Key Takeaways

• Dodge's Hemi engines carry a rich history from the past, showcasing power and nostalgia since the 1950s til date.
• The 6.4-liter 392 Hemi engine offers impressive power, making it a favorite across various Dodge models from cars to trucks.
• The all-new Hurricane engine looks to replace the aging Hemi, promising a compact design with high performance capabilities.

The Hemi engine is synonymous with Dodge, even though they're not responsible for the original engine design, Dodges of all shapes and sizes have packed these engines for many decades. Dodge clearly values nostalgia, as they have continued to return to the Hemi nameplate time and time again, including in 2005, when they re-introduced the Hemi engine as a 5.7-liter V8, in the then-current Charger.

This reinvigorated a nameplate that proved successful in the 1950s, and continued to bring Dodge success until 1971. Arguably the most famous Hemi of the muscle car era was the 426, but Mopar fans always had love for the 392, too. In 2011, Dodge brought the 392 (6.4-liter) back with a vengeance. At first, it was the top horsepower engine from SRT offered in the Challenger, Charger, Chrysler 300, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. In 2015, the 392 became the mid-performance option as the Hellcat replaced it as the king of horsepower for Dodge. They also introduced the lump into their lineup of medium and heavy-duty Ram trucks. In this article, we will be comparing the various guises of this popular engine to one another.

Here's How The 6.4-Liter Hemi Engine Differs For Cars And Trucks

The 6.4-liter 392 cubic inch Hemi V8 engine was first introduced in 2011 as the SRT8 model across several platforms. It was the replacement for the 6.1-liter Hemi engine. The increase in displacement brought more powe, and no doubt contributed to an up-swing in sales. The 392, as it is often referred to, has little in common with its ancestor from the late 1950s. Only the displacement is the same. The 6.4-liter Hemi was revised and has been offered in the Ram 2500/3500 HD trucks since 2015. There have been over 100,000 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engines sold over the past decade. That does not include crate engines sold direct from Dodge.

392 V8 SRT HEMI Engine

The 6.4 liter Hemi is largely the same internally regardless of whether it came out of a Challenger/Charger or Durango/Grand Cherokee SRT. It has always kicked out great power figures, right from its induction in 2011, with 470 horsepower available at 6,000 rpm, in conjunction with 470 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm. In 2015, the 392 was refreshed, which saw horsepower jump up to 485 at 6,100 rpm, and torque swell to 475 lb-ft at 4,200 rpm, due to a revised intake manifold and more aggressive tuning. The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and Durango SRT models have less power with 475 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 470 lb-ft torque at 4,300 rpm. This was because they had a more restrictive exhaust manifold design, due to fitting the big Hemi into their cramped engine bays.

6.4L V8 Heavy-Duty HEMI MDS Engine

The 6.4 liter heavy-duty Hemi used in Ram 2500/3500 medium duty and heavy-duty trucks had several differences to the SRT variant. Offered beginning with the 2015 model year, it had different heads and a different intake manifold that helped it produce its peak power at the lower end of the rpm range. This was to improve towing performance, which is a much more valuable metric to most truck owners than sheer performance. The compression ratio was lowered to 10.0:1 due to the piston design Ram went with, which also meant regular unleaded fuel was okay, unlike the SRT engine which needed premium. The heavy-duty 6.4 liter Hemi was no slouch though, as it delivers up to 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. The 6.4-liter engine includes Dodge's Multi-Displacement System for better fuel economy as well. All of this delivers a maximum towing rating of 17,540 pounds, in properly-equipped heavy-duty Ram pickups.

The 2024 Ram 2500 Rebel Packs A 392 Hemi Engine

2024 Ram 2500 HD 6.4-Liter Hemi Engine Specs

Economy & Towing Capacities

• Fuel Economy: 12 city/ 18 highway MPG
• Towing capacity: 17,540 lbs
• Payload: 3,140 lbs

The 2024 Ram 2500 HD Rebel is available right now with a 6.4-liter Hemi engine, although Ram does offer a turbo-diesel engine, too. Unlike Dodge's line of performance and muscle cars, the Ram 2500 is designed to feel rugged and durable, while boasting impressive off-road and towing capabilities. The Rebel rides on 33-inch Goodyear DuraTrac All-Terrain tires, so clearance won't be a problem. In this application, Ram pairs the 6.4-liter engine with Dodge's 8-speed automatic transmission.

The Ram’s 6.4-liter V8 is much older than the 7.3-liter engine available for the Ford Super Duty trucks and the 6.6 liter in the Chevrolet Silverados. Both of those engines send power via 10-speed automatic transmissions, and have more torque than the Hemi-powered Ram. It's their efficiency that the 6.4-liter Hemi engine can not match, but that is not to say the big Dodge doesn't perform well, as it can still tow over 17,000 pounds. For those Ram-inclined customers who need to tow even more, there is also the Cummins-powered Ram trucks.

The 2023 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Prioritizes Performance

2023 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Engine Specs

Economy & Performance Highlights

• Fuel Economy: 15 city/24 highway/18 combined mpg
• 0 to 60 MPH: 4.4 sec
• Quarter Mile Time: 12.6 seconds

The outgoing Dodge Challenger is still an incredibly good-looking car, especially in Scat Pack guise, with a wide body and bronze wheels to really set it off. For 2023, the big 6.4-liter in the Scat Pack is still solid. With almost 500 horsepower on tap, there's plenty of power to counter the higher weight of this wide bodied muscle car. The 392 Hemi lump also sounds amazing ,and has no problem getting the Challenger moving with its impressive supply of low-end torque. Here, the engine is set up to favor startling performance, as demonstrated by the 4.4-second 0 to 60 time, and sub-13-second quarter mile time. A direct contrast to how the 6.4-liter Hemi engine works in the 2024 Ram 2500 HD truck.

The 6-speed manual transmission is standard, but an 8-speed automatic is a popular option. The award-winning UConnect infotainment system is still here in updated form since its debut in 2015. The Challenger is one of the only American coupes that can actually fit 3 adults in the back seat. For its swan song, Dodge has launched several "special” Challenger trims, dubbed the Last Call, such as the Swinger Special Edition, available on Scat Pack models. The optional shaker hood scoop is also a great bonus for any trim level on the Challenger R/T or Scat Pack.

The price has gone up quite a bit since the Scat Pack debuted in 2015, as back then it boasted a reasonable base MSRP of around $40,000 dollars. In 2024, the base price is $47,265, which isn’t too bad, but with the added packages it can bring it up to $66,815, which was more than the base price of the Hellcat in 2015.

All-New Hurricane Engine Looks To Replace The Aging Hemi Engine

Hurricane Engine Specs

The all-new Hurricane is an inline 6-cylinder DOHC design, with direct injection, and individual cooling systems for its twin-turbos, which are separate from the engine cooling circuit. The Hurricane is compact and light compared to the big Hemi's it will be replacing, and available with SO (standard output) and HO (high output) variants. The SO weighs in at 430 pounds, and the HO comes in at 441 pounds fully dressed. The turbochargers are unique to each model. The SO's peak boost is 22 PSI, while the HO can hit 26 PSI. These engines are production-ready, with manufacturing already taking place at the Saltillo North engine plant in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico. Ram trucks and Dodge and Jeep SUVs, including the new Charger, are all expected to make use of the Hurricane. Micky Bly, Stellantis' Head of Propulsion Systems says "the Hurricane twin-turbo is a no-compromise engine that delivers better fuel economy and an important reduction in greenhouse gases without asking our customers to give up performance".

Sources: Dodge, Stellantis