engines are fully factory-backed and even come with a warranty. The next thing you know, you’ll be able to walk into Wal*Mart and buy nitrous kits off the shelf next to the Cheez-Its and Charmin.

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Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.
He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.
In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.
You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.

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